As COVID hotspots begin to lift restrictions and reopen, here s what you can do to stay safe Abby Haglage
California Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted the state’s stay-at-home order this week, which may allow restaurants to resume outdoor dining and gyms to begin operating again. Health officials say the decision was motivated by projections about intensive care unit capacity, but others insist it was the result of political pressure and major lawsuits the state faced on behalf of business owners.
Either way, the move comes just days after California became the first state to exceed 3 million cases of COVID-19, leading some to worry that the reopening may be premature. But Dr. Armand Dorian, chief medical officer at University of Southern California’s Verdugo Hills Hospital, says that even the epicenter of the U.S. pandemic can reopen if the proper infection prevention measures are in place.