Coronavirus In California: New Calls For Seniors To Isolate And For Bars, Wineries To Close

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for restaurants and wineries across the state to close and that senior citizens over the age of 65 should remain indoors as part of the state’s efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Newsom made these recommendations during a press conference Sunday as California officials continued to combat COVID-19. He said bars, restaurants, and wineries should close, but avoided directly ordering them to. Instead, he ordered all restaurants to reduce their capacity and seat customers six feet apart from each other.

“We believe this is a non-essential function in our state,” Newsom said. He then said that while there were no “enforcement measures” yet, those would come if anyone didn’t follow state guidelines.

He also ordered senior citizens over the age of 65 with “chronic conditions” to remain at home to reduce the risk of exposure.

“This will be socialized in real time,” Newsom said. “I have all the confidence in the world.”

Newsom’s press conference echoed warnings made earlier in the week after ensuring schools closed because of coronavirus would still receive state funding. He recommended people avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing to prevent spreading the virus. However, crowds were still out over the weekend to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Following Newsom’s press conference, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered bars and restaurants in the city to suspend dine-in services until March 31. Take-out and delivery will still reportedly be available to order.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg also voiced his support for Newsom’s efforts.

“We must all fully embrace the direction the governor articulated today,” Steinberg said on Sunday. “This will require us all to make real sacrifices, but they are necessary to slow the progress of this pandemic. ... I feel for our small businesses, restaurants and working people who will face economic hardship as a result.”

Small businesses across the state have been taken extra steps to ensure the health and safety of patrons as well, but have voiced their concern about the impact it could have.

Rick Swig, a hotel owner in Napa Valley, said the local hotel industry had been growing over the last few years. He said the revenue was up despite a rough few years thanks to the recent wildfires, but the coronavirus has caused greater concern.

“Nobody has a clue, right now,” Swig told the Napa Valley Register.

He also voiced concerns over the upcoming BottleRock music festival scheduled to run from May 22 to May 24 in Napa Valley. He said a cancellation would take away a major source of revenue for local businesses that benefit from the festival.

Visit Napa Valley issued a statement about the recent wave of cancellations from the virus and travel restrictions, saying:

“We expect group meetings and business travel cancellation trends to continue in the coming weeks and months as businesses nationwide curb non-essential travel. Similar to many destinations, we are actively trying to capture leisure travelers who plan to travel closer to home or take advantage of air and hotel special offers.”