Update on coronavirus testing in California
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly held a news conference at noon on Tuesday to provide an update on the surge in coronavirus cases.
He's also discussed testing efforts, especially for at-risk populations.
Dr. Ghaly is taking the place of Governor Gavin Newsom, who generally holds news conferences at noon to update residents on the pandemic.
On Monday, Newsom ordered additional closures, rolling back reopening efforts across the state.
Indoor operations are now not permitted in many industries in Riverside County. The list of sectors affected includes fitness centers, worship services, personal care services, hair salons and barbershops, malls, and offices for non-critical sectors.
The order affects all 30 counties on the state's pandemic monitoring
list -- including Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties.
Newsom also ordered the statewide closure of indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, aquariums, family entertainment centers and card rooms -- and the full closure of all bars. Those restrictions were already in place in counties on the state's monitoring list, but the new order extended them statewide.
Newsom reiterated that the state's enactment of health-restrictions was being handled with a "dimmer switch," meaning the severity of the orders can be adjusted upward or downward based on the latest virus statistics and "trendlines.''
The state has been seeing record numbers of infections in recent days, along with increasing hospitalizations. As of Monday, Newsom said 6,485 were hospitalized across the state due to the coronavirus. The seven-day rolling average of people testing positive for the virus was 7.7%, Newsom said.
More counties are expected to be added to the state's monitoring list on Tuesday, Newsom announced.
Click here for a full breakdown of cases in each city and community in the Coachella Valley.
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