Gov. Newsom abruptly lifts COVID restrictions. Epidemiologist says to be extra cautious

Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday canceled the statewide stay-at-home order he put in place last month because of surging COVID-19 cases. Newsom says he looked at projections that ICU capacity will soon be above 15% in some parts of the state. His move clears the way for restaurants to open outdoor dining and salons to offer limited indoor services.

“We are at a very critical moment here,” says UCLA epidemiology professor Anne Rimoin. “We're reaping some of the fruits of our hard labor. But I think if we start to ease up on our restrictions, we could very easily be tipping back over the edge in a short time period.”