California Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined a plan with multiple stages to reopen the state, focusing on essential businesses first and also noting when sports games — with and without fans — would come.
That is of particular interest for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the prospect of potentially playing a portion of the 2020 Major League Baseball season at Dodger Stadium. Newsom had previously cautioned against the expectation of games being played with fans in attendance.
“The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible, at best, until we get to herd immunity and we get to a vaccine,” he said during a recent daily address.
“So large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tends of thousands of strangers all together across every conceivable difference of health and otherwise, is not in the cards based upon our current guidelines and expectations.”
Without providing much a timeline, other than to note the latter stages are months away, Newsom on Tuesday outlined the stages he envisions California reopening.
STAGE 1: Safety and Preparedness.
This is where we are now.
Staying home and flattening the curve.
Building out our testing, PPE, and hospital capacity.
Making our essential workplaces as safe as possible.
And preparing sector-by-sector guidelines for a safe re-opening.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 28, 2020
STAGE 2: Lower Risk Workplaces
Gradually re-opening some lower risk workplaces with adaptations.
This will include:
– Retail (e.g. curbside pickup)
– Manufacturing
– Offices (when telework not possible)
– More public spaces— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 28, 2020
STAGE 3: Higher Risk Workplaces
Gradually re-opening some higher risk environments with adaptations and limits on size of gatherings.
This will include:
-Personal care (hair salons, nail salons, gyms)
-Movie theaters
-Sports without live audiences
-In-person religious services— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 28, 2020
STAGE 4: End of Stay-At-Home Order
Re-opening the highest risk parts of our economy — once therapeutics have been developed.
This will include mass gatherings such as:
– Concerts
– Convention Centers
– Live audience sports— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 28, 2020
As MLB continues to evaluate multiple scenarios to begin and stage the 2020 regular season, the likelihood of fans attending games at Dodger Stadium this year grow more grim by the week. That could have implications on the 2020 MLB All-Star Game, which for now remains scheduled.
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