SACRAMENTO —As some of the state’s retail businesses prepare to with modifications by the end of this week if certain criteria are met, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, is urging cities and counties not to jump the gun.

Garcia issued the plea in response to Gov. Newsom’s  Monday, May 4, announcement that California is preparing to enter the second stage of its reopening roadmap, which would allow additional retail and manufacturing businesses to return to work:

“We urge our local cities and counties to hold steady and follow state guidelines,” Garcia said in a prepared statement. “This significant step is reflective of our continued coronavirus mitigation efforts and the positive progress we have made in key resilience factors such as hospital surge capacity, availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, as well as tracking and tracing advancements. New safety guidelines will be released later this week.”

Garcia said, “It is encouraging that we will soon be able to see businesses such as clothing stores and florists return and bring back jobs. Ensuring the safety of our communities remains our top priority, and we hope that we can all align ourselves with statewide efforts to curb the virus while getting our economies up and running.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said some of the state’s retail businesses could begin reopening with modifications by the end of this week if certain criteria are met.

The governor said state officials will issue further guidance Thursday on the state’s next phase of reopening, which will include specific guidelines that low-risk businesses must meet in order to reopen with modifications as soon as Friday.

He said retailers of such items as clothing, books, music, toys and sporting goods, as well as florists, would be allowed to offer curbside pickup services if they institute state guidelines.

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Assemblymember Garcia serves as the chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.

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  • Gov. Gavin Newsom: Assemblymember Garcia