Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the immediate closure of indoor operations at restaurants, bars, wineries, cardrooms, entertainment centers, movie theaters, zoos and museums in 19 counties, including Los Angeles County. The halt of indoor operations will be in place for three consecutive weeks.

Newsom said moving activities outdoors will help slow the spread of the coronavirus as the number of cases spike.

“This doesn’t mean restaurants are shut down,” Newsom said. “It means that we’re trying to take the activities, as many activities as we can — these mixed activities, these concentrated activities — and move them outdoors, which is a way of mitigating the spread of this virus.”

Newsom’s order applies to Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare and Ventura counties.

These 19 counties represent over 70% of the state’s population, according to Newsom.

The order to halt indoor dining at restaurants comes after restaurants were allowed to reopen dining rooms in L.A. County on May 29.

Newsom’s announcement came Wednesday ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. It serves as an effort to maintain safety as people celebrate the holiday. The 19 counties affected by the closure of indoor activities should consider canceling firework shows to avoid crowding to occur, according to Newsom.

On Monday, L.A. County Department of Public Health announced firework displays will be prohibited this weekend.

In addition to closed indoor activities, outdoor recreational activities are going to be modified for the holiday weekend.

Parking facilities at state beaches will be closed for the weekend. In counties that decide to close local beaches, Newsom said the state will follow suit to close state beaches in those counties.

Beginning Friday, L.A. County will close its beaches, bike paths, parking lots and piers until Monday.

State parks will remain open with modifications to reduce the number of visitors to avoid overcrowding.

Editor’s Note July 1, 2020: Headline updated.