California’s top health official: No social distancing and full capacity for businesses when state reopens on June 15

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s top health official says the state no longer will require social distancing and will allow full capacity for businesses when the state reopens on June 15.

State health director Dr. Mark Ghaly says dramatically lower coronavirus cases and increasing vaccinations mean it’s safe for the state to remove nearly all restrictions next month.

Some recently reported daily infection cases have fallen below 1,000 and currently there are about 1,300 people in hospitals with the virus.

California was the first state to issue a statewide shutdown as the virus emerged in March 2020. At the start of 2021, it was the nation’s epicenter. There’s been nearly 63,000 confirmed deaths from the virus in California, the most of any state in the nation.