In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, California has instituted a new curfew, which went into effect on Saturday night.
CBS Los Angeles reports that demonstrators gathered in Huntington Beach that same night to protest the new restrictions, which require residents to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 21—so the crowd was essentially breaking the new statewide guidelines. It also appears that many weren't wearing masks.
According to the outlet, Orange County sheriffs and other Southern California law enforcement officials said they wouldn’t impose the curfew, which aims to keep people from going out and being sociable late into the night. Those are the sorts of activities that have reportedly caused COVID-19 infections to skyrocket. Residents will still be able to shop for groceries, pick up food, and walk their dogs.
The curfew applies to 41 of California’s 58 counties, which contain 94 percent of the almost 40 million people who live in the state. California has recorded over one million infections, with 13,000 new cases reported on Thursday. The curfew could be extended if the number of cases continues to surge.
