Several Counties Defy Orders As California Placed on Lockdown

Several California county officials, including those in Orange County and Riverside County, have said they will not enforce a new stay-at-home order set to take place Sunday evening. The order affects Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and five Bay Area counties. California added 21,528 new cases on Saturday, bringing the state's total number of cases to 1.3 million. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he would enforce the stay-at home order in these areas if hospital intensive care unit capacity drops below 15%. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco criticized Newsom Friday for his "dictatorial attitude" and purportedly acting "extremely hypocritical"; Orange County followed with a similar statement Saturday. Under the new restrictions, gatherings of people from different households will be prohibited except for outdoor church services and protests. Personal and recreational services will be closed. Restaurants will remain open for delivery and takeout only, and retail will remain open at 20% capacity. Coverage from the left tended to focus on the rising number of cases; reports from the right tended to highlight the counties' responses.