California, New Mexico and Oregon impose new restrictions in the face of increased cases of covid-19

Florida is now the epicenter of the US pandemic 3:15

(CNN) - Driven by a dramatic increase in cases across the United States and within its borders, three states on Monday reinstated the restrictions that were imposed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 27 states in the country have suspended the reopening of businesses or have re-imposed measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Citing increasing numbers, the governors of California and New Mexico, who have already taken some steps, again imposed restrictions on eating out. In Oregon, where the number of cases has recently increased, the governor expanded the rules on wearing masks to include outdoor gatherings where social distance cannot be maintained.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom cited increases in the rate of positive cases and instances of community broadcasting to order the suspension of many indoor activities in all counties.

Newsom said restaurant canteens, interior cellars, tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos and museums should close. Those who can should offer outdoor service areas. Bars must suspend all operations.

"We are seeing an increase in the spread of the virus," said the governor. "That is why it is up to all of us to seriously acknowledge that the covid-19 is not going to go away anytime soon."

Under the new order, 30 of the 58 counties on the state's watch list will need to close fitness centers, houses of worship, offices for nonessential sectors, personal care services, hair salons, beauty salons, and shopping malls.

The California Department of Public Health reported 8,358 new cases and 23 new deaths on Monday. A total of 329,162 cases and 7,040 deaths have been registered in the state.

Hospitalizations for covid-19 have increased 28% in a two-week period, according to the governor.

California is one of almost three dozen states in which cases are increasing, and it is not the only one to have resumed measures to combat the coronavirus.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has imposed new restrictions on indoor seating in restaurants and breweries, according to a statement from her office. Indoor dining in restaurants had been allowed with limits since June 1, but is now prohibited. Breweries were allowed to have customers inside since June 15.

It is allowed to serve clients abroad at 50% of its capacity.

In the past two weeks, the state has seen 3,049 new positive cases of covid-19, representing 20.2% of the total positive cases statewide during the course of the pandemic, according to the governor's office.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that indoor gatherings such as birthdays or dinners will be limited to 10 or fewer people. Faith-based events, gyms, and restaurants are on the exemption list under the governor's order.

"Today I am sounding the alarm: We are at risk of the covid-19 spiraling out of control in Oregon," he tweeted. "Each of us needs to take immediate steps to stop the spread of this disease."

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon announced Monday that he will extend the restrictions in his state until July 31.

New Jersey, one of the few states that has seen a drop in cases, is lifting the requirement that private and transit buses, trains, and light rail cars only be able to operate at 50% of capacity.

Doctor: Community immunity is unlikely

People who have been infected with the new coronavirus could see their immunity drop in a few months, and that is "what we were afraid of," Dr. William Haseltine told Erin Burnett of CNN.

Citing three studies conducted in other countries, Haseltine said that this coronavirus is like other similar coronaviruses that give us colds. They are different from other viruses.

"Those things, like measles and mumps, you have once and you're protected for life," he said.

But Haseltine said it is different with cold viruses; Your body “forgets” that it was once infected, according to three studies.

Haseltine says the findings, if true, will have implications for infected people, for the idea of ​​achieving community immunity against the virus and for the development of a vaccine.

"Individually, that means if you had it, you should be as careful as if you didn't have it, because you could have it again and it could cause exactly the same disease it caused the first time, or worse," he told CNN.

"Community immunity depends on durable immunity and if it doesn't exist, you can't get community immunity," he said. “This (coronavirus) looks like its brothers and sisters, except that it is much more unpleasant. But it doesn't seem to be any different in the sense that it makes your immune system react harder, ”he said.

Haseltine, a former professor at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, is now president and director of ACCESS Health International.

Florida records more than 27,000 new cases in two days

Florida health officials reported a staggering record of new cases in one day on Sunday: 15,300. If Florida were a country, it would be fourth in terms of new case reports. The state would rank tenth on the list of nations with the most cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The state added at least 12,343 cases since Sunday, according to the Florida Department of Health.

At least 35 states see an increase in new cases compared to the previous week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has recorded more than 3.3 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, which means that nearly 1 in 100 Americans has tested positive for covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. At least 135,582 Americans have died.

Worldwide, 13 million people have tested positive for the virus.

Local and state leaders in the United States have said in recent weeks that the new cases are largely driven by Americans who have chosen to resume meetings and outings to bars. In many states, the average age of new cases has shifted downward, with more youth testing positive than ever since the start of the pandemic.

The rising numbers in the US could be just the tip of the iceberg, as experts have often stressed that infections could be roughly 10 times more than what is reported, as many are not tracked.

To reduce the increase in cases, many states now have some sort of order for mask use.

But such precautions have met with a strong backlash from many officials and residents, and some governors have stayed away from mask-level orders at the state level, including Florida.

Andrea Kane, Konstantin Toropin, Sarah Moon, Stella Chan, Kay Jones, Mitch McCluskey, Artemis Moshtaghian, and Hollie Silverman contributed to this report.

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