LOS ANGELES _ California surpassed 75,000 coronavirus cases Friday as officials continued to ease stay-at-home restrictions.
Statewide, more than 3,000 people have died from causes related to COVID-19.
Nearly half the coronavirus cases _ 35,447 _ and more than half the related deaths _ 1,711 _ are among residents of Los Angeles County, where officials this week announced stricter rules regarding the wearing of masks outdoors.
In the city of L.A., the new law requires face coverings for walking, running, cycling, scooting, rollerskating, skateboarding and all outdoor activities except for those on the water, according to an order from Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Elsewhere in L.A. County, you can still be outdoors without a face covering when there is no one else around but must put the mask on when others approach, said Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director.
The stricter rules come as the county reopened its beaches and permitted retailers to resume curbside pickup services.
"As we begin our recovery journey, we will need to shoulder the task of doing all we can to prevent many others from dying," Ferrer said Thursday in a statement. She noted that protocols were being put in place so businesses and recreation areas could reopen safely.
"We will all need to closely follow the rules, including practicing physical distancing and wearing cloth face coverings at all times, so that we don't end up with significant increases in hospitalizations and deaths," she said.
Though L.A. County has continued to be a coronavirus hotspot, some rural counties have seen comparatively little impact in terms of cases and deaths. As the state moves into what Gov. Gavin Newsom has deemed Phase 2 of its reopening plan, it has become possible for those counties to go further in terms of opening businesses, provided they meet certain criteria.
Nearly a third of California's 58 counties have certified to the state that they have contained the spread of the virus which allows them to reopen restaurants to dine-in service, as well as shopping malls and other businesses, Newsom said Thursday.
The 19 counties that have attested to meeting state standards for containment are mostly in rural areas of Northern California with small populations. They represent about 4.5% of the state's population and do not include urban centers such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The state is continuing talks with other counties that are trying to meet state standards for testing, hospital availability and numbers of cases.
Other Southern California counties _ Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego _ are working to forge a coalition to jointly lobby Newsom so they can further reopen their local economies.
L.A. County's stay-at-home orders will "with all certainty" be extended for the next three months, Ferrer said Tuesday. She later added that even if the orders remain in place through the summer, restrictions will be "gradually relaxed" under a five-step plan.
