FILE - In this March 23, 2020, file photo California Gov. Gavin Newsom updates the state's response to the coronavirus, at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif. Newsom's administration warned state agencies the governm …
ATWATER, California - More parks and hiking trails welcomed visitors again in California, and one city declared itself a "sanctuary" from the state's stay-at-home order as diverse regions carved their own path toward reopening.
Officials in Atwater, a city of 30,000 in central California, unanimously agreed not to enforce a nearly 2-month-old order intended to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. That means local authorities won't interfere with any business or church that decides to reopen ahead of state restrictions.
The declaration was a symbolic gesture of defiance against Gov. Gavin Newson's order, and the city's mayor cautioned that businesses were taking their own risks by reopening.
California is moving through the second phase of relaxing its restrictions. Businesses deemed lower risk have been gradually allowed to reopen, with retailers offering curbside pickup.