California further loosens stay-at-home restrictions

California rolled back its stay-at-home limits further on Monday (May 18).

Governor Gavin Newsom says the San Francisco Bay Area stores can reopen with curbside retail and manufacturing can now restart.

He also cleared a path for the potential return of professional sports without fans in the stands as early as June.

"We've been talking with league representatives from all the major league sports and working with our collaborative, through the Western Governors Association and others, comparing and contrasting best practices of what's happening in a number of other states that have professional sports in their states and we're looking to advance those conversations now."

But rules aimed at protecting players and staff have yet to be developed and a potential June 1 opening date would depend on safety standards in the most populous U.S. state.

Newsom also says he's working with faith-based leaders across the state to allow churchgoers back to houses of worship as soon as possible.

"We'll note that the order that we put out today will allow for counseling services and will allow for churches to meet more broadly as offices, but for the congregants, that's a few weeks away - not months, weeks, if everything holds."

In the new order issued Monday, California health officials said residents should still stay at home for the most part and wear face masks when out and about.

Nearly all 50 U.S. states were at some stage of reopening on Monday as officials nationwide seek to reopen their economies.