Watch: Gavin Newsom gives COVID-19 update, faces questions about French Laundry party

California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference Monday on COVID-19 where hfaced questions about a party he attended two weeks ago with people from outside his household.

You can watch a recording of the press conference here:

The press conference is Newsom’s first since the San Francisco Chronicle reported that he and his wife attended a birthday party at the famed French Laundry restaurant in Napa County. Although Newsom says he complied with his administration’s rules about restaurant dining and sat outside, the Chronicle reported that the event brought together more than three different households.

The Newsom administration’s guidance for dining allows restaurants to sit different households together within the same party and doesn’t say how many households can dine together. Separate guidance from the administration on outdoor gatherings is more stringent, saying that no more than three households should gather, that they should remain outdoors, wear masks and stay at least six feet apart.

“While our family followed the restaurant’s health protocols and took safety precautions, we should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” the governor said in a written statement.

The news broke as Newsom and his administration urge Californians to forego traditional Thanksgiving gatherings and not congregate with extended family to avoid spreading the coronavirus. Nationwide, COVID-19 rates are escalating rapidly, a worrying sign as the country enters the winter holiday season when people will be tempted to gather indoors where the virus spreads more easily.