California is a massive state with many rural counties, and the social distancing rules put in place in Los Angeles County are not necessarily needed in places like Lassen County where there are only a little over 30,000 people.
Governor Newsom's six-step plan to reopen the state is probably a little to slow for places with smaller population densities, and it's getting frustrating for representatives like California State Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber):
The Governor’s plan needs to be accelerated for rural communities where the impact is not proportional to the number of reported infections.
The White House's strategy is a three-phased approach that gradually brings back schools, restaurants, and theaters in certain areas based on scientific evidence. Dahle says the virus is waning, and cites Vice President Mike Pence in arguing for guidelines to be set on a county level:
I support local Boards of Supervisors, County Directors of Health, and elected Sheriffs having the authority to lift restrictions on commerce when communities meet the criteria, like having few to no COVID-19 infections. This economic shutdown also has dangerous health consequences in its own right by denying people regular medical exams like mammograms and elective surgeries that could have long-term if not deadly effects. Not to mention, denying people their freedoms and the ability to provide for their families, which makes ending this lockdown as soon as possible imperative. The timeline for Los Angeles is not our timeline.
Dahle also stated that Newsom needs make sure that the framework for reopening the economy reflects the different situations in different counties:
I represent 11 counties; they should be allowed to consider re-opening based on the Federal Guidelines and local jurisdictional control. The state government needs every small business that can safely open to boost the economy; we cannot base our government finances going forward on federal ‘stimulus.’ Independent businesses will have to be the foundation of a sound and sustainable economic policy.