California's governor on Wednesday ordered restaurants to close indoor dining in Los Angeles and 18 other counties badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Gavin Newsom's order will remain in place for at least three weeks and also affects bars, wineries, movie theaters, museums and other businesses.
"These 19 counties represent over 70 per cent of the population here in the state of California," Newsom told a live-streamed news conference.
"With that, we have specifically targeted our efforts to close indoor operations."
COVID-19 is still rampaging across the US, which has recorded more than 125,000 deaths and 2.5 million cases.
In California -- which has suffered more than 6,000 deaths -- several counties including Los Angeles have broken new daily case records in recent days, and positivity rates among those tested have soared.
Restaurants had initially been allowed to re-open in late May, but are now restricted to outdoor and take-out dining.
Bars in Los Angeles county were ordered to close last weekend, barely a week after re-opening.
Movie theaters were never permitted to re-open in Los Angeles, but have resumed in other parts of the state.
The city's upcoming July 4 holiday weekend beach gatherings and fireworks displays have also been banned.
Newsom on Wednesday urged other counties on the state's coronavirus watch list -- including Sacramento, Orange and Riverside -- to consider cancelling all fireworks shows over the Fourth of July weekend.
Parking at beaches across southern California and parts of the rest of the state will also be closed, Newsom added.
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