California Gov. Gavin Newsom will lift strict stay-at-home order as recall effort gains steam

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is reportedly planning to lift his stay-at-home lockdown order in California on Monday.

The decision to rescind the coronavirus-related restrictions, which have been in place since December, coincides with a campaign to recall the Democratic governor that has gained significant steam in recent weeks.

What are the details?

A person inside Newsom's office told the San Francisco Chronicle the restrictions are being lifted because ICU bed availability has risen to acceptable metrics set by California health officials.

California regions under the lockdown order will now return to the state's reopening framework of colored tiers. Most significantly, the source revealed that California's reopening plan will no longer "be tied strictly to the number of beds that are available in intensive care units," the Chronicle reported.

Now, restaurants, gyms, salons, and many other businesses designated as "nonessential" by the government will be permitted to resume modified services.

News of the development broke when the California Restaurant Association sent members a letter revealing what Newsom's administration told them.

"Late this evening, senior officials in the Newsom administration informed us that the Governor will announce tomorrow that the stay-at-home order will be lifted in all regions of the state," the letter stated.

What about the recall effort?

Organizers of Rescue California — the latest campaign to recall Newsom — revealed on Saturday they are rapidly gathering the number of signatures required to trigger a recall vote.

From KUSI-TV:

Rescue CA has a goal of getting in enough signatures to help the effort get to 2 million signatures. 1.5 million validated signatures are required to qualify a recall for a special election, according to Anne Dunsmore, Campaign manager and finance director, Rescue California.

Currently the Secretary of State has confirmed that the signatures have been 84% valid.Rescue CA has raised $1.7 million dollars towards its goal of $2.5 million with over 9000 contributors, Dunsmore said on Good Morning San Diego. If the recall qualifies, Newsom would be forced to fend off rivals in the midst of a pandemic that has cost the state millions of jobs, cored government budgets and upended life for nearly 40 million residents.

Although a recall effort likely wouldn't result in Newsom's removal from office because Democratic voters significantly outnumber Republican voters in California, forcing Newsom to fight for his political life would put him on notice that many Californians do not approve of his handing of the COVID pandemic.