Watch: Gov. Gavin Newsom holds news conference

California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference Monday following a busy weekend for activists and lawmakers alike. You can watch a recording of the news conference by clicking on the video below:

As both houses of the California Legislature debated over how to stitch together a budget that addresses the state’s multi-billion dollar shortfall, protesters took to the streets across the state in the latest batch of demonstrations against police violence and racial inequality.

His conference also comes after Sacramento County reported a spike of new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. According to the California Department of Public Health, the county has counted over 1,700 confirmed positive cases since the pandemic began.

Many businesses and religious centers also reopened this weekend after a months-long hiatus surrounding the virus. It’s part of Newsom’s plan to gradually reopen a state that has reported more than 5,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

Newsom said in an earlier press conference that Stage 4 of reopening — when all restrictions are lifted — won’t come for months.

This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Watch: Gov. Gavin Newsom holds news conference."