Is it too late for SLO County to pull the plug on the 4th of July?

Coronavirus case counts in San Luis Obispo County already are trending higher than ever. On Tuesday, the county set yet another daily record with the announcement of 44 new cases.

It’s a heck of a time to be heading into a Fourth of July weekend that could make Memorial Day look like child’s play in terms of unmasked crowds.

Some areas of California are shutting down tourist attractions this weekend — Los Angeles and Ventura counties, for example, are closing all beaches.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom went even further, ordering 19 counties on a “watch list” to take a step back and shutter bars, wineries, movie theaters, museums and bowling alleys. Restaurants will be allowed to remain open for takeout and delivery, but not for indoor dining.

San Luis Obispo is not on the watch list, but Santa Barbara County is. So are several Central Valley counties, where many residents have a long-standing tradition of celebrating the 4th on the Central Coast.

Call us paranoid, but with other parts of the state shutting down, SLO County could be even more of a magnet for tourists coming from areas that are known hot spots for COVID-19.

Unlike Memorial Day, there will be no occupancy limits on SLO County hotels or vacation rentals.

Beaches will be open. So will bars and restaurants, albeit with mask requirements and some occupancy restrictions.

Local communities have canceled fireworks shows, but that doesn’t appear to be much of a deterrent. Several Central Coast hotels are showing limited availability on online booking sites, even with rates set at $300 and more per night.

So here’s our advice to locals who want to avoid infection: Stick close to home. Better yet, don’t go anywhere.

Instead, try out that new potato salad recipe in the safety of your own kitchen.

Barbecue in your backyard.

Run through the sprinklers.

And if you want a nightcap, stay away from the bars. They’re trouble.

People may start out intending to social distance, but a few drinks in they’re high-fiving and hugging total strangers — all without face coverings, because masks and margaritas don’t mix.

Even before he announced additional restrictions on Wednesday, Newsom had ordered some California counties with surging coronavirus cases to close bars, and recommended that others do so. Santa Barbara County was among those that opted to close bars voluntarily.

We wouldn’t be sorry to see the governor shut down drinking establishments across the entire state.

Nor would we regret if California got real about limiting leisure travel.

While there’s still a statewide order banning unnecessary travel, that’s a charade. Even state agencies are admitting as much.

“As California gradually reopens, many people will be eager to celebrate the holiday weekend with family and friends,” the CHP said in a news release. “To help reduce the risk and slow the spread of COVID-19, the California Department of Public Health is urging the public to avoid traveling long distances for vacations or pleasure as much as possible.”

As much as possible?

Let’s get things straight. Traveling for pleasure is totally optional. So yes, it is entirely possible to avoid it. And we should actually be doing that.

That’s highly unfortunate for a tourist-dependent area like ours, where jobs and tax revenue are inextricably linked to the health of the hospitality industry.

But reopening SLO County too quickly puts people’s health at risk, and it only prolongs the economic uncertainty for businesses that face the possibility of being allowed to open one day, only to be closed down the next.

So yes, it’s time to get serious — really serious — about staying put.

Otherwise, we can expect more restrictions to follow; Gov. Newsom has promised as much.

“The framework for us is this: If you’re not going to stay home and you’re not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce, and we will,” he said at his Tuesday meeting.

Happy Fourth of July, California.

This has been updated to include information on Gov. Newsom’s latest order.

This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 5:05 AM.