Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the closure of bars in seven California counties Sunday and recommended closures in eight counties, including the Bay Area, as the state’s coronavirus case load continued to grow.

The new order won’t have an immediate impact on Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, which are both on the recommended list, because bars in those counties are still closed and weren’t scheduled to reopen until July 1.

But the move sends a message and is the latest in a series of escalating steps Newsom has taken as case numbers surge. After the June 18 statewide mask order, the governor on Friday advised leaders to reinstate a stay-at-home order in Imperial County, where the high positivity rate was putting a strain on hospitals.

Bars in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Joaquin and Tulare counties have been ordered to close because they have been on the COVID-19 watch list for two weeks. Counties on the recommended list — including Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus and Ventura — have been on the watch list for at least three days.

Because the closures here are recommended and not mandated by the state, it is within the purview of local health departments to decide next steps, a Newsom spokeperson said via email.

“The actions being taken are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and enhance public health,” the email said. “We can only slow the spread if everyone in California does their part.”

With this new recommendation coming just three days before bars were set to reopen in Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, it is yet to be seen how bar owners and county officials will respond. Messages left for bar owners in both counties were not immediately returned.

But on Friday, Contra Costa was one of three Bay Area counties to reconsider its plans for reopening. In a statement, health officials in Contra Costa County revealed that the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals had increased 42 percent. The data released by the county shows that coronavirus cases are growing in particular among people under 40, who accounted for 38 percent of cases in April and now account for 55 percent of cases.

“It’s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals,” the statement said.

Newsom did not mention whether the other businesses that were scheduled to reopen on July 1, including indoor restaurants and nail salons, will be affected. But for now, bars in Contra Costa and Santa Clara County will have to remain closed, despite their eagerness to reopen.

You can hear that eagerness in the outgoing phone message of Lafayette’s Round Up Saloon.

“Our projected opening is July 1,” the recording says. “We will be back stronger than ever with outside seating and new safety and sanitation protocols in place. Can’t wait to see you.”

Check back for updates.