Rural Areas Reopen Around U.S. Cities Still Stuck on Lockdown

California is moving to open up the nation’s most populous state while its biggest cities are still facing tight restrictions -- part of an approach to reopening that’s dividing urban and rural areas across the country.

Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said the state would ease guidelines to allow curbside pickup at malls, the reopening of botanical gardens and even some dine-in restaurants as the coronavirus outbreak stabilizes. Some office spaces, where employees are unable to work remotely, may also reopen in a limited capacity.

Yet the signs of optimism came the same day the public health director of Los ...