Next two weeks critical for California as coronavirus rages unchecked around state

SAN FRANCISCO - The next two weeks are shaping up to be critical for California as officials wait to see if the sweeping restrictions imposed in late June and July show any signs of slowing the rapid spread of coronavirus in communities across the state.

This week was marked by a series of grim milestones as California shattered a one-day record for new coronavirus cases - more than 11,000 on Tuesday - as well as rising infection rates and growing numbers of hospitalizations. Because the coronavirus can take weeks to incubate, much of the current surge is still tied to people exposed to the virus in June, as counties rapidly reopened the economy and many returned to old but now dangerous routines such