BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — People still made their way to the mall here at Valley Plaza despite the governor's order, to close all gyms, malls, salons, and churches.
This comes after the county remained on the governor's watchlist for nearly a week.
On Friday, these industries were required to close.
On Saturday, many people could be seen at Valley Plaza Mall shopping at Macy's, JCPenny, Forever 21, and Target.
According to a Forever 21 employee, the mall sent an internal memo giving stores with an exterior entrance the option to remain open.
Other big retailers with smaller exterior storefronts decided to close such as Starbucks and Verizon.
Other shoppers expressed that this order didn't seem fair to those forced to close within the mall.
"If they are going to close down the malls, they should close all the other stores as well," said Kyle Tan, a Bakersfield resident.
Due to the partial closure, many shoppers were confused and could be seen trying to enter the locked mall.
"Businesses should be given the choice to operate, open up with safety measures in place," said Javier Reyes, a resident. "A lot of the individuals who are making these rules that we have to follow are fully employed and fully paid like our county, state, and federal officials."
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In an online statement Valley Mall addressed the closure in an online statement saying “currently Kern County is impacted and thus, Valley Plaza's interior retail stores and our common area amenities must temporarily close. Also, curbside pickup, takeout and delivery, and outdoor dining are permitted.
