How the nation’s largest economy calibrates the reopening will have huge ramifications for the rest of the country, providing examples of what works, and what does not, especially given limits on testing capacity.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday that the state would eventually replace its broad-based stay-at-home orders with more localized and less restrictive measures. But he did not give a time frame, saying he would revisit the question in two weeks.

“Ask me the question then. I know you want the timeline but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” Mr. Newsom said. “Let’s not make the mistake of pulling the plug too early.”

“We want to see hospitalization numbers flatten and start to decline,” the governor said, adding that the state would also have to build up its testing capacity, better protect older and more vulnerable people and ensure that hospitals have enough supplies.

Face coverings will likely remain a feature of public life, at least for a time, he said. Patrons of restaurants will likely have their temperature taken before being seated, and servers will wear masks and gloves. Large gatherings over the summer were “not in the cards,” he said, and in the fall, students may attend school in shifts to avoid crowded classrooms.

“Normal it will not be,” he said.

The reasons for the early promising signs in California are numerous, experts say. The state was the first to issue stay-at-home measures, and even before the orders came down, Californians were beginning to keep their distance from one another, while New Yorkers were still packing bars and restaurants.