The regional stay-at-home order will be extended in Southern California and San Joaquin Valley as intensive-care unit availability remains at 0%, state health officials said on Tuesday.
“We, essentially, are projecting that the ICU capacity is not improving in Southern California and San Joaquin Valley, and that demand will continue to exceed capacity,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly said during a briefing.
Though it’s not immediately clear how long the order will be extended for in Southern California and San Joaquin Valley, Ghaly said that the state would be monitoring how these regions based on four criteria: current ICU capacity, the seven-day average case rate, the current transmission rate and the rate of ICU admission.
“When I say it remains in Southern California, the order remains in San Joaquin Valley, it is not to say that it is there again for at least another three weeks,” Ghaly said. “It could be shorter than that, depending on how these four factors come together on a day-over-day basis.”
The restrictions included limiting restaurants to delivery and takeout; capping operating capacity at retail businesses to 20%; and the closures of movie theaters, hair salons, personal care services, museums and bars.
The counties included in Southern California are Los Angeles, Orange, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Those in San Joaquin Valley are Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.
The order was first announced earlier this month by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and impacts regions where ICU capacity is below 15%.
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