SOCAL ICU CAPACITY DROPS BELOW 15%, TRIGGERING STAY-AT-HOME ORDER WHAT’S OPEN & WHAT’S NOT

COACHELLA VALLEY — A new state stay-at-home order will go into effect in Southern California after the region’s hospital ICU capacity dropped below 15%.

Available intensive care unit capacity in Southern California dropped to 12.5% on Saturday, down from 13.1% Friday night.

The California Department of Public Health said in a news release Saturday afternoon that the new regional stay-at-home order will take effect in the Southern California Region “at 11:59 p.m. Sunday and will remain in effect for at least three weeks.”

Here’s,What’s Open and What’s Not….

When the stay-at-home order is triggered, bars, wineries, nail salons, hair salons and barbershops, and other personal care services will need to close. Private gatherings of any size will be prohibited. Restaurants can stay open for takeout and delivery, but they have to shut down both indoor and outdoor dining.

Schools that were given a waiver to reopen will be allowed to stay open. Retail stores will be allowed to stay open at 20% capacity.

Additionally, all non-essential travel is “temporarily restricted statewide,” regardless of what zone you live in. Hotels and motels are now restricted to only guests traveling for an “essential” reason.

Once a region drops to the 15% threshold and the order is triggered, that area must stay under the lockdown for at least three weeks. After that, state health officials will evaluate ICU capacity and transmission rates to project at least four weeks into the future to determine if the stay-at-home order can be lifted.

The Southern California region consists of 11 counties, including L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday a new, regional stay-at-home order as an “emergency brake” to curb the rampant spread of COVID-19 in California.

Regions that must implement the stay-at-home order requirement will be under the lockdown for three weeks.

According to Newsom’s office, if a region hits the 15% or lower threshold for ICU capacity, the following activities and sectors must close:

• Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
• Indoor recreational facilities
• Hair salons and barbershops
• Personal care services
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums
• Movie theaters
• Wineries
• Bars, breweries and distilleries
• Family entertainment centers
• Cardrooms and satellite wagering
• Limited services
• Live audience sports
• Amusement parks

Here’s what can remain open:

Outdoor recreational facilities: Only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Overnight stays at campgrounds not permitted.

Retail: Indoor operation allowed at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

Shopping centers: Indoor operation allowed at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

Hotels and lodging: Allowed to open for critical infrastructure support only.

Restaurants: Permitted only for take-out or pick-up.

Offices: Remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.

Places of worship: Outdoor services only.

Entertainment production including professional sports: Permitted without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

The doesn’t impact existing state guidance regarding K-12 schools and critical infrastracture, non-urgent medical and dental care and childcare can remain open when remote option isn’t possible.

Some of the things allowed in the most restrictive tier but not allowed under the regional order include:

Restaurants offering outdoor in-person dining;
Hair salons, skin care services, nail salons and barber shops being remaining open; Playgrounds remaining open; and Private outdoor gatherings with up to three households, with certain restrictions.

But some counties, like Los Angeles, have issued more restrictive orders. LA County currently bans all in-person dining and private gatherings, and all playgrounds are closed. Once the regional stay-at-home order is lifted, the tighter county restrictions would remain in place until they expire. LA County’s most recent order is set to expire Dec. 20 but could be extended.

Cities can also create even more restrictive orders but not less restrictive orders.

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