Extension of the stay-at-home order was extended for both Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley

No-nonsense limitations, including a stay-at-home order, on many businesses and activities will remain in place throughout Southern California for the foreseeable future as COVID-19 patients continue to overwhelm the region’s healthcare system.

Extension of the stay-at-home order was extended for both Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley where the available ICU capacity is currently 0.0%, according to the California Department of Public Health.

On Monday, California recorded its highest number of new coronavirus infections in a single day, with 66,811. Though that tally included a backlog from the long Christmas weekend, during which many counties did not issue reports, officials have said they expect in the coming weeks, there will be another surge in new infections stemming from gatherings and travel over the winter holidays.

On the heels of the stay-at-home order, the city of Palm Springs announced that light of rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Riverside County, beginning today, Tuesday, Dec. 29, the lobby at City Hall has been temporarily closed to the public and contactless pick-up service at the Palm Springs Public Library has been suspended.

During this time, City Hall and the Library will continue to serve the community via telephone, zoom appointments or email while offering a variety of online assistance at www.palmspringsca.gov.The Dog Park behind City Hall and the public swimming pool at the Palm Springs Pavilion will remain open.

California and San Joaquin Valley regions have been under the latest stay-at-home order since Dec. 6.

Those regions cover a combined 23 counties that are home to the bulk of California’s population: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.

The restrictions include reduced capacity at retail stores; the closure of some businesses, including hair salons, nail salons, card rooms, museums, zoos and aquariums; and a prohibition on most gatherings, hotel stays for tourism and outdoor restaurant dining. The closures are to brace hospitals against a barrage of COVID-19 patients.

The orders are put into place when a region’s intensive care unit bed availability falls below 15%, as has now happened in four of the state’s five defined regions: Southern California, San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area and Greater Sacramento.

Only rural Northern California is currently not subject to the additional rules.

 

Image Sources

  • Stay home: Shutterstock