California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he was implementing a 3-week stay-at-home order for some parts of the state.
The stay-at-home order will apply to regions where ICU capacity falls below 15%, Newsom said. Under the restrictions, schools that are already open and critical infrastructure will be allowed to remain open. Retail stores can operate at 20% capacity, and restaurants will be permitted to offer take-out and delivery. Bars, wineries, personal services, hair salons, and barbershops will be closed.
At this time, no regions in the state have been placed under the stay-at-home order, Newsom said. (RELATED: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Pushes Dozens Of Counties Into Most Restrictive Coronavirus Phase)
Our ICUs are climbing quickly toward their capacity. Our death rate is rising.
To slow the surge of #COVID19 and save lives, CA is introducing a Regional Stay-At-Home Order.
Regions where ICU capacity⁰fall below 15% will be placed into this Stay-at-Home Order ⁰for 3 weeks.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 3, 2020
“Remember: this is temporary,” the governor said on Twitter. “Hope is on the way. Relief is on the way.”
Newsom noted that the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine would be arriving within a few weeks. No coronavirus vaccines have been approved in the United States, but Pfizer and Moderna have both applied for approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If approved, the first doses could be given by the end of December.
California would consider redirecting funding away from counties or municipalities that refused to enforce the stay-at-home order and give the money to regions that are compliant, Newsom said according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.
Gov. Newsom was asked about enforcement of his new stay at home orders.
He said if any counties/municipalities refuse to enforce, the state will look at redirecting funding to other counties that are playing ball with his orders.
A shot across the bow to some law enforcement.— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) December 3, 2020
Earlier Thursday, the Supreme Court sided with a California church that challenged Newsom’s restrictions, which they said were harsher on churches and houses of worship than they were on secular institutions. The state argued that worship services presented a greater risk for spreading the coronavirus than other activities and therefore the restrictions were justified, the Washington Post reported.
The United States has been struggling to contain a spike in coronavirus cases. Over 3,100 virus-related deaths were reported Wednesday, shattering the previous record of 2,603 deaths that were reported in mid-April. The United States also surpassed 100,000 coronavirus-related hospitalizations Wednesday, and health officials warned that Thanksgiving travel could lead to yet another increase in cases.