The regional stay-at-home order for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California was extended indefinitely, health officials announced Tuesday.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a press briefing that the order would be extended due to diminishing ICU capacity, 23ABC News reported. Four-week projections showed that there would not be enough beds for the patients who would need them, Ghaly said.
The regional stay-at-home order has been extended indefinitely for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California due to continued lack of ICU capacity, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced Tuesday.https://t.co/eKc1JTQHQI
— 23ABC News (@23ABCNews) December 29, 2020
The stay-at-home order for the San Joaquin Valley was set to expire Monday. Now, Ghaly said that the orders will remain in place until ICU capacity reaches at least 15%. ICU capacity was at 0% for Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley as of Tuesday, Fox11 News reported. (RELATED: California Restaurant Owner Starts Fund To Help Laid Off Restaurant Workers)
Ghaly reported that California’s 2-week coronavirus positivity rate was at 12.6%, up from the Dec. 15 positivity rate of 10.6%, according to Fox11. Compared to 14 days ago, hospitalization rates of people who have tested positive for coronavirus increased by 36.5% and intensive care hospitalizations rose by 35.1%, Ghaly said.
With case numbers and hospitalizations rising, Ghaly said the trends in Southern California are giving him “continued concern,” according to the report. He said that the state expects a rise in cases in mid-January due to a post-holiday surge.
Under the stay-at-home order, public or private gatherings with people from more than one household are prohibited, masks are required 100% of the time, and physical distancing is mandated.