Regional SoCal Stay-At-Home Order Set To Be Triggered By Alarming Increase Of Coronavirus Cases
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Eleven Southern California counties are set to put a regional stay-at-home order into effect as early as Saturday by 12:59 p.m.
The move comes after the region's available intensive care unit beds dropped under 15%, under a new order issued Thursday by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The region's ICU capacity was 13.1% because of the growing number of coronavirus cases, the California Department of Public Health announced Friday night. It is expected to remain in effect for three weeks.
The Southern California region consists of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Schools with waivers can stay open, along with other "critical infrastructure" and retail stores at 20% of capacity. Restaurants will be limited to takeout and delivery service only.
The state will also restrict non-essential travel, Newsom said.
The order also bars gatherings of people outside of immediate households with some exceptions and requires travelers arriving from outside the state to fill out an online form. It allows retail businesses to remain open for in-person shopping subject to a county curfew already in place.
Garcetti also urged police and the city attorney to enforce the order, which carries misdemeanor penalties.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
