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SoCal, Other Regions 'A Day Or Two' Away From New Stay-At-Home Order

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday announced a regional stay-at-home order that was likely to impact Southern California and other areas statewide amid new fears that hospitals could be overwhelmed within weeks.

The executive order impacts regions that have reached 15% of ICU capacity and will force closures of all bars, wineries, personal service businesses, hair salons and barbershops.

According to Newsom, four of the state's five regions will meet the new shutdown threshold "within a day or two," though no region met that criteria as of Thursday.

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.

California on Wednesday reported more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases, the most ever in one day. A record 8,500 people are in hospitals, including more than 2,000 in intensive care units, leaving the state with fewer than 2,000 available intensive care beds.

Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous with 10 million residents, also has imposed tighter stay-at-home restrictions and a three-week ban on in-person restaurant dining because of what county health director Barbara Ferrer called "terrifying increases in numbers."

On Wednesday night, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a city order telling people to remain in their homes.

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.

In Santa Ana, a city of more than 300,000 people in Orange County, the City Council authorized a mandatory face mask rule and called for police to enforce it.

Overall, California has reported more than 1.2 million COVID-19 cases and more than 19,300 deaths. The state reported 20,759 new cases on Wednesday, surpassing the previous high of 18,350 set just last week.

(Copyright 2020 CBS Corp. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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