Due to a rise in COVID-19 hospitalization, Governor Gavin Newsom and state public health officials have issued a new regional state-at-home order that will go into effect within 48 hours in regions with less than 15% ICU availability.
Orange County is currently in the Southern California Region, which is anticipated to fall within that category in early December. Once enacted, the orders will last for a minimum of three weeks. The state is taking this action because at the current rate of spread, the statewide hospital system could be significantly overwhelmed by the end of December.
Once in effect, the new orders will require the following to close or remain closed:
• Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
• Indoor recreational facilities
• Hair salons and barbershops
• Personal care services
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums
• Movie theaters
• Wineries
• Bars, breweries, and distilleries
• Family entertainment centers
• Cardrooms and satellite wagering
• Limited services
• Live audience sports
• Amusement parks
The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:
• Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
• Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Hotels and lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
• Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery.
• Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
• Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.
• Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.
The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100% masking and physical distancing:
• Critical infrastructure
• Schools that are already open for in-person learning
• Non-urgent medical and dental care
• Child care and pre-K
The governor also announced the state may soon have 327,000 vaccines coming to California in mid December for distribution by priority tier status including health care workers. Other phases to follow shortly thereafter.
For more information on the new orders, please visit https://covid19.ca.gov/