The new statewide stay-at-home rules unveiled by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this week are expected to take effect in Southern California over the next few days after the district’s ICU capacity drops below 15%.
ICU capacity in the district was 13.1% as of Friday night, according to data from the state’s Ministry of Public Health.
The new home stay order takes effect at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and the district is expected to enforce the new restrictions within 24 hours of that time, according to Orange County Superintendent Don Wagner.
Wagner said the Orange County Health Director told him Friday night state health officials that the district’s capacity had fallen below 15%, the minimum to enforce the new rules.
Southern California in Governor’s plan It includes 11 counties, including the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
Areas below the 15% threshold should close hair salons, barbershops and cinemas, ban catering service except for fast food and delivery, shutter playgrounds, and limit retail stores and malls to 20% of customer capacity.
The order also bans gatherings of any size and requires people to wear masks and practice physical distancing in public.
The rules will remain in place for at least three weeks, at which point state officials will reassess the situation.
It is the most stringent restriction implemented in the state since the original stay-at-home order in March.
