Gov. Gavin Newsom said it's unlikely the state will lift stay-at-home orders for the San Joaquin Valley when they expire on Dec. 28 and for Southern California when they expire on Dec. 30.
Newsom attributed the probable continuation of restrictions to the squeeze that the rising rate of COVID-19 infections is putting on ICU beds and staffing. "I think it's pretty self-evident, we're going to need to extend those original dates," he said.
The virus has taken a grim toll over the past two weeks. For the past seven days, a daily average of 233 people have died. Hospitalizations are up 63% in two weeks, while the number of ICU beds with COVID-19 patients is up 51%.
In the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California regions, ICU capacity is at 0%. That doesn't mean there are no ICU beds available; it means hospitals have had to activate their plans for surge staffing.
Newsom and California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said they would make a decision on the stay-at-home orders next week, after evaluating ICU bed projections for four weeks out. The concern, Ghaly said, is that the number of cases in some regions could rise enough to outstrip even the surge staffing plans.