upper waypoint

Newsom: SoCal, San Joaquin Valley Likely to Remain Under Stay-at-Home Order for Weeks

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Coronavirus Live Updates logo.

Counties in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will likely remain under stay-at-home orders for weeks to come, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday, as the spread of COVID-19 depletes intensive care bed capacity in those regions.

The formal extension of the stay-at-home orders is expected on Tuesday, when the state releases a four-week projection of future ICU bed capacity for the two regions. Currently, ICU capacity stands at 0%.

Newsom said hospital admissions were plateauing in most of the state, with “one major exception, and that’s Southern California.”

The stay-at-home orders ban in-person dining and shut down businesses such as hair and nail salons.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency, said the outlook for Southern California hospitals remains bleak, as holiday gatherings likely fuel a wider spread of the virus.

“We certainly anticipate that the middle of January is going to be a pretty difficult time in our hospitals," Ghaly said. "The cases from this week and next week really start to stack on top of one another, impacting the emergency rooms, our hospital wards and our ICU spaces."

The Bay Area's stay-at-home order remains in effect until Jan. 8, and the region's ICU capacity is currently 9.5%.

Guy Marzorati

lower waypoint
next waypoint