A sign in Los Angeles. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Southern California's ICU capacity fell to 12.5% and San Joaquin Valley's to 8.6% on Saturday, triggering the state's new stay-at-home order in the two regions.
Driving the news: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a three-week stay-at-home order on Thursday that would go into effect in regions with less than 15% ICU capacity.
- Health officials said Friday that counties around the San Francisco Bay Area will also adopt California’s new regional stay-at-home order starting Monday amid surges in cases and ICU hospitalizations.
- That decision came despite the region having an ICU capacity above 21%.
Details: Under the latest order, private gatherings of any size and all on-site restaurant dining are prohibited.
- Hair and nail salons, movie theaters and other non-essential businesses must close.
- Residents and visitors must also always wear a mask when they go outside.
- The order will will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. PST Sunday for at least three weeks.
- The Southern California region, home to about 24 million people, includes the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, per AP.
What they're saying: “We are at a point where surging cases and hospitalizations are not letting up," said Salvador Sandoval, public health officer for the Central Valley city of Merced, per ABC News.
- “I can’t emphasize this enough — everyone must take personal steps to protect themselves and protect others.”
The big picture: California recorded a record 25,068 new coronavirus cases and 209 deaths on Friday, per the state's health department.
- Also as of Friday, more than 9,400 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, including over 2,100 patients in the ICU.