California Governor Gavin Newsom announced yesterday that health officials have lifted the regional stay-at-home orders for the state. The state will now be operating on county by county restrictions as a result of a decline in cases and hospitalizations, as well as a promising vaccination rate. According to Newsom, over the last two weeks California’s state-wide hospitalization rate has been down nearly 20%. “We are in a position, projecting four weeks forward, with a significant decline in the case rates, positivity rates, we are anticipating decline still more decline in hospitalizations and more declines in ICUs and that’s why we are lifting that stay-at-home order effective immediately today (CBS),” said Newsom in his statement yesterday.
The stay-at-home orders, which Newsom had issued in December, had been in place in the majority of the state’s counties, covering Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Joaquin Valley, accounting for approximately 90% of California’s population. The state’s 58 counties will now operate on a tier-based restriction system wherein each county is color-coded, indicating what activities are allowed in the area, which is examined and analyzed every week by health officials. This system was developed by the state earlier during the pandemic.
Reportedly, most counties will be in the most restrictive purple tier, which means that restaurants, movie theaters, and places of worship are allowed to reopen for outdoor operation. Businesses such as salons and barber shops are allowed to resume indoor activity with modifications, and retail shops are limited to 25% capacity indoors. However, these rules can potentially be modified by local officials in each county. Lifting of the regional stay-at-home orders additionally entails cancelling the state’s 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew. California’s Public Health Director Dr. Tomas Argon addressed the state’s progress, saying: “Together, we changed our activities knowing our short-term sacrifices would lead to longer-term gains. COVID-19 is still here and still deadly, so our work is not over, but it’s important to recognize our collective actions saved lives and we are turning a critical corner (CBS).”
Sources:
“California lifts regional stay-at-home orders as ICU crowding eases” https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/us/california-coronavirus-stay-at-home-orders/index.html
“California Governor Gavin Newsom lifts virus stay-at-home orders” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-covid-stay-at-home-order-lifted/
