On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a new regional stay-at-home order, this coming just days after he said that most of the state’s intensive care beds could be over capacity within weeks amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
The order will be applied regionally, and will require bars, wineries, hair salons and other nonessential businesses across five areas to close for three weeks once the region’s intensive care capacity falls below 15 percent. Statewide travel will also be temporarily halted, but schools will remain open and the Governor encouraged people to visit parks and exercise. Restaurants can continue to serve takeout and delivery, he said.
Newsom said the effects of Thanksgiving travel and celebrations still haven’t been felt, and that residents should expect a “surge on top of a surge” in cases within weeks. “We really need to step up,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to stem the tide.”
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