December 7, 2020: Governor Newsom has ordered that when capacity at intensive care units in any of five regions of the state goes below 15%, that region will go into lockdown within 24 hours. The lockdown will last for at least three weeks and until ICU capacity goes above 15% again. The situation in California reflects a surge in infections nationwide. It has recorded more than 1.3 million infections and nearly 20,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Intensive care capacity at two of the five regions set up by state officials for the stay-at-home order – Southern California and the central San Joaquin Valley – fell below 15% on Friday. Eleven Southern California counties are set to put a regional stay-at-home order into effect, CBS Los Angeles reports.

The Southern California region consists of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. Sectors that will be temporarily closed include the closure of all bars, wineries, hair salons, and barbershops. Schools with waivers can stay open, along with other “critical infrastructure.” Retail stores can operate at 20% capacity, while restaurants will only be limited to takeout and delivery service. The state will also restrict non-essential travel, Newsom said.