San Luis Obispo County will likely be under a stay-at-home order after intensive care unit capacity in the Southern California region fell below the 15% threshold, according to the California Department of Public Health.
In the region, the ICU capacity dropped from 20.6% on Thursday to 13.1% on Friday night, CDHP reported.
The regional stay-at-home order does not go into effect until 12:59 p.m. Saturday; the earliest the orders could be imposed is Sunday as counties have 24 hours to implement new restrictions. Restrictions are in place for at least three weeks.
San Luis Obispo County is part of the Southern California region, with Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Under the new stay-at-home orders, barbershops and hair salons must close, restaurants are limited to take-out and delivery only, and capacity inside retail stores and shopping centers maxed at 20%.
The new order prohibits private gatherings of any size.
Hotels and lodging may remain open for critical infrastructure support, as can offices.
Schools with waivers will be allowed to remain open. Places of worship are restricted to outdoor-only services.
This is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “emergency brake” to stem the spread of coronavirus. The governor issued the order Thursday and divided the state into five regions: Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
Once restrictions are triggered, every county in that region will have to abide by the same rules regardless of each county’s ICU capacity.
San Luis Obispo has 14 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, with one in the ICU, County Public Health officials reported Friday. Eight-one new COVID-19 cases were reported in the County on Friday.
