California is expected to extend Covid restrictions and its stay-at-home order through the holiday season, a blow to already hobbled businesses.
The Southern California and San Joaquin Valley regions are technically eligible for lifting restrictions starting next week. Gov. Gavin Newsom said it’s unlikely restrictions will be lifted in those regions because intensive care bed capacity has been falling, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s very likely, based on those current trends, that we’ll need to extend that stay-at-home order,” he said.
The order kicks in when ICU bed capacity falls below 15 percent. It’s been in effect since early December. Most of the state has been subject to the order.
Most retail businesses are limited to 20 percent of indoor capacity, while some businesses must close altogether, including hair and nail salons.
Supermarkets in L.A. County are dealing with an increase in Covid cases over the last several weeks. County officials say there are outbreaks at 490 businesses compared to 173 a month ago.
The pandemic is the worst it’s ever been in the state. More than 2,700 people have died of Covid-19 in the last two weeks — 12 percent of the state’s 22,600 total deaths. [LAT] — Dennis Lynch