Stay-at-home order likely extended due to ICU capacity

With a presumed post-holiday surge, our stay-at-home order may last longer.

Today, December 28 was supposed to be the day Governor Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order expires. However, state health officials said with ICU beds still occupied the order will most likely be extended.

The order first took effect on December 6, over three weeks ago.

ICU beds in Riverside County are still below the 15% they need to be at or above in order for us to end the stay-at-home order. As of Sunday, December 27, 277 people in our county are in the ICU and this means our capacity is at zero percent.

If the stay-at-home order is extended this means indoor recreational facilities must stay closed as well as hair salons and barbershops. Personal care services, museums, zoos, movie theaters and bars would all have to remain closed.

What would remain open are schools with waivers, retails stores at 20 percent capacity, restaurants only doing takeout. Hotels can stay open only for critical infrastructure support. Churches can only hold outdoor services.

“Again, at peril will be in a surge on top of a surge where we are today on top of yet again another surge in the middle and latter part of January and February,” Newsom said last Wednesday, December 23.

“When we talked before, we talked about there were surges, now I’m actually saying we have a virtual tsunami on our hands here in California and Los Angeles,” UCLA Fielding school of public health professor, Dr. Robert Kim-Farley said.

It is likely the stay-at-home order will be extended but there has not been a definite ruling made yet.

Governor Newsom may speak on this topic later today.

Be sure you stay with News Channel 3 on-air and online for continued coverage on this stay-at-home order.