The Southern California region continued to stay below the state’s intensive care unit’s threshold Saturday, prompting a regional stay-at-home order that will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
The region’s ICU capacity fell to 12.5% Saturday, which triggers a three-week stay-at-home order for Los Angeles County residents as the state’s threshold was 15%. The region will be able to exit the order after ICU capacity projections for the following month are above or equal to 15%.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials reported an all-time high of COVID-19 cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, with 172 cases reported and nearly 9,000 cases reported within the county in a 24-hour period. Officials added this was the third consecutive day countywide cases and hospitalizations have surpassed the all-time high.
“Because L.A. County is in the Southern California Region, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order will be modified to fully align with additional safety measures across sectors and the required effective date,” county public health officials said in a press release. “The order prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing.”
The order doesn’t affect schools that have been granted in-person instruction waivers, which will be able to continue with strict health and safety protocols.
The state’s order requires closure of the following sectors Sunday night:
- indoor and outdoor playgrounds
- indoor recreational facilities
- hair salons and barbershops
- personal care services
- museums, zoos and aquariums
- movie theaters
- wineries
- bars, breweries and distilleries
- family entertainment centers
- cardrooms and satellite wagering
- limited services
- live audience sports
- amusement parks
The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:
- Outdoor recreational facilities: allowed outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
- Retail: allowed indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
- Shopping centers: allowed indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
- Hotels and lodging: allowed to open for critical infrastructure support only.
- Restaurants: allowed only for take-out or pick-up.
- Offices: allowed remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
- Places of worship: allowed outdoor services only.
- Entertainment production, including professional sports: allowed operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.
Public Health officials also released the following updated COVID-19 statistics for the county Saturday.
COVID-19 cases reported in L.A. County: 8,948
Total COVID-19 cases in L.A. County: 439,408
New deaths related to COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours: 44
Total COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County: 7,886; officials said upon further investigation, 124 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.
Hospitalizations countywide: 2,769; 23% of whom are in the ICU.
Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of Dec. 4: 52, with 428 discharged since the onset of the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 172, 135 of which came from the city of Santa Clarita.
Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 10,509
Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV: 81
The numbers of SCV cases, including all area health care providers’ daily figures and those at Pitchess Detention Center, broken down into region, are as follows:
City of Santa Clarita: 6,887
Unincorporated – Acton: 139
Unincorporated – Agua Dulce: 65
Unincorporated – Bouquet Canyon: 16
Unincorporated – Canyon Country: 273
Unincorporated – Castaic: 2,472 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center, exact number unavailable)
Unincorporated – Lake Hughes: 14
Unincorporated – Newhall: 37
Unincorporated – Placerita Canyon: 0
Unincorporated – San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon: 3
Unincorporated – Sand Canyon: 7
Unincorporated – Saugus: 51
Unincorporated – Saugus/Canyon Country: 16
Unincorporated – Stevenson Ranch: 339
Unincorporated – Val Verde: 123
Unincorporated – Valencia: 67
To view all coronavirus-related stories, visit signalscv.com/category/news/coronavirus.
