Stay-at-home order in SoCal is extended

Southern California’s regional stay-at-home order was extended Tuesday due to surging COVID-19 hospitalizations.

The order, which covered 11 counties in Southern California, was set to expire on Monday but was sure to be extended with intensive-care unit capacities still officially listed at 0%.

The state’s Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly made it official and said incoming COVID-19 patients are expected to continue exceeding ICU capacity in the region over the next four weeks.

Antelope Valley Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Ed Mirzabegian said the hospital is managing day-by-day as it prepares for an expected surge in patients come mid-January.

“Everyone is tired and no one likes the stay-at-home orders, but until we start to see the benefits of the vaccine work itself through our population, we must follow the orders until the numbers subside,” he said. “This is not over until we collectively follow the guidelines.”

Health officials are anticipating case numbers and hospitalizations to rise going into the new year based on gath

erings that likely occurred for Christmas and also for New Year’s Eve despite public health warnings.

“We should expect that the hospitals that are under duress, that are in crisis already, will continue to see a high number of patients knocking on the door asking for care,” Ghaly said.

The order did not specify how long the extension would last. Ghaly said the four-week projections are to be evaluated daily and the region can emerge from the stay-at-home order whenever the projection indicates a region’s ICU capacity will rise above 15%.

The order was triggered when the region’s ICU bed availability dropped below 15%. In some counties, the official ICU bed availability is 0%. That percentage does not mean that there aren’t any ICU beds available, since the state adjusts the number based on the ratio of COVID-19 patients being housed in the units.

Los Angeles County has rapidly become the epicenter of the pandemic in the state, with the state reporting more than 7,400 COVID-19 patients in LA County hospitals as of Tuesday, including nearly 1,500 in intensive-care unit beds.

In anticipation of the state’s action, LA County on Sunday night extended its local stay-at-home order to mirror the state’s restrictions.

Ghaly said hospitals are doing the best they can under these trying circumstances. Some Southern California medical centers have begun taking steps that could be considered part of “crisis care.” None of the hospitals have fully entered that mode and been forced to make decisions such as rationing equipment like ventilators.

Under the order, the following businesses/recreational facilities were forced to close:

— 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; and

— Amusement parks.

Schools with waivers can remain open, along with “critical infrastructure” and retail stores, which will be limited to 20% of capacity.

Restaurants are restricted to takeout and delivery service only. Hotels are allowed to open “for critical infrastructure support only,” while churches are restricted to outdoor-only services. Entertainment production — including professional sports — can continue without live audiences.