CALIFORNIA—On Monday, January 25, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state of California lifted its Regional Stay at Home Order. Officials with the California Department of Public Health lifted the order for all regions statewide, including the three regions that had still been under the order – San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, and Southern California. Four-week ICU capacity projections for these three regions are above 15 percent, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.
All counties statewide will return to the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which businesses and activities are open based on test positivity and local case rates. The majority of the counties, including Los Angeles, are in the strictest purple tier.
“Californians heard the urgent message to stay home as much as possible and accepted that challenge to slow the surge and save lives,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and state public health officer. “Together, we changed our activities knowing our short-term sacrifices would lead to longer-term gains. COVID-19 is still here and still deadly, so our work is not over, but it’s important to recognize our collective actions saved lives and we are turning a critical corner.”
As of Monday, January 25, Los Angeles County will align with the State Health Officer Order and allow hair and nail salons, as well as other personal care services to reopen at 25 percent capacity. Museums, zoos, aquariums, and outdoor operations, such as miniature golf and go-karts, can also reopen at limited occupancy. Outdoor dining is expected to reopen on Friday, January 29.
“To anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, a family member, a friend or co-worker, we offer our deepest sympathies. You remain in our thoughts, and our prayers,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health. “Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 infection in Los Angeles County. Since then, we have witnessed the horrific impact of this coronavirus on millions of lives in our county. While our metrics are headed in the right direction, if we aren’t careful this can all quickly change. In order to prevent another increase in cases that leads us back to more restrictions, as sectors re-open, we strongly encourage everyone to follow the protocols that are in place and to keep doing what we know will help reduce transmissions –wear a face covering, maintain physical distance, avoid large gatherings and crowds. If you are at high risk for serious disease from COVID-19, we strongly recommend you continue to stay home as much as possible.”
