Local health officials announced late Friday night that the California governor's new Regional Stay Home Order will go into effect in the Southern California region Sunday at 11:59 p.m. The Southern California region includes Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
According to state health officials, the Regional Stay Home Order will go into effect within 24 hours in regions with less than 15 percent availability in intensive care units.
The order will remain in effect for at least three weeks and will be lifted after that period once the region's projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15 percent, according to state health officials.
The Regional Stay Home Order prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail and requires everyone to wear masks and follow social distancing in all other sectors, said state health officials.
The California Department of Public Health issued a map of the five regions being measured, which consists of Northern California, Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. As of Saturday morning, the Southern California region is projected to be at 12.5 percent ICU capacity, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
In any region that triggers a Regional Stay Home Order, the following sectors must close:
- 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
One salon owner in Arroyo Grande says she has been anticipating the closure, but did not expect to be grouped in with the Southern California region.
“We were just still recovering from the last two shutdowns and to be shutdown again, before we were able to recoup all those losses from the first time or second time, it just puts us back even further," Indie Salon owner Erika Boos said.
Boos adds she hopes to see a safety plan implemented to help businesses stay open for good, as well as more funding and resources for businesses that do have to close down again.
The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:
- Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
- Retail: Allow 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: Allow 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: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
- Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery.
- Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
- Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.
- Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.
The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100% masking and physical distancing:
- Critical infrastructure
- Schools
- Non-urgent medical and dental care
- Child care and pre-K
To learn more about the state's Regional Stay Home Order, click here.
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This story has been corrected on Saturday at 11:20 a.m. to show the Regional Stay Home Order will go into effect Sunday -- not Saturday -- night at 11:59 p.m. We regret the error.
