Orange County headed into regional stay-at-home order

A regional stay-at-home order will be enacted across all of Southern California, including Orange County, at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, as the region continues to grapple with the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Intensive care unit available bed capacity has dropped below a 15% threshold in Southern California, triggering the stay-at-home order, the California Department of Public Health announced Saturday. It will remain in effect for at least the next three weeks.

Data released Saturday showed that the ICU bed capacity across Southern California was at 12.5%.

For the purposes of the stay-at-home order, which was first announced as a likelihood by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, the Southern California region includes Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, San Luis Obispo and San Diego counties. The San Joaquin Valley is the other region in the state that is below the 15% threshold.

Hair and nail salons, barbershops and other personal care services in Orange County will be forced to close during the stay-at-home order, as well as outdoor businesses including cardrooms and casinos, museums, zoos and aquariums, movie theaters and wineries. Restaurants must return to takeout or delivery only, with no outdoor dining permitted.

Retail businesses will be limited to 20% capacity indoors.

Schools that are already open will be allowed to stay open, and places of worship may continue to have services outdoors.

According to the California Department of Public Health, Southern California would be able to exit the order and return to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Dec. 28, as long as ICU bed capacities for the following month are above or equal to 15%.

The Orange County Health Care Agency announced 1,966 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the cumulative case count for the county to 84,853 people.

There were also 15 deaths reported, and the overall death toll related to COVID-19 now sits at 1,618.

Saturday’s report spanned 30 hours instead of the normal 24 hours due to issues accessing the state’s CalREDIE system, leading to increased numbers.

There are 842 cases currently hospitalized, with 193 of those in the ICU. Orange County’s ICU capacity currently sits at 18%, significantly higher than the Southern California mark of 12.5%.

Here are the latest cumulative coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths for select cities in Orange County:

• Santa Ana: 16,366 cases; 335 deaths
• Anaheim: 14,237 cases; 352 deaths
• Huntington Beach: 3,598 cases; 91 deaths
• Costa Mesa: 2,857 cases; 47 deaths
• Irvine: 3,021 cases; 15 deaths
• Newport Beach: 1,553 cases; 26 deaths
• Fountain Valley: 971 cases; 21 deaths
• Laguna Beach: 353 cases; fewer than five deaths

Here are the case counts by age group, followed by deaths:

• 0 to 17: 7,021 cases; one death
• 18 to 24: 12,361 cases; four deaths
• 25 to 34: 17,971 cases; 23 deaths
• 35 to 44: 13,478 cases; 41 deaths
• 45 to 54: 13,768 cases; 124 deaths
• 55 to 64: 10,280 cases; 227 deaths
• 65 to 74: 5,220 cases; 319 deaths
• 75 to 84: 2,682 cases; 351 deaths
• 85 and older: 2,015 cases; 528 deaths
  

Updated figures are posted daily at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/coronavirus-in-oc. For information on getting tested, visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing.

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