Local officials were scrambling Saturday to enact new state-mandated coronavirus restrictions Gov. Gavin Newsom said must start by the end of Sunday.
Local officials said the restrictions, which will shutter nail and hair salons and other businesses, will go into effect some time Sunday, but it was not yet clear when they would start. In a statement Saturday night, officials confirmed that Long Beach is aligning local health orders with the state, with more information being shared on Sunday.
The state announced Saturday afternoon that stay-at-home orders would begin Sunday night at 11:59 p.m., prompting confusion from some local health officials trying to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. The city originally said local health orders implementing the rules would start Sunday morning at 12:01 a.m. but have since backed off that statement—and it’s unclear if they’ll mandate a shutdown sooner than the state requires.
Long Beach confirmed that it will ban most gatherings in accordance with a state mandate that regions of California close when capacity in intensive care units is less than 15%. The Southern California region, which includes Long Beach, met that threshold Friday.
As of Saturday, the Southern California region was at just 12.5% capacity. The San Joaquin Valley is also below the ICU threshold at 8.6% ICU capacity.
“The city will be updating our local health order by tonight to align with the new requirements of the State Stay-at-Home Order,” Long Beach officials said.
The order, which will be in place for at least three weeks, comes after Newsom warned that hospitals across the state were reaching capacity.
All counties and cities must comply with the state’s new orders but can impose their own stricter restrictions if they see fit.
The Southern California region includes Long Beach as well as Los Angeles and Orange County counties and runs from San Diego to as far north as San Luis Obispo.
Long Beach has seen alarming spikes in COVID-19 cases and local and area hospitalizations, according to officials. The city, which has its own health department, reported 17,550 cases Friday, 145 hospitalizations in local facilities and 282 deaths.
“As of yesterday, our average daily cases had increased by 318% compared with Nov. 1, and area hospitalizations have increased by 400%,” the city’s statement read.
The state announced that Los Angeles County reported 8,949 cases on Saturday, 2,769 hospitalizations and 44 news deaths.
What’s in the order?
According to the state’s order, counties in Southern California must shutter dine-in service at restaurants, which has been a point of contention for local restaurants. People can still order take-out meals or place orders through delivery.
Owners argued patrons could simply drive a short distance across the county line to eat. The state’s stay-at-home order takes that decision out of local authorities’ hands.
In addition to limiting eateries to takeout only, all gatherings would be banned except for outdoor worship services or protests. And many businesses would have to close or further limit capacity.
All operations would have to cease at:
- Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
- Indoor recreational facilities
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Personal care services like nail salons
- Museums, zoos and aquariums
- Movie theaters
- Wineries
- Bars, breweries and distilleries
- Family entertainment centers
- Cardrooms and satellite wagering
- Limited services not considered critical infrastructure, which includes things like door-to-door services and sales, pet grooming and dog walking
- Live audience sports
- Amusement parks
Critical infrastructure operations may continue, and retail stores and shopping centers could stay open indoors at 20% capacity, but they would have to meter entrances and monitor shoppers to make sure nobody is eating or drinking in stores. “Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems,” the state said.
Hotels may remain open for critical infrastructure support, as could offices where remote work isn’t possible.
Professional sports could continue without live audiences, as could production of films and other entertainment.
Child care and schools serving K-12 students would not be affected by the order. Those open for classroom instruction could remain open.
Outdoor recreational facilities would be allowed to stay open—but without any eating, drinking, alcohol sales or overnight camping.
Editor’s note: This story has been continually updated as the state and city provide more information.