Santa Clara County Throws Stay-at-Home Order – Here’s What May Open

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Santa Clara County joined California in lifting a stay-at-home order on Monday, allowing businesses to reopen under previous purple-level restrictions.

From now on, outdoor catering and personal care services can resume their activities, and professional, college, adult and youth sports can also resume.

“Santa Clara County continues to experience very high rates of transmission of COVID-19,” said Dr. Sara Cody, county health official. “Our collective actions to date have saved lives and helped protect our healthcare system from collapse. I encourage all residents to remain vigilant, to wear a mask whenever you leave your home, to maintain a distance of at least six feet from anyone outside your home, and to be vaccinated when it is necessary. is your turn.

State officials have said they are starting to see the COVID-19 outbreak in California slow down, although many hospitals have little space for patients.

Santa Clara County’s intensive care units barely remain under capacity.

As of January 23, 307 ICU beds were occupied, including 160 with patients with COVID-19. The maximum intensive care capacity is 317 beds, according to the county’s website. Local hospitals are caring for 545 patients with COVID-19, including intensive care patients.

The Bay Area region has only 8.2% of its intensive care beds, according to state data.

Still, state officials said they saw signs of hope.

“Californians have heard the urgent message to stay home as much as possible and have accepted this challenge to slow the outbreak and save lives,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, California public health official. “Together, we changed our business knowing that our short-term sacrifices would lead to longer-term gains. COVID-19 is still here and still deadly, so our job is not done, but it is important to recognize that our collective actions have saved lives and that we are taking a critical turn.

Home ordering had limited take-out and delivery restaurants – shutting down meals outside and inside. This allowed the retail business to continue doing business at 20% capacity. It closed hair salons, nail salons, personal care services, cinemas, museums, bars and wineries.

Before the county was subject to the state’s home support order on December 4, it was in the purple level, which places the most restrictions but allows many businesses to operate outside. Below the purple level, people can dine outside, and hair and nail salons can offer indoor services with masks and limited capacity. Non-essential retail stores can fill up to 25% of their capacity.

Gyms can allow people to exercise outdoors. Piercing studios and tattoo parlors can also open indoors with modifications.

Schools must wait until their counties are in the least restrictive red level for five consecutive days to open, but can continue to have in-person classes if they have already reopened the campus with a waiver.

Despite the surge in COVID-19 patients in Santa Clara County ICUs, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr Mark Ghaly said most people in the state have listened to the tips on staying home and avoiding holiday gatherings.

“California is slowly starting to emerge from the most dangerous wave in this pandemic to date, which is the light at the end of the tunnel that we were hoping for,” Ghaly said. “Seven weeks ago our hospitals and frontline medical staff were being pushed to their limits, but Californians heard the urgent message to stay home when possible and our push after the December vacation did not overwhelmed the health care system to the degree we had feared. . “

Senator Dave Cortese, who represents most of San Jose, has expressed support for the changes and said the revised ordinance would provide relief to businesses struggling with closures.

“Through the collective efforts and sacrifices made by community members across California, we have made progress in slowing the spread of this virus, ensuring our hospital system is not overwhelmed and protecting life. of all of us, ”Cortese said.

But other South Bay officials appeared to be left in the dark about changes in state restrictions.

In a tweet, Assembly Member Evan Low, who represents Cupertino, Campbell and parts of San Jose, hinted that people were asking him questions about the state’s plan to lift the order to stay in. home even before being informed.

The county has recorded 98,057 cumulative cases of COVID-19 and 1,234 deaths.

Contact Mauricio La Plante at [email protected] or follow @mslaplantenews on Twitter.



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