“Seven weeks ago, our hospitals and front-line medical workers were stretched to their limits, but Californians heard the urgent message to stay home when possible and our surge after the December holidays did not overwhelm the healthcare system to the degree we had feared,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr.
Throughout the pandemic, local leaders have been allowed to go beyond the state’s rules, approve their own stay-at-home orders or shut down additional activities they deem too risky for their areas.
The change could lessen restrictions in the Southern California, Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley regions, which were still under stay-at-home orders before the announcement, unless local officials adopt stronger restrictions. But compared to when the governor established the stay-at-home order framework last month, total confirmed cases have more than doubled, daily confirmed cases have increased, the seven- and 14-day positivity rates are higher and ICU capacity is lower in each region of the state except Northern California, according to the most recent state data available.
After a winter surge, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are beginning to decline across the state.
