Rayne Frantzen
Breaking News Beat Reporter
Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered a three-week stay-at-home order last Tuesday, due to the increase of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 and reduced ICU capacity. The stay-at-home orders follow a surge in COVID-19 cases over the past three weeks and will go into full effect on Sunday night.
Currently, Santa Barbara county has less than 15 percent availability of intensive care units and has reported an average of over 100 new cases of COVID-19 a day, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
All nonessential travel is prohibited and business such as bars, hair salons, and other personal services will be closed when the order goes into full effect. Some K-12 schools (with waivers), critical infrastructure, and retail stores will be open at 20 percent capacity. Restaurants will have both takeout and delivery but will be closed for outdoor dining for safety precautions. More information can be found on Public Health SBC.
The California Department of Public Health advises everyone to stay-at-home and only go out for essential needs. The California Department of Public Health mandates that businesses must require customers and employees to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines within their establishments.