Source: California raising home stay requests on Monday

California will suspend home stay requests across the state on Monday, sources told The Chronicle newspaper.

A source close to the governor’s office confirmed that the state plans to end the stay order on Monday morning, moving the counties back to the reopening structure based on colored layers. It will no longer be strictly linked to the number of beds available in intensive care units.

Now, with the post-holiday increase slowing, the availability of ICUs in the regions that remained under the order of staying home on Sunday – including the bay area and southern California – is projected to rise above the 15% limit that triggered the blocking measures. That is why the Newsom government decided to lift the restrictions, according to the source.

Counties will return to the tiered system to determine how to reopen. Most regions in the state are expected to move to the purple level, meaning that restaurants can open for outdoor service and personal care services, such as hairdressers and manicures, can reopen with modifications.

News of the possible move began to circulate on Sunday night after the California Restaurant Association sent a letter to members saying it had received word from the Newsom administration that requests to stay at home would be suspended. Several members forwarded the letter to the media, including The Chronicle.

The decision came more than six weeks after the bay area and almost the rest of the state were placed under strict orders to stay home due to the explosive spread of the virus in late November and early December.

Although the December 3 order was for the entire state, it was not triggered unless the ICU projections fell below 15%. Because of this, the northernmost counties of the state were never affected. Most counties in the Bay Area voluntarily switched to blockade on December 6. On Sunday, however, the Bay Area’s ICU capacity was 23.4%.

Further details on the decision are expected on Monday morning.