Bay Area COVID-19 home order likely to be extended, California officials say

SAN FRANCISCO – Home stay requests currently in effect in the Bay Area and three other regions of California are likely to remain in effect after a minimum duration of three weeks, state officials said on Friday.

The order to stay at home in the state is triggered when the average capacity of the intensive care unit in a region drops to less than 15%. The Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California are currently in order, said the California Department of Public Health.

The closest date that the Bay Area could become eligible to withdraw is January 8, the state department said. Greater Sacramento may become eligible to withdraw from the order as of January 1, while San Joaquin and Southern California may become eligible as of next Monday, December 28.

The ICU capacity available in the last two regions has dropped to a dismal 0%, according to the department. In the Bay Area, the ICU’s capacity is 9.8%, and in Greater Sacramento, the ICU’s capacity is 16.7%, the department said.

RELATED: Bay Area ICU Capacity: How Close We Are to the 15% Limit and New California Home Stay Request

The state department’s forecast was in line with the announcement made on Monday by Governor Gavin Newsom. The governor said at the time that cases of COVID-19 fired and hospitalizations were likely to maintain home stay orders in effect for various regions of the state.

The health department said on Friday that California has 2,042,290 confirmed cases to date, although the numbers may not represent the real change from day to day, as notification of test results may be delayed. There were 39,144 new confirmed cases registered Thursday and the 7-day positivity rate is 11.9%, while the 14-day positivity rate is 12.4%, the department said.

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