A month-long California curfew is set to be put in place starting Saturday for counties in the “purple tier” of the state’s reopening protocol, which includes Los Angeles County.
In light of an “unprecedented, rapid rise” in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Thursday announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings, according to the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The order is set to take effect at 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, and remain in effect until 5 a.m. Dec. 21.
During that time, residents are still able to go to the grocery or drug store as well as walk around their neighborhoods and get take-out from a restaurant, according to the state.
It is similar to the Stay at Home Order put in place back in March, but applied only between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and only applies to purple-tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of COVID-19 positive cases and hospitalizations, according to the governor’s office.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”
See Related: Highest One-Day Coronavirus Cases Reported In Los Angeles County Since Pandemic Began
This limited Stay at Home Order is designed to reduce opportunities for disease transmission, according to state officials.
State officials say that activities conducted between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. are often “non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance.”
“We know from our stay at home order this spring, which flattened the curve in California, that reducing the movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases COVID-19 spread, hospitalizations, and deaths,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “We may need to take more stringent actions if we are unable to flatten the curve quickly. Taking these hard, temporary actions now could help prevent future shutdowns.”
COVID-19 case rates increased by approximately 50 percent in California during the first week of November. As a result, Newsom and California’s public health officials have announced a list of measures to protect Californians and the state’s health care system, which could experience an unprecedented surge if cases continue their steep climb.
See Related: New Business Restrictions Discussed By Los Angeles County Leaders
On Monday, the state pulled an “emergency brake” in their “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” putting more than 94 percent of California’s population in the most restrictive tier. State officials say that they will reassess data continuously and move more counties back into the purple tier, if necessary.
California is also strengthening its face-covering guidance, requiring individuals to wear a mask whenever outside their home, with limited exceptions.
Additionally, the state issued a travel advisory late last week, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel outside the state to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisory urges against non-essential out-of-state travel, asks people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourages residents to stay local.
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