OPENING UP

Newsom Ditches California’s Stay-at-Home Order as Explosive Spike Starts to Ease

The governor on Monday annouced that the strict measures are no longer needed because more and more ICU beds are becoming available.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced he’s lifting the state’s regional stay-at-home orders—which were enacted after a major spike in coronavirus cases in late November. As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsom has ditched the strict measures, stating they are no longer needed because more and more ICU beds are becoming available as the post-holiday surge in cases begins to ease. Newsom on Monday reintroduced the previous reopening framework which was based on colored tiers. According to the Los Angeles Times, most regions in the state will now move into the purple tier, which will allow restaurants to open for outdoor service. Hair and nail salons will also be able to re-open with safety measures in place. Brian Ferguson, deputy director for crisis communication at the governor’s office, said California is “slowly emerging from the most intense stage of this pandemic.”