This past December, Governor Newsom imposed a Regional Stay-at-Home Order which included 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.
The stay-at-home order halted outdoor dining forcing restaurants to revert to take-out or delivery. Breweries, wineries, and bars were also no longer able to operate. Personal care businesses like barbers and hair salons were no longer able to operate inside.
On January 25, the California Department of Public Health announced they are lifting the Regional Stay-at-Home Order.
According to state health officials, a 4-week projection showed ICU bed capacity will be above the 15 percent threshold.
“Californians heard the urgent message to stay home as much as possible and accept that challenge to slow the surge and save lives,” said Dr. Tomas Aragon, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “Together, we changed our activities knowing our short-term sacrifices would lead to longer-term gains. COVID-19 is still here and still deadly, so our work is not over, but it’s important to recognize our collective actions saved lives and we are turning a critical corner.”
The San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, and Southern California regions can resume following the color-code tiers along with counties statewide. Most counties in those regions will return to the Purple “widespread” Tier.
Businesses may resume operations following Purple Tier guidelines. To view Fresno County’s Purple Tier guidelines, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.
Over the weekend, the Bay Area region’s ICU bed capacity reached 23 percent. While the San Joaquin Valley region had an 1.3 percent increase up from zero percent. The Southern California region remains at zero percent ICU capacity.
“California is slowly starting to emerge from the most dangerous surge of the pandemic yet, which is the light at the end of the tunnel we’ve been hoping for,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary.
State officials are still advising Californians to wear masks and social distance. Positive cases have slowed but COVID-19 can re-surge if precautions are not taken.
The Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Clovis, Andrew Haussler, believes the state’s decision to lift the order gives some hope for struggling small business owners.
“As we have done for the past year, our focus at the city is to continue to provide clear educational communication on the ongoing restrictions and any resources businesses can utilize, to keep their employees working and their businesses afloat,” said Haussler. “We are here to support them, so they can survive the current health emergency and continue to be a vital part of our community for many years to come.”
For more information on Fresno County COVID-19, visit https://www.co.fresno.ca.us/departments/public-health/covid-19.