The Greater Sacramento Region of California lifted its regional stay at home order Tuesday after a month-long shutdown. The order restricted most California residents from early December, locking down regions when ICU bed availability dropped below 15%. Restaurants transitioned to take-out and pick-up orders only, gyms and salons closed and private gatherings of any size were prohibited.
As of now, the Sacramento and Northern California regions are the only areas where restrictions are lifted, according to state's COVID-19 website. Over 90% of California's residents, more than 36 million people, are still subject to the stay at home order.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed the lifting of restrictions in the Sacramento Region via twitter Tuesday evening. "Hospitalization growth rates have slowed. ICU and positivity rates are stabilizing," he tweeted. Still, he warned Californians to keep wearing masks and avoid gatherings.
While the Sacramento Region will no longer be under a sweeping regional order, each of the 13 counties will revert back to California's Blueprint for a Safer Economy tiered system. Every county in the region, with the exception of Sierra County, still fall under Tier 1 restrictions. But the lifting of the stay-at-home order will allow many businesses to reopen.
California has reported a total of 2,747,288 cases and 30,513 deaths as of Tuesday. More than 22,000 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized. The Southern California and San Joaquin Valley regions are reporting zero ICU beds available as cases continue to climb.
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