Stay-at-home order expected to be enacted within days

By Doug Spoon, Editor

All of Southern California appears to be just days away from a stay-at-home order that will once again limit restaurants to takeout and delivery service only, as well as closing hair salons; barbershops; personal care services; bars; and wineries.

Retail outlets, including grocery stores, will be limited to 20 percent occupancy, according to the order described today by Gov. Gavin Newsom. All non-essential travel will be restricted, and residents will be advised not to gather in groups outside their household.

Newsom cited increasing COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates in calling this “the most challenging moment of the entire pandemic.” He reported that statewide:

-- There has been average of 15,121 new cases per day over the last week.

-- Positivity rates have risen from 5.2 percent to 7 percent in the last 14 days.

-- There has been an 86 percent increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

-- In the last 14 days, there have been 971 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in California. This includes 131 deaths each of the last two days.

As a result, Newsom announced a revised system in which the state is separated into five regions. The Southern California region includes Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The new stay-at-home order will go into effect when each region’s availability of intensive care beds falls below 15 percent.

Southern California’s percentage has not been specifically reported, but Newsom said he anticipated that virtually every region in the state would fall below 15 percent in the next few days, thereby triggering the emergency order.

Riverside County's Health Department today announced a total of 86,797 confirmed cases; 1,457 deaths; and 649 currently hospitalized. Menifee has had 2,375 confirmed cases -- 91 in the last two days -- and 43 deaths.

At the same time, Newsom encouraged outdoor activities in small numbers with modifications. He urged residents to visit parks, take walks, and go biking and fishing, as well as skiing and snowboarding.

“It’s important to take care of our physical and mental health,” Newsom said. “I did not see us doing this again, but we need some time to deal with this latest surge.

“If there is any time to put aside skepticism … lives are in the balance. I’m not naïve about the pressure and stress people are under. I understand the impact this has on the dreams of small business owners. We take this very seriously and know it is absolutely necessary.”

Newsom also announced that a vaccine will be distributed in the next week or two to health care workers, lab workers and pharmacy workers. A timeline for distribution to the general public has not been released.

The order would be another blow to small businesses, who already had been struggling to stay afloat amid all the COVID-19 restrictions. The City of Menifee has not reported any local businesses that have closed for good, but the worst could be yet to come. Meanwhile, as pointed out in a City news release today, additional relief is available for business owners.

"At the City of Menifee, we are waiting on the directive from the Riverside County Department of Public Health regarding the State of California’s recently released regional stay-at-home order," the news release stated. "The City would like to take this opportunity to remind Menifee businesses about the State’s new $500 million small business relief grant program and encourages businesses that applied for the City of Menifee’s recently closed small business grant to take advantage of this new State program. Information on the new California small business relief grant can be found here.

"The City will continue to share additional information regarding details of the regional stay-at-home order as they become available."