LOS ANGELES (AP) — State officials are expected to extend the strictest stay-at-home orders in central and Southern California as hospitals there are quickly running out of intensive care unit beds for coronavirus patients ahead of the presumed post-holiday surge.
The situation is already dire, and the worst is expected to come in the next few weeks after Christmas and New Year’s travelers return home. California hit 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Christmas Eve.
State stay-at-home orders for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California are set to expire Monday. As of Sunday, both regions sat at 0% ICU bed capacity, according to the state's Department of Public Health.
California's statewide ICU capacity is also 0%.
State officials say the orders are likely to be extended but did not make a definitive ruling Sunday afternoon.