Napa County Under Regional Stay-Home Order As ICU Capacity Falls
NAPA COUNTY, CA — While a majority of Bay Area counties preemptively adopted the state's regional stay-home order, Napa County did not. That is set to change at 11:59 p.m. Thursday when the state of California's Regional Stay-Home Order becomes effective for all Bay Area counties, including Napa because the regional intensive care unit capacity has fallen below 15 percent, officials with the county said in a news release.
The Bay Area's regional ICU capacity Wednesday was 12.9 percent, according to the state. The order remains in effect for at least three weeks, and until the region’s ICU capacity projected out four weeks is equal or greater than 15 percent.
The order instructs Californians to stay home as much as possible and to stop mixing between households that can lead to the spread of coronavirus. Non-essential travel is prohibited except for going to work, going shopping to get food and other essential supplies, getting outdoors for exercise and mental health, or going to doctor's appointments or other critical services.
The state order bans private gatherings of any size; closes certain business sectors except for critical infrastructure and retail; and requires 100 percent masking and physical distancing in all sectors.
Indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants is closed, however, pickup and delivery are permitted and encouraged.
The regional order is meant to limit exposure to coronavirus, interrupt transmission of the virus, and prevent overwhelming regional ICU capacity.
"We are seeing the effects of Thanksgiving holiday gatherings and travel," said Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa County health officer. "The actions we take now will dictate where we stand in two weeks. Our local ICU capacity is not only critical for COVID-19 patients, it can also mean the difference between life and death for our residents suffering from heart attacks, cancer, strokes or traumatic injuries. Your action to help stop this surge can help save lives."
Four of five regions in California are now under the stay-home order: the Bay Area, Sacramento, Southern California, and San Joaquin Valley regions.
The Northern California region — Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties — had an ICU capacity of 28.1 percent Wednesday and was only the region not yet subject to the state's stay-home order.
This article originally appeared on the Napa Valley Patch
