Gov. Newsom Says California Stay-At-Home Orders Are Likely To Be Extended

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday, December 21, that regional stay-at-home orders will likely be extended across California.

As the state struggles with staggering case numbers and limited ICU capacities, state leaders are considering more restrictions.

The state currently has 18,359 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 1,429 ICU beds available, according to data on covid19.ca.gov.

"It's very likely based on the data, based upon these trendlines, that we'll need to extend that stay-at-home order," said Newsom in his weekly update.

The news comes as the three-week-long stay-at-home orders for most regions were scheduled to end next week. There has been no set timeline on how long an extension of these orders would last.

Newsom is currently quarantining for a second time after coming into contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19.

During his weekly update, Newsom also discussed the alarm of a recently discovered new strain of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. The news has prompted state leaders to consider a quarantine protocol for travelers coming from the area.

"Full disclosure, we've been having conversations with the airlines, conversations with our stakeholders, all up and down the state. This is a preview, nothing landed yet," said Newsom. "The fact that it infects more easily it seems, is what we're worried about."

According to state leaders, there are no confirmed cases of the new strain in California.

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