Orange County businesses are once again preparing to alter operations should Governor Gavin Newsom enforce a three-week regional lockdown in the wake of shrinking hospital capacity.
The new rules could go into effect as soon as this weekend if ICU capacity in Southern California hospitals fall below 15%.
Orange County currently has 20% ICU capacity, with about 195 patients as of Nov. 3. That’s near the all-time high of 245 patients seen in mid-July.
Should the new mandate go into effect, some businesses will be forced to close, such as hair salons, bars and personal care services; restaurants will no longer be allowed to offer indoor or outdoor dining, though take-out and delivery options can remain.
Retail stores will need to limit capacity to 20%.
New coronavirus cases in Orange County have more than doubled in the past two weeks, with 982 cases reported each day on average in the two weeks ending Friday.
State officials expect figures to worsen in the coming weeks as numbers from the Thanksgiving weekend are factored in and as large gatherings continue to occur over the holiday season.
Go here for more updates on how OC companies are responding to coronavirus.