UpdatedTue, Dec 29, 2020 at 4:46 pm PT
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Residents are not under "lockdown" or "quarantine" under the order, and may leave their homes at any time. Residents are, however, asked to refrain from gathering with people who they don't live with. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As expected, a regional stay-at-home order in effect across Southern California due to surging COVID-19 hospitalizations was formally extended Tuesday, continuing a ban on all gatherings of people from different households and in-person dining and setting strict capacity limits at many businesses.
The state's regional order, which covers Riverside County and 10 other Southern California counties, took effect at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 6 and was set to expire Monday. But with the region's intensive-care unit capacity at hospitals still officially listed at 0 percent, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday the order was all but certain to be extended. The state's Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, made it official Tuesday, saying incoming COVID-19 patients are expected to continue exceeding ICU capacity in the region over the next four weeks.