On January 25, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom lifted stay-at-home orders, allowing outdoor dining, religious services, and more to resume. The stay-at-home order had been in place since early December.

In a report from CNN, the California Restaurant Association told members in an email Sunday night, “Late this evening, senior officials in the Newsom administration informed us that the governor will announce tomorrow that the stay-at-home order will be lifted in all regions of the state.”

This change was initiated after a  decrease in new COVID-19 infections and cases over the first few weeks of January. According to Politico, Newsom explained in an online conference, “We’re seeing a flattening of the curve — everything that should be up is up, everything that should be down is down — case rates, positivity rates, hospitalizations, ICUs.” 

The lift of the stay-at-home order will allow areas in the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Southern California to reopen. Restaurants have already started providing outdoor dining, and salons are now offering indoor services. 

ICU capacity also accounts for the decision on stay-at-home orders. CalMatters reported that the CDPH (California Department of Public Health) used ICU capacity to determine the lift of stay-at-home orders in other California counties. ICUs have to be at a determined 15% capacity within the next four weeks. 

Although COVID-19 cases are decreasing, they still remain extremely high. According to the CDC, cases average at around 30,000 cases every two weeks. However, the rise in testing and vaccinations remains to be a hope for health officials.

Cypress High School sophomore, Omkar Katre, expressed his views explaining, “Newsom lifting of the restriction is seriously too premature. The last time we did that without proper dispersion of a vaccine, we ended up with a second wave.”

In the next few weeks, residents and health officials will be able to observe how this new lift affects the number of cases in California. Until then, all citizens are advised to wear a mask, social distance, and avoid going out to large gatherings.