The goal behind the “flatten the curve” term is to reduce the number of people in need of urgent medical care at the same time. Speaking with The Mercury News, a professor of social and natural science said, “I would guess a couple of months of lock-down would flatten the curve in California to a level we’ll be able to cope with.” The order from the governor affects most of the nearly 40 million Golden State residents, including those in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Alameda, Riverside, Santa Clara, and others.Īs for how long the lockdown will last, no one really knows for sure. If you violate the order to stay home except for essential needs, you could be facing fines up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.Īdditional penalties can be tacked on for each day you violate the order. Law enforcement officials can use California health and safety codes for enforcement of the order. This is no time to test the patience and authority of the law. What Can Happen to Me If I Violate the Coronavirus Lockdown? While the orders allow for people to leave their homes for exercise and essential needs, people are for the most part required to stay inside and refrain from gatherings of 10 or more people.

The move – not seen in modern times – is aimed at curbing the outbreak of the coronavirus. “Obviously, if there’s emerging information that requires us to rethink the safety messaging, we’ll be coming back both to the board and to the public.In quick sequence, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered orders forcing most residents to remain home and limit their social interaction until further notice. “We need people to be sensible and cautious, and we’re going to pay a lot of attention to the science,” Ferrer said. While wearing masks in public, avoiding indoor crowded settings and, especially, getting vaccinated all afford some degree of protection, those tools work best when used together. Health officials have long stressed the importance of taking a layered approach to combating the coronavirus. “I think if we didn’t have that requirement, we probably would be suggesting that, because that is the next line of defense.” “Obviously, if the vaccines aren’t as effective, those masks are super important, and we already have a requirement on masking,” she said. It already has become the dominant variant in South Africa. With its “unusual constellation of mutations,” Ferrer said, Omicron could be more infectious than other variants.

Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical advisor for the pandemic, said in a briefing. Omicron is getting attention because of its many mutations - around 50, far more than in previous variants, Dr. Also unknown is whether the newly discovered strain, which has yet to be found in the United States, might cause more severe disease or potentially evade some of the protective power afforded by existing vaccines. 11 in Botswana and three days later in South Africa - can spread as easily as the still-dominant Delta variant. It’s unclear whether Omicron - which was first detected Nov. and throughout California are nowhere close to publicly discussing the kind of stringent restrictions that were in effect at this time last year, when a round of regional stay-at-home orders shut down or severely constrained many aspects of the state’s economy and residents’ lives. Similar but more expansive rules in the city of Los Angeles cover a host of additional businesses, including indoor restaurants, gyms and movie theaters.īut despite the worries accompanying the new variant and the approach of winter, officials in L.A. The county also requires patrons and employees of indoor bars, wineries, breweries, distilleries, nightclubs and lounges to show proof that they’ve been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. They include a blanket mandate for residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated. County’s existing COVID-19 rules are already among the strictest in the state. “At this moment, we have really, I think, sensible precautions in place,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the county Board of Supervisors. No significant new coronavirus-related restrictions are planned in Los Angeles County following the emergence of the Omicron variant, a top health official said Tuesday.

Lockdown in los angeles