LIVERMORE, CA — The availability of intensive care unit beds in the Bay Area fell below 15-percent on Wednesday, triggering a mandatory 3-week stay-at-home order. ICU capacity fell today to 12.9 percent, according to the state’s COVID-19 data dashboard.
Alameda County voluntarily adopted the order early, one of 5 counties to do so, in an effort to slow the coronavirus surge. But the surge continues unabated, filling hospital rooms and ICU beds.
The new mandatory order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. The only remaining holdouts — San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Napa, and Solano counties — are now forced into the stay-at-home order, which is extended for all counties until Jan. 8.
But restrictions will not be automatically lifted — ICU bed availability must rise above 15-percent.
The bottom line is that things will not change here in Livermore as we were already under the…
