Dear Friend,

I hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe during this difficult time. I would like to provide some recent updates about the COVID-19 pandemic and explain the new Regional Stay Home Order in place for our communities. 

Situation Update

As of Thursday, December 10th, there have been over 1.4 million positive cases of COVID-19 in California, over 475,000 of which have been in Los Angeles County. This deadly virus has taken the lives of over 285,000 Americans and over 20,000 of our fellow Californians, and we still do not have it under control. During this holiday season, COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed across the country, far exceeding the case numbers in the spring. As hospitalizations continue to rise, the amount of space and staff in Intensive Care Units (ICU), which provide care to those with life threatening illnesses, have been pushed to the brink. There is currently under 8% availability in ICUs across the entire Southern California Region. And on Sunday, December 6th, there were only three available ICU beds in the entire San Gabriel Valley.

Stay Home Order

We need to get control of this virus. That is why, on December 3rd, California health officials set forth new guidelines that require regions to follow a minimum three week Stay Home Order if their ICU capacity drops below 15%. As of Sunday, December 6th, this Stay Home Order has applied to the Southern California Region, including all of Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County. As a result of this order, many businesses in our region are required to be closed, including hair salons, barbershops, personal care services, museums, zoos, aquariums, movie theaters, wineries, bars, breweries, distilleries, family entertainment centers, cardrooms, live audience sports, and amusement parks.

The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:

  • Restaurants can operate only for take-out or delivery.
  • Outdoor recreational facilities are open only for the purpose of facilitating physically distanced personal health and wellness. However, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
  • Retail is allowed indoor operation at 20% capacity, and 35% of capacity for standalone grocery stores, with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. 
  • Shopping centers are allowed indoor access at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores.
  • Hotels and lodging are open for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures, treatment measures, providing accommodation for essential workers, or providing housing solutions, including measures to protect homeless populations.
  • Offices should work remotely only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible. 
  • Places of worship and political expression are allowed outdoor activities only.
  • Entertainment production, such as establishments that provide content for professional broadcast, can operate without live audiences.

Under the order, critical infrastructure where remote options are not possible, schools, non-urgent medical and dental care, and child care and pre-K are all allowed to remain open with safety precautions.

Exposure Notifications                     

The California state government has rolled out CA Notify, an exposure notification application on smartphones that allows participants to receive notifications if they have been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. This voluntary system requires participants to opt-in, does not share any personal data, and does not track anyone’s location. This program will help keep families safe and control the spread of COVID-19 through our communities. To learn more about this program and instructions on how to opt-in, please go to Canotify.ca.gov.

Vaccine Update

Pending the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of a safe and effective vaccine, California is planning to distribute and administer vaccines as quickly as possible. The state government successfully requested an initial 327,000 first doses and expects to administer 2.16 million doses by the end of December. The state government is working with localities and health care providers to implement an equitable distribution of vaccines that prioritize the most at-risk populations. The first vaccines will go to the most high-risk health care workers, and then vulnerable populations will be prioritized as more vaccines become available. 

Holiday Travel 

This pandemic has upended our lives, and for many families, has not allowed us to visit or spend time with our loved ones this year. However, as people traveled for Thanksgiving, and as many Americans plan to travel for the upcoming holidays, public health experts expect to see an even greater amount of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that the safest way to celebrate the winter holidays is to celebrate at home with the people in your household. For information on the safest ways to celebrate these holidays, please visit HERE.   

This pandemic is constantly evolving, so to find the most up to date information on the situation from the local to international levels, please visit: 

The health and safety of you and your loved ones is of the utmost importance. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call my Pasadena office at (626) 304-0110 or my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-5464.

Sincerely,

Judy Chu, PhD
Member of Congress

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