Los Angeles to extend stay-at-home order through July, while two California counties are cleared to reopen

Los Angeles County, which has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in California, appears to be on course to keep stay-at-home orders in place for the next three months.

County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday that stay-at-home orders will be extended “with all certainty” unless there is a major breakthrough with combating the virus. Her comments were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

LA’s doubling down on its stay-at-home order comes after the area already loosened restrictions for outdoor recreation, reopened beaches and allowed some nonessential businesses to reopen.

Of California’s 2,847 coronavirus deaths, 1,613 were in L.A. County and of the state’s 69,382 cases, 33,180 were there, through May 11. The Bay Area by comparison had 10,051 cases with 366 deaths through May 12.

California is a massive state, and different areas have seen different case levels. As the state approaches the next phase of the crisis, vastly different approaches are emerging. Some regions are maintaining strict restrictions, while others are already allowing retail business to resume and making plans to reopen restaurants.

In the Bay Area, shelter-in-place orders are currently extended through May, and officials have set benchmarks for reopening that go beyond the criteria Gov. Gavin Newsom has laid out for California.

San Francisco, for example, is taking a more cautious approach than some other counties. It’s waiting at least 10 extra days before permitting storefront pickup, which is currently prohibited under regional stay-at-home orders.

Gov. Newsom announced on Tuesday that two northern California counties — Butte and El Dorado — will be the first in the state to reopen businesses more quickly. Offices where telework isn’t possible can reopen with specific guidelines, and enclosed outlet and strip malls will also be able to reopen for curbside pick-up, Newsom said.