Imperial County businesses prepare for another COVID-19 shutdown

El Centro, CALIF. (KYMA, KECY) - The Southern California region is officially under a stay-at-home order starting Monday at midnight. This includes the Imperial County, which means local businesses are preparing to close again.

The new order comes amid surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations around the state.

In the county, there are less than 15% available ICU beds.

Bars, wineries, hair salons, and personal care businesses even outdoor playgrounds will have to close up temporarily but parks will continue to stay open with mask requirements.

Hotels cannot accept out-of-state reservations for non-essential travel.


Retail stores are also affected by this order. They will have to scale back to 20% capacity inside stores.

Places of worship will have to hold outdoor services.

Restaurants will have to resort to take-out, pick-up, or outdoor dining.

Ricardo Beltran, an El Centro business owner, frustrated after having to close his family’s taco shop up.

They are now having to temporarily close up their eyebrow treading business - Shape It Threading.

“We had a taco shop. And that one closed down after the first [shutdown], we shut down in July. Same thing. There are too many restrictions. And the restrictions are not the same for everybody. And they killed us.”

“As far as the employees, they are worried. They're worried about where their next check is going to come from. I'm worried where my rent is going to come from,” Beltran added.

California governor, Gavin Newsom, introduced a new regional stay-at-home order Thursday, days after he said most of the state's intensive care beds could be over capacity within weeks as coronavirus case numbers surge.

Beltran thinks Governor Newsom is out of line by going against his own order.

“The governor, right before he put the shutdown, he went out to eat it was okay and it was safe for him to go eat indoors, with a bunch of people, but we can’t do it locally. You know, every city should take care of their own," the small business owner said.

This new order will last through the new year, on January 4th.

The Imperial County Public Health Department is announcing additional COVID-19 testing locations beginning this coming week.