Heralding hope for businesses to reopen and normal services to resume, the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, ended the regional stay-at-home order across the state Monday.

The decision was made as 4-week Intensive Care Unit, or ICU, capacity projections for regions still under the order — the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California — rose above 15%, according to a CDPH press release. Having met this threshold, all counties can now return to their appropriate tier as outlined in the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Alameda County is under the purple “widespread” tier as of press time, meaning many non-essential indoor business operations must remain closed but outdoor dining at restaurants and hair salons may reopen, according to the state government’s website. This tier further indicates that the county’s positivity rate, or 7-day average of positive COVID-19 tests, is over 8%.

The Limited Stay At Home Order, which imposed a limit on activities deemed non-essential between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., expired along with the regional stay-at-home order.

“Californians heard the urgent message to stay home as much as possible and accepted that challenge to slow the surge and save lives,” said Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and state public health officer, in the press release. “COVID-19 is still here and still deadly, so our work is not over, but it’s important to recognize our collective actions saved lives and we are turning a critical corner.” 

As California’s healthcare system was on the brink of crisis over a month ago, CDPH urged residents to continue taking the necessary health precautions and receive the COVID-19 vaccine when permitted by their local health department.

Check back for updates.