(Natural News) On Dec. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to observe regional stay-at-home restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Newsom's orders went into effect for at least 23 million residents in southern California and 4.4 million residents in the Central Valley.

The mandate will take effect on a region-by-region basis since hospital intensive care unit beds in the region have fallen to below 15 percent.

California now under "the harshest lockdowns" in America

To date, over three-quarters of California's population are living under "the harshest lockdowns" in the country after coronavirus cases allegedly hit record levels in the most populous state in the U.S.

Aside from the southern California region and the San Joaquin Valley region, local leaders of five other counties in the Bay Area region pre-emptively ordered six million residents to enter lockdown starting at 10 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer, advised that it's not wise to "wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency brake."

The restrictions will remain in place for about three weeks and will last until the Christmas holiday.

Throughout the state:

-Californians must stay indoors and minimize contact with others.

-All retail stores and outside spaces (like beaches and parks) are allowed to operate, but only at 20 percent capacity.

-Bars, restaurants, hair and nail salons and tattoo shops must stay closed.

On Dec. 6, California reported 24,735 positive cases. This brought the average to 21,924 cases per day.