California lifts regional stay-at-home orders as COVID-19 conditions improve

FILE - In this Friday, May 22, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, Calif. A federal appeals court has denied a Southern California church's request to overturn the state's coronavirus restrictions barring worship services indoors during the coronavirus pandemic. The Sacramento Bee says Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals leaves the door open for addressing Gov. Gavin Newsom administration's limits on church attendance if a California county is in a less-restrictive COVID-19 tier. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, Pool, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has lifted regional stay-at-home orders statewide in response to improving coronavirus conditions.

Public health officials said Monday the state will return to a system of county-by-county restrictions intended to stem the spread of the virus. Local officials could choose to continue stricter rules.

The state is also lifting a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

The decision comes with improving trends in the rate of infections, hospitalizations and intensive care unit capacity as well as vaccinations.

The lifting of the order is based on projections that the state says show improving ICU conditions, but officials have not disclosed the data behind the forecasts.

Over the weekend, the U.S. surpassed 25 million cases of COVID-19, a figure that is more than double the case number of any other country around the world.