Reports: Fresno considering five-day retail shutdown as available ICU beds near zero

A dangerously low number of ICU beds have Fresno's city council considering a five-day shutdown of retail businesses.

The order would be triggered if available ICU beds reach zero, according to The Fresno Bee. The proposal would reportedly give the city the ability to levy fines for businesses that remain open, including penalties for up to $10,000 for repeat offenses.

Any retail shutdown could extend beyond five days if the county's ICU situation doesn't improve, should the city council opt to do so. Grocery stores and curbside pickup from stores would still be allowed under the proposal.

However, the ordinance is only a proposal at this time.

It's not clear when or if it would come up for a vote.

#BREAKING A new five-day shutdown order in Fresno could soon be implemented due to the limited number of ICU beds & rising #COVID19 case numbers.

This is the emergency draft proposed by Council member Luis Chavez: pic.twitter.com/FBFiEGqWRu

— Jenna Liston FOX 26 (@JennaListonTV) December 22, 2020

If current projections hold, it's thought the county could run out of beds by the end of the week. The county is part of the state's San Joaquin Valley region, which along with Southern California, is listed at 0.0% ICU capacity by the California Department of Public Health.

As of late Monday, there are 18 ICU beds available in Fresno County.

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