She said it will take some time for the effects of the stay-at-home order to become clear, and in the meantime, the numbers will keep going up. The average number of L.A. County residents dying daily of COVID-19 is now about 39, nearly quadruple the number from early November, and is expected to worsen.

“We’re going to see three weeks of devastation before we’ll be able to assess the impact,” she said.

But the grim forecast was little solace to thousands of restaurants, hair salons and other businesses that will have to either close or dramatically curtail operations due to the order. Retailers have already been devastated by earlier lockdowns. And many say they are not sure they can survive another one.

The stay-at-home rules, which are less stringent than those imposed in the spring, have faced strong opposition from restaurant owners and others who say they are being unfairly targeted. L.A. County suspended outdoor dining last month, but the new order extends the suspension to counties that are home to tens of millions of people.

Source: With nearly 20,000 dead, California faces treacherous pandemic phase – Los Angeles Times