California coronavirus lockdowns extended as hospitals teeter on brink of crisis

The Los Angeles city skyline is seen after sunset during a surge in positive coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Los Angeles, California, U.S. December 29, 2020. REUTERS/Bing Guan

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Strict stay-at-home orders were renewed indefinitely on Tuesday for much of California, a leading U.S. hot spot of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the state's top health official said that many hospitals were teetering on the brink of crisis.

Tough restrictions imposed earlier this month on social and economic life were extended in densely populated Southern California - home to more than half of the state's 40 million people - based on data showing intensive care units there likely to stay filled at or near capacity for weeks to come.