City Of Hermosa Beach Coronavirus Update For August 24, 2020

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

August 24, 2020

To help keep the community informed, the City of Hermosa Beach is providing regular updates featuring the latest news about COVID-19; related local updates; and how the City is working to meet the needs of the community and protect public health.

Face Covering Requirements in Hermosa Beach in One Place on City Website: The City has added a dedicated page on the City website to provide information and answer frequently asked questions about the City’s face covering requirements. The urgency ordinance adopted by the City Council on July 28 requires face coverings be worn at all times in crowded parts of Hermosa Beach including Downtown, the Greenbelt, all City parks, Pier Plaza, the Strand and the beach when out of the water. Failure to wear a face covering in these areas may result in administrative citations of $100 for the first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $500 for each offense thereafter. In the rest of the City, face coverings are required by State and County public health orders when people are in public and cannot maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from non-household members.

Virtual City Council Meeting Tomorrow: A reminder that tomorrow’s City Council Meeting will be conducted via videoconference due to ongoing health concerns about COVID-19. The Public Meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The meeting can be watched on local access channels or on the City’s Meeting and Agenda Webpage. For more information, please see the City Council Meeting Agenda. To submit public comments, visit the City’s eComment platform. Key items related to COVID-19 on the City Council Agenda include:

• A Table of the City’s COVID-19 actions so far
• Establishing a FEMA/CAL OES Fund for tracking COVID-19 expenses
• Public Hearing on Pickleball Operations During the Pandemic and Memberships
• Adoption of Urgency Ordinance for Churches to Operate Outdoors During the Pandemic
• A Resolution Ratifying the Urgency Ordinance to Temporarily Close Parts of Certain Streets During Pandemic to Support Local Businesses

Community Reminder: Beach Cities Health District Virtual Event on COVID-19: Beach Cities Health District is hosting a live-streamed “Safe in the South Bay Series” from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. It will cover a variety of COVID-19 topics including testing, navigating the new normal, mental health and personal resilience. The virtual event will bring health experts, cities, chambers, schools and community members together to help answer some of South Bay residents’ most frequently asked COVID-19 questions, as well as give an update on the latest Beach Cities COVID-19 numbers, discuss what it means to live in the new normal and how residents can support local businesses. To learn more and register for this event, visit the Beach Cities Health District’s website.

L.A. County Public Health Department Sees Signs of Progress in COVID-19 Key Indicators: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today reported 13 new deaths and 1,198 new cases of COVID-19. It also reported that it is seeing signs that the spread of COVID-19 is slowing in key indicators, including daily hospitalizations and deaths. Daily hospitalizations numbers have decreased by 45% from the peak of over 2,200 in mid-July. There are 1,219 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 32% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. The decreasing number of daily hospitalizations is one of the best indicators as it is an accurate representation of how many people are currently seriously ill from the virus. In mid-July, the 7-day average of people passing away from COVID-19 was an average of 44 deaths per day. On August 16, the number of deaths was at an average of 28 deaths per day. In mid- to late-July, the daily reported number of new cases was around 3,200 cases per day. As of August 22, the 7-day average is 1,400 daily reported new cases.

To date, Public Health has identified 232,893 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 5,558 deaths. The Department also reported 5 additional COVID-19 cases in Hermosa Beach since the City’s last update this past Thursday, bringing the City’s total to 185 COVID-19 diagnoses and 3 COVID-19 related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Community COVID-19 Testing Reminder: As a reminder to residents, the nearest Los Angeles County COVID-19 Test Site is located at the Beach Cities Health District campus at 514 North Prospect Avenue in Redondo Beach. L.A. County is encouraging residents to first contact their Primary Care Provider or Healthcare Center. COVID-19 tests are free and available to all residents of L.A. County at County testing sites. To sign up for a test at an open location, visit L.A. County’s testing scheduling platform. The County’s main hub page will continue to provide updated information and resources and link users to the new platform.

Global Coronavirus Figures: There are over 23.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide since the start of the pandemic, and more than 810,000 COVID-19 related deaths have occurred across the globe as of August 24, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Latest Facts & Figures*

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 185 | 3
• L.A. County - 232,893 | 5,558
• California - 668,615 | 12,152
• United States - 5,682,491 | 176,223

*All reported data is from the close of the previous day.

Additional Resources

Please continue to follow public health experts’ recommendations to avoid spreading the coronavirus including frequent handwashing, wearing a face covering, keeping a safe distance from one another, and staying home if you are ill. Public Health has issued the following guidance during this time of increased spread: If you are mildly sick, stay home for at least seven days or until 72 hours after being fever free, whichever is longer. Call your doctor if you are concerned and/or your symptoms worsen. Individuals who are elderly, have underlying health conditions or pregnant should consider contacting their providers earlier when they are sick. More information is available here.

We are monitoring updates and sharing information about the coronavirus from trusted sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health, and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.