City Of Hermosa Beach Coronavirus Update For July 20, 2020

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

July 20, 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.

Local Updates

City Issues Executive Order Expanding Opportunity for Outdoor Operations by Local Businesses: To help local businesses continue to operate under new State and L.A. County Public Health Orders that restricted many indoor operations, the City of Hermosa Beach issued an Emergency Executive Order Friday to provide additional opportunities for fitness facilities and gyms to operate outdoors provided they meet public health protocols. The City’s Executive Order also provides an opportunity for personal care services, including hair and nail salons, to move outdoors, as long as they comply with the information the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology issued today regarding outside services. The Board has also provided a checklist for operating outside.

Reminder – L.A. County Public Health Order Prohibits Group Sports: While many outdoor recreational activities are permitted, the L.A. County Public Health Order continues to prohibit group sports – including softball, football, volleyball and basketball – because they involve shared equipment or physical contact, which could cause the spread of COVID-19. Non-contact sports and individual activities – such as walking, hiking, bicycling, running or horseback riding – are permitted as long as the participants follow social (physical) distancing and the appropriate County Reopening Protocol. Some non-contact sports are permitted, including golf, tennis and pickleball. While the risk of transmission is lower outdoors than indoors, there is still a risk of transmission outdoors that is heightened when individuals are in close contact without face coverings and the County has specific protocols for each of these non-contact sports. Several people have emailed or posted questions on social media regarding the removal of volleyball net poles on Hermosa’s beach. The City currently has no plans to remove the poles. Beach volleyball is not permitted under the current Public Health Order, and the City’s enforcement teams have the ability to issue citations for unauthorized activities on the beach including group sports and gatherings where health orders and physical distancing protocols are not being observed.

Funding for Contact Tracing Announced: As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to increase, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced today that it is providing $10 million to community-based organizations, particularly in the hardest hit communities, to encourage participation with case investigation and contact tracing efforts to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Public Health is also piloting a $20 gift card incentive program to thank individuals for participating in the hour-long contact tracing interview.

COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reach New Record in Los Angeles County: For the second straight day, L.A. County Department of Public Health reported the highest number of hospitalizations reported with 2,232 people currently hospitalized, surpassing yesterday’s count of 2,216 hospitalizations. Of the 2,232 confirmed COVID-19 cases currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 19% are confirmed cases on ventilators. The Department also confirmed 9 new deaths and 3,160 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health has identified 159,045 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 4,104 deaths. The decrease in deaths may reflect a reporting lag from over the weekend. The County reported seven additional COVID-19 cases in Hermosa Beach since the City’s last update this past Thursday, bringing the City’s total to 134 COVID-19 diagnoses and 2 COVID-19 related deaths.

State & Federal Updates

Expanded Time to Sign Up for Covered California Health Insurance: Covered California opened a special enrollment window to help Californians in need of health care coverage. Covered California also announced it has helped 209,770 people sign up for coverage between March 20 and July 11. Anyone who meets Covered California eligibility requirements can sign up on coveredca.com through July 31.

Information on Grants and Loans Available: The California State Library launched a new portal to publish all state grant and loan opportunities. There are currently more than 100 grants available and over $17 billion in funding.

Employment Help from the State: The Employment Development Department and California Department of Human Resources are hosting a 3-part job seeker series to help Californians looking for employment. Register here to participate.

House Subcommittee Questions Top Potential Vaccine Makers: A United States House of Representatives subcommittee on Tuesday is set to question the heads of the following five pharmaceutical companies leading the COVID-19 vaccine effort on their efforts and progress to this point: AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna and Pfizer. Early trials of potential vaccines from Astrazeneca and Moderna have shown early promise. For more information, visit the House Committee’s webpage.

Global Coronavirus Figures: There are almost 14.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, and over 608,000 COVID-19 related deaths have occurred across the globe as of July 20, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Latest Facts & Figures*

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 134 | 2
• L.A. County - 159,045 | 4,104
• California - 391,538 | 7,694
• United States - 3,761,362 | 140,157

*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.

Information regarding coronavirus is changing frequently, and the City will provide the latest information about COVID-19 and links to resources on our website. To stay informed, please sign up for Hermosa Beach eNotifications, public safety alerts or follow the City on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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