City Of Hermosa Beach Coronavirus Update For October 22, 2020

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

October 22, 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.

City Plans Safe Halloween Celebrations: The City’s Community Resources Department and several community organizations have come up with a list of creative and safe activities to celebrate Halloween in Hermosa Beach. These include an online Pumpkin Carving Contest and a Drive-By Costume Reveal with the City’s mascot Sunny. The L.A. County Department of Public Health is not recommending door-to-door trick-or-treating this year because of COVID-19 and does not allow any Halloween gatherings, events or parties with non-household members. Carnivals, festivals, live entertainment and haunted house attractions are also prohibited. See the L.A. County Public Health Protocols for Celebrating Halloween

City Hosts Veterans are Timeless Campaign: The annual Veterans Day Commemoration and Candlelight Ceremony will not be taking place this year because of the COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. The City is hosting the Veterans are Timeless Campaign this year and encouraging the community to stop by the Veterans Memorial located on the Hermosa Beach Community Center's East Lawn to give thanks to veterans on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 from 11 a.m.-sundown. In addition to a special showcase of “stars” featuring veterans whose names were submitted to the City’s Veterans Are Timeless Campaign, there will be other special additions to the site and an opportunity to submit letters to veterans to express the community’s gratitude and support. The City asks all attendees to wear a mask and maintain social distancing while visiting the Veterans Memorial.

FAQ on Outdoor Activities during the Pandemic: L.A. County Department of Public Health has issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions regarding outdoor activities that are permitted under the current Public Health Orders.

L.A. County to Issue New Health Order Tomorrow: The L.A. County Department of Public Health announced today that it has reviewed new State recommendations and consulted with the Board of Supervisors about the timing for additional openings, including the re-opening of additional personal care services indoors, including massage and tattoo parlors, with modifications (in addition to hair salons and nail salons); the percentage of high need students allowed for in-person learning; outdoor operations at go-carts, mini-golf and batting cages; and modifying requirements for breweries/wineries. Public Health will post a revised Health Officer Order tomorrow. As a reminder, county health departments are not allowed to be less restrictive than State Health Officer Orders. They can align or be more restrictive.

L.A. County Remains in Most Restrictive Tier of State’s Blueprint: L.A. County Department of Public Health reported that the county’s daily case numbers continue to keep L.A. County in the state’s most restrictive purple tier (Tier 1) in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Currently, L.A. County's adjusted case rate is 7.6 new cases per 100,000 people. In order to move to the next less restrictive Tier, the County must reduce its daily number of new cases to 7 or less new cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks. The County's overall test positivity rate is 3.4% which meets the threshold for Tier 3 and the test positivity rate in our lowest-resourced areas is 5.9% which meets the threshold for Tier 2.

COVID-19 Diagnoses on the Rise in L.A. County: The L.A. County Department of Public Health reports since mid-September, the daily number of cases increased to an average of about 1,000 new cases per day. From the beginning of August through the beginning of September, the number of new cases were under 800 new cases per day. With more interactions between people as businesses re-open, there is an increased risk of transmission that can result in people becoming seriously ill and tragically passing away. The department reminds anyone with a positive lab result that has not yet connected with a Public Health specialist, to call 1-833-540-0473 to connect with a Public Health specialist who can provide information about services and support. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

L.A. County Inspecting Businesses’ Compliance with Public Health Orders: Last weekend, the L.A. County Department of Public Health inspectors visited a total of 437 businesses, including restaurants, markets, hair salons and barbershops, hotels and gyms. Inspectors noted that almost half of businesses had not posted their completed protocols for reopening and gyms need to improve on ensuring their employees and patrons are wearing a face covering. Overall, the compliance inspections revealed the majority of businesses were in compliance with most of the Public Health protocols. Because COVID-19 is still spreading throughout L.A. County, businesses have a duty to protect employees, customers and residents from transmission of COVID-19 as much as possible and implement all requirements in the business protocols that prevent COVID-19 transmission. Public Health encourages L.A. County businesses to take advantage of the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program. The COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program offers business owners and employees the opportunity to participate in a free training program about COVID-19 infection control protocols and allows businesses to self-certify that they are fully implementing the protocols in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements. To date, 3,176 employers and 2,888 employees have completed the training.

L.A. County COVID-19 Update: Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 18 new deaths and 3,600 new cases of COVID-19. The number of new cases reported today includes an estimated 2,000 backlog cases due to technical issues with data reporting systems over the last few days. These issues have been addressed, and the Department said it continues to improve its reporting systems. Public Health anticipates receiving additional backlog test results over the next few days.

Latest Facts & Figures*

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 246 | 4
• L.A. County - 294,065 | 6,956
• California - 880,724 | 17,189
• United States - 8,312,667 | 221,438

*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.