City Of Hermosa Beach Coronavirus Update For September 10, 2020

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

September 10, 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 Council Meeting COVID-19 Updates: Hermosa Beach City Manager Suja Lowenthal provided a COVID-19 Update at Tuesday night’s City Council Meeting and a Table of the City’s COVID-19 Actions. Beach Cities Health District also provided its COVID-19 Update at the Hermosa Beach City Council meeting. A virtual tour of the renovated Hermosa Beach Fire Station was also presented during Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting while it is not possible to hold a community open house to view the completed project in-person at this time.

Council Approves Plan to Help Pier Avenue Businesses During Pandemic: The Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday to temporarily change the lane configurations on Pier Avenue, from Hermosa Avenue to Valley Drive, for up to six months to safely accommodate additional outdoor dining and retail during the pandemic. COVID-19 Public Health Orders currently prohibit indoor operations for dining and retail, and local businesses have built decks in parking spaces on Pier Avenue so they can operate outdoors. The Council approved the Concept 1 proposal to change the lane configurations to accommodate additional space for businesses and provide a designated bike lane in each direction to discourage bicycles using the sidewalks. For more information, please see the Pier Avenue Staff Report.

Remembering 9/11: The City will be placing wreaths at the 9/11 Memorial Friday, and Hermosa Beach Mayor Mary Campbell encouraged the community to stop by the 9/11 memorial on the Greenbelt to honor the memory of the lives lost and recognize the courage of those who put themselves in harm’s way to save people they never knew. “May we never forget the tragic events of that day and may we continue to choose love over hate,” she said at this week’s Council meeting. “May we choose sacrifice over selfishness and unity over division. In doing so, we can all honor those we lost.”

Hermosa Beach Skate Park to Re-Open Monday: The Hermosa Beach Skate Park will re-open on Monday, September 14, with protocols in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Skate Park will be open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily and members will be able to use the park for one session each day to minimize overcrowding and allow for sanitizing of high-touch surfaces between sessions. To join or renew skate park memberships or for more information on the skate park protocols, please visit our website: hermosabeach.gov/skatepark.

Doubles Play Now Permitted for Pickleball and Tennis: L.A. County has updated its Public Health Orders to enable doubles to play pickleball and tennis. Players are still required to maintain 6 feet of physical distance if their teammate is not a member of their household. To learn more, please see the City’s COVID-19 guidance on its tennis courts website page and its pickleball courts website page.

Meal Delivery Program for Seniors Extended to Oct. 9: L.A. County's Great Plates Delivered program has been extended through Oct. 9. The meal assistance program offers eligible seniors with 3 home-delivered meals a day. Seniors over 65, seniors 60-64 years of age who have been diagnosed or exposed to COVID-19 or those at high-risk for COVID-19 may qualify. Please visit the Great Plates website to apply for the program.

L.A. County Provides COVID-19 Halloween Guidelines: L.A. County Department of Public Health on Wednesday provided guidelines for celebrating Halloween safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The department recommends against going door-to-door for trick or treating and to avoid gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It also says haunted houses, carnivals and other Halloween-themed events will not be permitted this year.

L.A. County Launches New COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program: The County of Los Angeles launched the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program (CSCCP) Wednesday to help educate and train business owners to comprehensively implement the LA County Department of Public Health COVID-19 safety directives.

The CSCCP is a no-cost online training course that educates business owners on the essentials of the County Health Officer’s Orders and what they need to do to ensure that their business practices are aligned and in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements. After completing the training, businesses will receive a COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate that can be posted on storefronts. The training will be available in 13 languages and can be accessed online through the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 website.

L.A. County Increases Outreach to Businesses and Institutions to Prevent COVID-19 Outbreaks: Beginning in July, the County experienced sharp increases in outbreaks at workplaces. To reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19, Public Health increased outreach and inspections of these facilities. Public Health's compliance team continues to visit businesses across the County every day. Inspectors review County reopening protocols with business owners and ensure they are familiar with all requirements related to disinfection, the use of face coverings, physical distancing, and any other specific required modifications. These compliance checks are focused on educating business owners that they have a responsibility to their employees and patrons to open responsibly, but can also result in citations for non-compliance where appropriate. Since Public Health began issuing citations (on August 28), 30 citations have been issued and $23,000 in fines have been imposed.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 42 new deaths and 1,239 new cases of confirmed COVID-19. To date, Public Health has identified 251,024 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,128 deaths. The Department also reported 6 additional COVID-19 cases in Hermosa Beach since the City’s last update this past Thursday, bringing the City’s total to 200 COVID-19 diagnoses and a total of 4 COVID-19 related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Global Coronavirus Figures: There are over 27 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide since the start of the pandemic, and more than 906,011 COVID-19 related deaths have occurred across the globe as of September 10, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Latest Facts & Figures*

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 200 | 4
• L.A. County - 251,024 | 6,128
• California - 742,865 | 13,978
• United States - 6,343,562 | 190,262

*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.

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