Monrovia Coronavirus Update - November 30, 2020

Press release from the City of Monrovia:

November 30, 2020

Hello Monrovians,

I hope that your Thanksgiving celebration was filled with good food and memorable moments with loved ones.

Over the weekend, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released a Temporary Targeted Safer at Home Order, which you can find a summary of below. This updated order takes effect today.

The impacts of the closures have made it very difficult for small businesses across LA County, including businesses in Monrovia. Last week, a letter was sent to the LA County Board of Supervisors to vote against prohibiting the closure of outdoor dining. During the meeting, Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger pointed out the Department of Public Health recommended bars for reopening operations on June 18, when the County’s positivity rate was rising to more than 9% and hospitalizations were rising to more than 1,400. By comparison, as of Monday, November 23, hospitalizations are similar and positivity rate continues to drop and currently sits at 6.7%.

Also, according to the Department of Public Health, their data shows that between 10 – 15% of positive cases were reported from dining out with someone who tested positive, while more than 50% were reported from being at a private social gathering with someone who tested positive. The City's concern is that by closing restaurants, the Order will adversely incentivize residents to dine together, indoors, and without any safety precautions in place.

Finally, as reported by the Department of Public Health, the City of Monrovia had 515 cases and 33 deaths over the course of the first four (4) months of the pandemic. Now, nearly 4 months later, the totals have increased to 1,016 cases and 40 deaths. In Monrovia, the trends are actually trending downward over the past 4 months with deaths significantly reduced.

March 17 - July 30
July 31 - November 23
Total

Number of Cases
515
501
1,016

Number of Deaths
33
7
40

For these reasons, the City of Monrovia, along with many other cities, requested the Board of Supervisors reconsider the Health Order to prohibit outdoor dining. The Board ultimately approved the prohibition of outdoor dining.

Tomorrow, the Monrovia City Council will discuss whether alternatives to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available to the City at its regular meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,
Dylan

Email: dfeik@ci.monrovia.ca.us
Phone: (626) 932-5585

Temporary Targeted Safer at Home Health Officer Order for the Control of COVID-19

As new COVID-19 cases remain at alarming levels and the number of people hospitalized to increase, a temporary Los Angeles County Health Officer Order has been issued to require additional safety measures across sectors. The temporary order is in effect beginning today, Monday, November 30, and will remain in effect through December 20, 2020.

Overview of the changes to the Health Officer Order

• Gatherings:
  • All public and private gatherings with individuals not in your household are prohibited, except for church services and protests, which are constitutionally protected rights.
• Occupancy limits at various businesses; all individuals at these sites are required to wear face coverings and keep at least 6 feet of distance:
  • Essential retail – 35% maximum occupancy
  • Non-essential retail (includes indoor malls) – 20% maximum occupancy
  • Personal care services – 20% maximum occupancy
  • Libraries – 20% maximum occupancy
  • Fitness centers operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
  • Museums galleries, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
  • Mini-golf, batting cages, go-kart racing operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
• Outdoor recreation activities all which require face coverings (except for swimming) and distancing:
  • Beaches, trails, and parks remain open; gatherings at these sites with members outside your household are prohibited.
  • Golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, archery ranges, skate parks, bike parks, and community gardens remain open for individuals or members of a single household. Pools that serve more than one household may open only for regulated lap swimming with one person per lane.
  • Drive-in movies/events/car parades are permitted provided occupants in each car are members of one household.
• Schools:
  • All schools and day camps remain open adhering to re-opening protocols. K-12 Schools and Day Camps with an outbreak (3 cases or more over 14 days) should close for 14 days.
• Closed non-essential businesses/activities:
  • Playgrounds (with the exception of playgrounds at childcare and schools)
  • Cardrooms

Please remember to physically distance yourself from others, use a face covering when you are in public places and frequently wash your hands for 20 seconds.

COVID-19 At a Glance

Latest Facts & Figures

Jurisdiction

• Monrovia - 1,107 confirmed cases | 40 deaths
• L.A. County – 395,843 confirmed cases | 7,639 deaths
• California – 1,212,968 confirmed cases | 19,141 deaths

Residential / Non-Residential Settings in Monrovia

• Burger King Monrovia - 4 staff cases
• Sierra Auto Cars, Inc. - 5 staff cases

Facilities that have no reported positive COVID-19 cases for 14 days are considered to no longer have an outbreak and removed from the list. Confirmed cases of employees from residential/non-residential settings get counted under their home city.

Additional details on cases and deaths were not provided by the County of Los Angeles. View the Public Health Statement Regarding COVID-19 and Patient Privacy.

LA County's Dashboard

The LA County COVID-19 Dashboard provides an overview on COVID-19 testing, cases and deaths along with maps and graphs showing testing, cases and death data by community poverty level, age, sex and race/ethnicity.

Stay Informed

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• California Department of Public Health
• To keep the community informed, the Los Angeles County provides updates, which can be viewed on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
• City of Monrovia
• Monrovia Strong

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