Palm Desert Declares Local Emergency: Coronavirus

PALM DESERT, CA — In response to the coronavirus pandemic and rapidly evolving public health guidelines, City Manager Lauri Aylaian on Tuesday announced the declaration of a local emergency in Palm Desert.

Palm Desert City Hall and other municipal facilities are closed, effective at noon today, and will remain closed pending a public health risk reevaluation on April 3.

Police and fire protection, as well as other public safety related municipal services including
building inspections and code compliance, will continue without interruption. Responses to
requests for other city services could be delayed while City Hall is closed.

Those who need to conduct business with the city are encouraged to utilize online resources
including Palm Desert’s e-gov website at CityofPalmDesert.org. The public can also continue to send emails with questions or concerns to information@cityofpalmdesert.org.

Other Coachella Valley cities with local emergency declarations include Palm Springs, Indio and Cathedral City. Riverside County also has an emergency declaration in place.

"We have been working closely with Riverside County, the agency responsible for providing public health services in Palm Desert, on how to promptly and thoughtfully respond to the pandemic and the many challenges it poses. We will continue to quickly implement all directives from Riverside County Public Health, which has the expertise and authority to order closures that impact private businesses within the county," a news announcement from the city read.

The city of Palm Desert is encouraging the public to follow all health recommendations
and directives from federal, state and county public health officials.

Riverside County’s public health website includes a regularly updated page —
rivcoph.org/coronavirus — with information about the virus and how to
protect yourself and your loved ones.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Riverside County has 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases — 13 in Coachella Valley and two cruise ship passengers, one of which has not returned to the region since being diagnosed, according to Riverside County Public Health spokesman Jose Arballo. Of the 15, three patients have died — all were located in the Coachella Valley.

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