Dear Residents,

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes continues to monitor the spread of the novel coronavirus in Los Angeles County and would like to share the following updates with the community:

The Latest

Alert SouthBay RPV Survey Results

On July 29, the participating Alert SouthBay cities released a survey asking residents about their COVID-19 concerns and what kind of information they need and care about most (to view regional survey results, visit: https://alertsouthbay.com/jic-regional-message-august-7-2020/regional-message-on-covid-19-threat-alert-southbay-cities)

Below is a summary of highlights based on responses received by RPV residents. The City can use this information to enhance future COVID-19 communications as well as our local response to the crisis

Data trends are consistent throughout the South Bay: 7,064 responses
526 RPV resident responses
Top 3 challenges:
- Frustration with other community members not following health guidance – 55.6%
- Social isolation/lack of places to go – 50.1%
- General uncertainty of the future – 49.9%
22.1% of respondents said they had been tested for COVID-19
42.6% of respondents said they were extremely worried or very worried that they or a family member will get COVID-19
Adherence to public health guidance:
- 79% of respondents said they always wear a face covering in public when around people not from their household
- 11.3% said they do so most of the time
- 58.4% of respondents said they always keep 6 feet away from others not from their household when in public
- 37.4% said they do so most of the time
Social activities:
- 34.4% of respondents said they have visited a friend, neighbor or relative in the past seven days
- 20.7% said they had visitors at their residence
- 18% said they had close contact (within 6 feet) with people they do not live with
Schooling method preferences:
- 43.2% of parents who took the survey said they if they had to choose now, they would prefer 100% virtual schooling method for their children
- 32.5% said they would choose a hybrid virtual/in-person method
- 24.4% said they would choose in-person instruction (pre-COVID model)
Virtual learning preparedness:
- 36.5% of parents who took the survey said they feel they are somewhat prepared for virtual learning
- 20.5% said they feel they are prepared
- 12% said they feel they are very prepared
City communication preferences:
- 46.2% of respondents said they would like to receive weekly communications
- 29.2% said they would like communication a few times a week
- 62.1% of respondents said they prefer email communication

County Rent Relief Program to Launch August 17

L.A. County has announced the creation of a COVID-19 Rent Relief Program which aims to assist low-income renters who have struggled to pay their rent and/or who are behind on paying rent due to COVID-19. Those who are most at need will be targeted with more assistance. The program will launch on August 17 and close on August 31.

L.A. County's COVID-19 Rent Relief Program will be operated by the L.A. County Development Authority (LACDA), and is funded by an allocation of $100 million in CARES Act funding meant to assist between 8,000 and more than 9,000 renting households with limited means.

Requirements: the program is available to all residents of the county who qualify (with the exception of residents living in the City of Los Angeles, as the City also received its own allocation of CARES Act funds). The following is required:

A W-9
Participation agreements are needed from the property owners to receive rental income on behalf of their qualified tenant; and
Property owners must agree to the terms of the participation agreement

To learn more or apply, visit rentrelief.lacda.org or dial 2-1-1. Please note citizenship documentation will not be requested from any party (renter or property owner).

Know a Senior in Need of Meal Assistance? Great Plates Delivered Extended through September 9

If you know a senior in need of meal assistance, it's not too late for them to apply for L.A. County's Great Plates Delivered Program, which has been extended through September 9.

Through Great Plates Delivered, the county is providing three home-delivered meals a day to qualifying older adults and adults over 60 who are at high-risk for COVID-19. This effort is not only assisting seniors, but it is helping the local restaurant, hospitality and transportation communities get back to work.

To learn more and apply for meal assistance, visit wdacs.lacounty.gov/greatplate

Tomorrow is Takeout Tuesday!

The community is encouraged to join in the “Takeout Tuesdays and Takeout Thursdays” initiative launched by the Peninsula cities and the PVP Chamber of Commerce by posting on social media and inviting friends and neighbors to order takeout, using Tuesdays and Thursdays as a special reminder.

Residents are asked to show their support by ordering takeout or delivery, not only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on a regular basis throughout the coronavirus restrictions. Check the Open for Business page on the City website for a list of local restaurants offering takeout, delivery and curbside pickup.

Looking for a fun outdoor activity for your kids?

National Park and Recreation Month is over, but you can still play Agents of Discovery at Hesse Park and Eastview Park! The self-guided, mobile educational game will be available at both locations through September 30.

Kids and their families can play by downloading the Agents of Discovery app to access RPV’s “missions” (games). Players that complete all the challenges will receive a gift bag from the Recreation and Parks Department!

To download the free Agents of Discovery app, go to Google Play or the App Store. Once downloaded, find our missions within the app and hit “play” before you head out. No WiFi connectivity is required to download or play the missions.

Free Virtual Art Classes for Older Adults

Discover the healing properties of art therapy with free virtual art classes for older adults presented by BlueSea Care every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register at bit.ly/2X7doqz

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Recreation and Parks Department at 310-544-5260 or parks@rpvca.gov. If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in programs, services, activities and meetings, contact the City's ADA Coordinator/Risk Manager at 310-683-3157, adarequests@rpvca.gov, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, at least 48 hours in advance to request an auxiliary aid or accommodation.

New Temporary Special Use Permit for RPV Businesses

The Community Development Department has developed a new Temporary Special Use Permit (TSUP) to assist Rancho Palos Verdes businesses with the opportunity to provide limited outdoor operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A TSUP will allow for outdoor operations on sidewalks and parking lots for:

Restaurants
Fitness centers
Hair salons and barbershops
Personal care services, such as nail salons, massage, and tattoo parlors

A TSUP will be processed administratively without a filing fee, public notification, or appeal process that is typically required for a standard Special Use Permit. For a complete list of operational requirements and permit limitations, please see the TSUP application at bit.ly/3gcLFME. For questions regarding the application or submittal requirements, please contact the Planning Division at 310-544-5228 or send an email to the Planning Division at planning@rpvca.gov.

Cases

As of August 10, there are 210,424 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Los Angeles County (population 10.17 million), including the South Bay, so the public should not think one location is safer than another and everyone should be aware and practice physical distancing. The total includes 241 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,731), 76 in Palos Verdes Estates (population 13,190), 32 in Rolling Hills Estates (population 8,066), five in Rolling Hills (population 1,874), and seven in the unincorporated areas of the Peninsula. Countywide, 4,996 people have died.

According to the Department of Public Health, 12 deaths have been reported in Rancho Palos Verdes. The City extends its deepest condolences to the families of these residents.

For a list of cases broken down by city, demographic characteristics, and settings, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/locations.htm

For an interactive dashboard with maps and graphs showing testing, cases and death data by community, poverty level, age, sex and race/ethnicity visit: http://dashboard.publichealth.lacounty.gov/covid19_surveillance_dashboard/

An interactive dashboard of COVID-19 cases in the South Bay maintained by the City of Torrance is available at bit.ly/2XB1fv1. The dashboard reflects information sourced by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about the novel coronavirus.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus
California Department of Public Health: cdph.ca.gov/covid19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): cdc.gov/COVID19
World Health Organization: who.int/coronavirus
California Governor’s Office: covid19.ca.gov
County of Los Angeles: lacounty.gov/covid19
L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1
FEMA Coronavirus Rumor Control: https://www.fema.gov/Coronavirus-Rumor-Control

Sign up for “Notify Me” city listervs at rpvca.gov/notify

Be sure to also follow the City on Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sign up for emergency alerts from Alert SouthBay by:

Texting “alertsb” to 888-777, which returns a link to register for Everbridge (for COVID-19-related alerts, text the keyword "cv19rpv")
Registering online at alertsouthbay.com
Downloading the free Everbridge app on an iOS or Android device from the App Store or Google Play. Select “Find an organization or subscription” and search “alertsb”

Sign up for emergency alerts from Alert LA County at https://lacounty.gov/emergency/alert-la/