Dear Residents,

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes continues to monitor the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Los Angeles County and would like to share the following updates with the community:

The Latest

Today, March 15, Governor Gavin Newsom announced new guidelines recommending that all persons age 65 and older and individuals with health conditions that put them at risk for serious illness from COVID-19 — such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease — practice home isolation. The City will share more detailed information when it becomes available.

The guidelines also recommend the closure of all bars, night clubs, wineries and breweries, and that restaurants implement social distancing by reducing their occupancies by half.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also issued guidance calling for event organizers (whether groups or individuals) to cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States for the next eight weeks.

As of today, there are 69 known cases of novel coronavirus across Los Angeles County. Ten cases are likely due to community transmission and one person has died.

Please note that the outbreak has no impact on the quality or supply of tap water and should not disrupt water or sewer service.

The City has activated its Emergency Operations Center at Level 3, the lowest level of activation, in order to maintain continuous communication with government agencies, the City Council, and the community. A webpage with coronavirus updates, resources and information on local closures has been added to the City website at rpvca.gov/coronavirus

Student Breakfast/Lunch Information

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District has announced that in partnership with the Torrance Unified School District, during the school closure, free breakfast and lunch will be available daily at several TUSD schools.

Beginning Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 27, anyone under the age of 18 is welcome to pick up a free breakfast and lunch between the hours of 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the following TUSD schools:
 
Torrance Elementary School   2125 Lincoln Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501
Carr Elementary School   3404 168th Street, Torrance, CA 90504
Edison Elementary School   3800 West 182nd Street, Torrance, CA 90504
J.H. Hull Middle School   2080 231st Street, Torrance, CA 90501
Magruder Middle School   4100 185th Street, Torrance, CA 90504
Shery High School (Breakfast Only)  2600 Vine Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501
 
Adolescents under the age of 18 must be present for the meals to be provided. 
 
PVPUSD encourages families to continue to be proactive in reducing the risk of COVID-19 by not congregating at the school site once meals have been distributed. All meals are intended for pickup and will not be consumed on site. Continue to wash your hands often and stay home if you are sick.
 
For any additional questions, please contact the Director of Food Services, Christina Lin, at linc@pvpusd.net.

What’s Next

On Tuesday, March 17, the City Council will consider proclaiming a local emergency in response to the spread of coronavirus. The proclamation will bolster the City’s ability to respond to the outbreak by providing:

• Expanded access to personnel, equipment, and facilities
• The ability to waive local provisions and regulations that could hinder response to the emergency
• Enhanced opportunities for mutual aid
• Access to state/federal funding/reimbursement related to disaster relief

Mental Health

If the coronavirus outbreak is affecting your mental health, the World Health Organization recommends minimizing watching, reading or listening to news that causes you to feel anxious or distressed. Seek information only from trusted sources and mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones. Seek information updates at specific times during the day, once or twice.

Find more tips, visit https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_8

Resources

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about 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
L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1

The City Council is committed to keeping you informed on this ever-changing situation, and thanks you for your cooperation and support. The City reminds all residents that closures and cancellations announced by the City and other agencies and institutions are being implemented because public health officials advise that social distancing is the best and most effective tool to slow the spread of coronavirus. The immediate risk to the general public continues to be considered low at this time.