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:

We’re Here

The Latest

New COVID-19 Dashboards

Reminder: Parks, Beaches and Nature Preserve CLOSED

County Beaches and Hiking Trails CLOSED

An Open Letter from Lomita Station Regarding the "Safer at Home" Order

Lomita Station family, we need you to read this. We need you to share this. We need you to let your family and friends know. Settle in. It's a long message.

The city parks and city trails are closed across the peninsula. There is currently no public access to many of the places you're used to frequenting. We are all supposed to be at home *or* traveling to obtain necessary services like food, medicine, etc. The "Safer at Home" order also allows for outdoor activities such as "hiking, walking, or biking" provided that those activities are done as individuals, or as families, and as long as they can be done while maintaining social distancing with other people.

With the above in mind, you do not need to, nor should you, drive 10, 15, 20, 45 minutes away from home in order to go for a walk. You should not be going to an area that is known for hiking, that other people will be going to, in order to become a potential vector for disease. If everyone decides to congregate at a trail or park, that defeats the purpose of limiting contact!

To this point, we have issued zero citations within our patrol area for violation of this order. We would MUCH rather everyone do their part and adhere to the order voluntarily. The order has a direct impact on the health and safety of all of our loved ones, and our neighbors, so everyone should *want* to do their part to limit the spread of the disease.

Now, here's the part where we have to get real with you. The fact that we haven't issued citations for violations of the "Safer at Home" order doesn't mean that we can't. It means that we PREFER not to. If you decide that you need to drive 45 minutes away from home, and drive around barricades strewn across an entire roadway to get to your preferred hiking spot because you are more important than anyone else, then you're getting a ticket for driving around the barricades. If you decide that you want to pick up a couple of friends and drive around aimlessly at 70 mph on Hawthorne Boulevard because the responsible people are at home, staying off the roads unless absolutely necessary, then you're getting a ticket for speeding. It seems like some people have decided that the current state of affairs means the rules don't apply to them, and it is truly disheartening.

The "Safer at Home" order is tough. It's tough because, for one brief period of time in our lives, we're all being told that we're grounded and have to stay home, and can't go outside to play with our friends. And it truly is WE. The people that work at the station are YOU. We are members of the community. We have to stay home when we're not at work. We have families. We have kids that are driving us nuts from being stuck inside for what feels like FOREVER. We GET IT. But this is truly one of those greater good things where we all have to take stock of ourselves and ask ourselves if it's really that impossible for us to put the good of others over ourselves for a few weeks.

We're asking, begging, and pleading with everyone to adhere to these orders by voluntarily doing the right thing today, tomorrow, this weekend, and until the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issues new orders. The sooner we, as a society, decide to stop being selfish and stubborn, the sooner we can get past this virus, and the easier those of us that are at risk for complications can rest in the mean time.

So please, if you've got to travel to go to work because your place of employment is still operating, or you need to acquire food, medicines, or everyday essentials, please do. If you need to take care of others that are unable to care for themselves, or shop for themselves, please do. But if you just *want* to get out of the house because you're going stir crazy, then take a walk around your neighborhood. Don't congregate at local parks or trails (again, they're closed). Don't visit your friend's house just because you're bored. You're unnecessarily exposing them, their families, or yourself or your family when you don't need to, and potentially prolonging the length of this crisis.

Thanks everyone! Let's get through this together.

Self-Isolation and Self-Quarantine Orders

On March 25, county officials announced new Public Health Officer Orders requiring people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who are presumed to be positive to self-isolate for a period of 7 days and 3 days of being symptom-free; and requiring all close contacts of these individuals to self-quarantine for 14 days since their last exposure. 

Home isolation instructions for people with COVID-19 are available at: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/HomeisolationenCoV.pdf
Home quarantine guidelines for close contacts to COVID-19 patients are available at: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/COVHomeQuarantine.pdf

Read the orders at the links below:
March 25, 2020 Self-Isolation Order (Diagnosed)
March 25, 2020 Self-Quarantine Order (Exposed)
 
What’s the difference between isolation and quarantine?

Isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
• Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
  

USNS Mercy Arrives in the Port of Los Angeles

Today, the hospital ship USNS Mercy arrived in the Port of Los Angeles with over 800 Navy medical personnel and support staff and over 70 civil service mariners to support the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.

While in Los Angeles, the ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults. This will allow local health professionals to focus on treating COVID-19 patients and for shore-based hospitals to use their intensive care units and ventilators for those patients.

For more information, read a press release at: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/news.aspx/130580
 

Emergency Assistance Food Program

The Los Angeles County Workforce Development Aging and Community Services (WDACS), and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank are continuing to distribute emergency food assistance daily at the San Pedro Service Center at 769 West 3rd Street in San Pedro.? This program is by appointment only. If you or someone you know is in need of emergency food assistance, please call 310-519-6091 Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. All who are in need are eligible for the program and the only information required of individuals is last name, date of birth, address, zip code, and household size.

For more information about WDACS resources, visit: wdacs.lacounty.gov/covid-19

Closure Information

Open for Business

Watch the latest episode of RPVtv’s “Around the Peninsula” featuring an interview with PVP Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Eileen Hupp to find out how you can support local businesses during the coronavirus outbreak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etJcYqikC9o  

How You Can Help

Los Angeles County officials encourage members of the public who want to help those in the community experiencing hardships to make monetary contributions to reputable non-profit organizations or to the funds listed below, which are supporting COVID-19 disaster efforts. 

Support the California Community Foundation’s Covid-19 LA County Response Fund

The California Community Foundation launched the COVID-19 LA County Response Fund, which supports community needs identified by our partners in health, housing, education and immigration.

Support the United Way’s Pandemic Relief Fund

United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Pandemic Relief Fund supports L.A. County’s unsheltered residents who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus, and low-income individuals, students and families at imminent risk of homelessness and hardships due to health and economic impacts of coronavirus.

Support other nonprofits

Philanthropy California’s disaster resilience team is coordinating with state agencies and partners to respond to the impacts of COVID-19/Coronavirus. You can search for Los Angeles County non-profits through this site. 

American Red Cross

Give a financial gift or lifesaving blood.

Personal Protective Equipment Needed

Want to help our nurses, doctors and health care workers? If you want to donate/know of businesses that may be able to help with personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks, N95 face masks, face shields and other supplies, email medsupply@dhs.lacounty.gov

Local Volunteer Match

PVPUSD School Board Member Linda Reid is coordinating a volunteer effort to match up senior citizens needing errand/grocery/meal help in PV with volunteers. PVPUSD students, parents, and alums unexpectedly home from college will assist! Any older residents may email Member Reid at reidl@pvpusd.net to be matched up with a local volunteer during this difficult isolating time. 
 
Neighborhood Watch

For 28 years, residents and Block Captains have worked together through RPV Neighborhood Watch to build safe and cohesive neighborhoods. Working cooperatively between neighbors and law enforcement has resulted in supportive neighbors who help each other when necessary. Those residents or blocks who are not yet a part of Neighborhood Watch can contact Gail Lorenzen at rpvnw@ix.netcom.com.

Senior Support

Please consider checking on your older neighbors or those with underlying health conditions. There are ways to let people know you care while keeping a safe distance (e.g., a phone call, a text, a note under their door to make sure they have everything they need). Self-isolation doesn’t need to mean loneliness. Lomita Sheriff’s Station deputies are available to provide a “welfare check” for seniors. Residents are encouraged to call the station’s non-emergency number at 310-539-1661 if they are aware of seniors who are at risk or may need attention. We are all in this together.

City Hall Closed

As a reminder, to reduce the risk of community spread of COVID-19, through at least April 19, City Hall and park buildings are closed to the public, and all recreational activities, classes and events at City facilities have been canceled. Advisory board meetings have been canceled through the end of March. The City will primarily be providing essential city services that are necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our community and City employees. To facilitate these measures, all non-essential staff will be working remotely. Inquiries will be reviewed daily and will be responded to on a case-by-case basis. Please note that our response to your inquiry could be delayed.

Community Development Department applications and permit requests may be submitted to planning@rpvca.gov. 

Non-emergency service requests may be submitted at http://www.rpvca.gov/FormCenter/NonEmergency-Customer-Service-Requests-3/NonEmergency-Customer-Service-Requests-43. 

Public Works service requests may be submitted at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/6d13530e7ca84edbb5c4e022bdc54da8. 
 
Please visit the appropriate department page on the City website for a list of phone numbers and email addresses to accommodate your needs:
 
City Manager
City Clerk
Community Development
Finance
Human Resources
Public Works
Recreation, Parks & Open Space
RPVtv
 
Overall Staff Directory

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
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/ 

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.