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

City Hall Open to the Public

• Plexiglass partitions have been installed at public counters.
• Hand sanitizing stations have been installed at building entrances.
• Paper towels are available at building entrances for opening doors, and trash cans are available for paper towel disposal.
• Deep cleaning is performed throughout the day and public counters are sanitized between visits.
• Markings have been placed on the ground noting physical distancing requirements.

• Wear a face covering.
• Check the monitor outside of the Community Development building for instructions and real-time availability.
• Waiting in the lobby will not be permitted. If another visitor is ahead of you, do not form a line outside, but return to your car and call the department to add your name to the wait list. Remain in your car (or park grounds) until a staff member can assist you.
• If you do not have an appointment, please sign in by phone and wait in your car (or park grounds).
• Use hand sanitizing stations prior to entering buildings.
• Minimize surface contact.
• Maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet.

Hybrid City Council Meetings

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council will begin to conduct hybrid in-person/virtual format meetings, with a limited number of in-person attendees and physical distancing required. Virtual participation is encouraged.
 
The first hybrid City Council meeting will be held this Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. with no more than three members of the City Council, invited staff, and limited members of the public in McTaggart Hall at Fred Hesse Jr. Community Park and via teleconference using the Zoom video conference platform. The meeting will be live-streamed on the City website at rpvca.gov/agendas and televised on RPVtv Cox 33/Frontier FiOS 38. Visit rpvca.gov/participate for information on how to participate in public comment virtually.
 
Members of the public who attend the meeting in person must observe physical distancing and wear a face covering of the nose and mouth at all times during the course of the meeting unless and until invited to speak. However, the City Council may limit the number of individuals in the meeting room at any one time pursuant to guidance from public health officials.
 
If you have any questions, please contact the City Clerk's office at 310-544-5217 or at CityClerk@rpvca.gov. If you require a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in a meeting, please contact the City at least 48 hours prior to the meeting via email at adarequests@rpvca.gov

Face Coverings: How To Wear Them

Have you wondered whether or not you've mastered the art of wearing a face covering correctly?
 
Today, we highlight the very things your face covering should do when you're wearing it correctly. Before we *cover* these, please note: you always want to wash your hands before handling your face covering.
 
Ok, here we go! You know you're wearing your face covering like a pro, if your mask:

1. Fits snugly but comfortably against the side of your face.
2. Is secured with ties or ear loops.
3. Includes multiple layers of fabric.
4. Allows for breathing without restriction.
5. Is able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape.
6. Covers mouth and nose with no gaps between your face and the mask.

1. Wash your glasses with soapy water. Research has shown that washing glasses with soapy water, and letting them air dry before putting on your mask, reduces fogging.
2. Use tissue paper. Placing tissue paper between your glasses and the bridge of your nose may help absorb the moisture that causes foggy glasses. 

If you still have questions on face coverings, read L.A. County's Department of Public Health (DPH) Guidance on Face Coverings at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protection/GuidanceClothFaceCoverings.pdf

Face Coverings: When and Where To Wear Them

When
 
L.A. County's Health Officer Order does not require wearing face coverings while in the backyard or while on a solitary run or walk. County residents are required, however, to wear face coverings when in contact with other people who are not household members (whether you're in a public or private space). So, if you're on a solitary run or walk - and you see someone approaching - put on your face covering! 
 
And remember: face coverings are not a substitute for always practicing physical distancing and frequent hand washing.
 
Where
 
L.A. County's Order is effective for all 10 million people who live in L.A. County. There is one circumstance, however, under which this may not be the case: when your local jurisdiction has a face covering order of its own (Rancho Palos Verdes does not have its own order on face coverings).
 
For more information on how to stay safe during the COVID-19 emergency health crisis, visit covid19.lacounty.gov. 

Upcoming Local Blood Drive

Blood donations have decreased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthy, eligible donors are urged to come out and give to ensure there’s lifesaving blood on the shelves for those who need it.

The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive this Friday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 5845 Crestridge Road in Rancho Palos Verdes.
 
Reserve a time online at redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: LDSRPV.
Visit redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to complete the pre-donation paperwork.

The Red Cross has implemented additional precautions to ensure the safety of its donors and staff. There is no evidence that the novel coronavirus can be transmissible by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases worldwide of transmissions for any respiratory virus, including the novel coronavirus.

For more information, visit redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

Tomorrow is Takeout Tuesday!

Be Part of RPVtv’s #RPVTogether PSA

The City invites residents to join us in thanking all of our frontline workers, as well as community members who have stepped up to help our neighbors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Share your photo, video or message of gratitude on social media with the hashtag #RPVTogether to be included in a special community public service announcement that will air on RPVtv. Submissions may also be emailed to mbarnes@rpvca.gov.
 
We are all in this together, RPV.

L.A. County Consumer and Business Affairs Takes Steps to Protect Residents from Price Gouging and Potentially Fraudulent COVID-19 Remedies

During the COVID-19 emergency, consumer fear and anxiety have led certain individuals to try and profiteer at the expense of those in need. Reports of price gouging of essential goods have been widespread during the pandemic. In response, the L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), which is charged with enforcing L.A. County’s price gouging prohibitions, announced a new “Stop Price Gouging” mobile application to help consumers easily report suspected cases of illegal price increases in L.A. County.

DCBA’s investigations team has tracked and documented over 500 price gouging complaints. DCBA’s new app, which will soon be available in iOS and Android stores, will help consumers file on-the-spot, accurate complaints that can be supported with photos of receipts, ads, products, or other possible evidence of wrongdoing. The new app is expected to increase rapid reporting of price gouging complaints, which is critical to ensuring that investigations are conducted close in time to the suspected price gouging activity.

A web-based version of the app is available at https://stoppricegouging.dcba.lacounty.gov/

DCBA is part of a task force alongside the L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, Los Angeles County Counsel Mary Wickham, and L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer that collaborates on investigations related to price gouging and COVID-19 scams. Through the task force, DCBA supported Feuer in the filing of a lawsuit against Los Angeles-based company Insan Healing and its CEO for selling a sham COVID-19 remedy. As part of the lawsuit, Feuer alleges the company fraudulently advertised and sold “radish paste” to protect the lungs and prevent COVID-19. Feuer seeks a permanent injunction to stop the sale of Radish Paste, civil penalties in the amount of $2,500 for each violation of the California Business and Professions Code sections 17200 and 17500, and restitution to each of the customers who bought the product. DCBA Senior Investigator Taryn Lyon assisted in the investigation.

You can report suspected COVID-19 scams or price gouging to DCBA through the new “Stop Price Gouging” app, by phone at (800) 593-8222, or online at dcba.lacounty.gov.

For more important resources to help workers and businesses, visit lacountyhelpcenter.org.

For critical COVID-19 information from L.A. County, visit covid19.lacounty.gov.

California Department of Public Health Announces New Regional Variance Opportunity

Given increased statewide and local capacity to respond to COVID-19, including stronger preparedness, continued stability in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, as well as increased ability to provide personal protective equipment to workers in essential sectors, the California Department of Public Health announced today a new attestation opportunity for counties to move through Stage 2, opening additional sectors of their economy at their own pace. To qualify, counties must attest that hospitalization and test positivity rates are stable or declining; that they have a significant level of preparedness with testing, contact tracing, PPE and hospital surge; and that they have adequate plans related to county-wide containment.

The Department also announced that starting today, some sectors of the economy statewide can begin reopening with modifications, including office spaces and counseling services in places of worship, curbside libraries and drive-in movie theaters.

California began its regional variance process on May 7. Allowing this initial approach to move forward for approximately 10-14 days allowed the state and counties to see the early impact of these modifications to the statewide Stay-at-Home order. Anticipating the need and appropriateness of allowing additional counties to control the focus of restrictions for their own jurisdictions, state public health leaders are now creating opportunities for additional counties to assume more local control in Stage 2 and improve local level preparedness.

Second Regional Variance

The state outlined a new process that will be similar to the first variance process allowing for prepared counties to advance at their own pace through Stage 2. To qualify, a county must attest to:  

Case Metrics: Stable or down trending hospitalizations, cases per population count and test positivity rate. This includes:

• Stable hospitalizations on a 7-day average of daily percent change of less than 5%; or no more than 20 hospitalizations on any single day over the past 14 days.
• 14-day cumulative positive incidence of less than 25 per 100,000; or testing positivity over the past 7 days of less than 8%.

• Testing capacity. Minimum daily testing capacity to test 1.5 per 1,000 residents 
  • Testing availability for at least 75% of residents 

• Contact tracing 
  • At least 15 staff per 100,000 county population trained and available for contact tracing 

• Hospital surge
  • Hospital capacity to accommodate a minimum surge of 35% of their baseline average daily census. 

• Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) disease outbreak prevention and containment
  • Plans to prevent and mitigate infections in skilled nursing facilities 
  • SNFs have more than 14-day supply of PPE on hand for staff, with established process for ongoing procurement.

Response Planning: Producing plans related to county-wide containment, including testing, contact tracing, vulnerable populations, congregate settings, acute care surge, and essential workforce. 

The California Department of Public Health will accept second variance attestations beginning today. This allows for approximately 10-14 days, the COVID-19 incubation period, between the introduction of the first variance and the second variance opportunity. 

Cases

As of May 18, there are 38,451 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Los Angeles County, 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 80 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes, 42 in Palos Verdes Estates, 13 in Rolling Hills Estates and two in Rolling Hills. Countywide, 1,839 people have died.

According to the Department of Public Health, 10 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.

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/