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 |
|
|
|
We’re Here
Although City Hall is closed for the weekend, the City Council and City staff are monitoring communications from various government agencies and the public and will continue to share information with residents. A webpage with coronavirus updates, resources and information on local closures is continuously being updated at rpvca.gov/coronavirus
Stay connected and get updates from the City by subscribing to the Breaking News listserv at rpvca.gov/notify
COVID-19 Community Updates are distributed Monday through Friday, though any major announcements over the weekend will be shared with the community.
Be sure to also follow the City on Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. |
|
|
|
|
|
What does it mean to have been "exposed" to COVID-19?
If you're wondering what it means to have been exposed to COVID-19, today's segment is for you. You (or someone you know) may have been exposed to COVID-19, if you: - Were within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes; or
- Had unprotected contact with an infected person's body fluids (i.e., being coughed or sneezed on); or
- Shared utensils or saliva with an infected person; or
- Provided care for an infected person without wearing appropriate protective equipment
This may prompt you to ask, "How do I know if a person is infected?" Chances are you may not. Unfortunately, based on everything we know about COVID-19, knowing a person is infected is not easy. Many COVID-19 infected individuals are asymptomatic (have COVID-19 and don't exhibit symptoms). This is precisely the reason health experts are urging the public to follow safety protocols by wearing face coverings and maintaining 6 feet distance from those outside of your household.
So, what if you hear you were in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19? If this is your predicament, you'll want to learn as much as you can! The infected person you were in contact with was infectious 48 hours before their symptoms began, and remain infectious for a minimum of two weeks. This reality makes the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s Home Quarantine Instructions for Close Contacts to COVID-19 more important than ever. You'll want to follow this quarantine guidance to avoid spreading the disease.
If you've tested positive and have no symptoms (are asymptomatic), you are considered infectious from 48 hours before your test was taken, until a minimum of 10 days after your test. You'll need to follow Public Health’s Home Isolation Instructions for People with COVID-19.
If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19, call your doctor. If you don't already have one, dial 2-1-1 and get connected to one. For more information on L.A. County's health guidance and safety protocols, visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/coronavirus. |
|
|
|
|
|
COVID-19 Weekly Text Message Survey
The L.A. County Department of Public Health is seeking participants for a weekly text message survey aimed at better tracking the impact of COVID-19 in communities and planning the most effective possible response.
Any L.A. County resident over 18 can sign up for the survey by texting @PROTECT to 35134. Participants will be asked five enrollment questions — ZIP code, age range, gender, race/ethnicity and cell phone number. Once enrolled, they will receive a weekly text message asking how they are physically feeling. Residents who report feeling ill will be asked follow-up questions.
Please note that participant data will be kept completely private. The data will only be used for department purposes and will be protected as required by law. Protecting privacy is important, and Public Health will not share the individual data of any participants. Survey data will be kept confidential and Public Health intends to provide only summary information on the data collected that will not include any individual identifiers.
Learn more at ph.lacounty.gov/AngelenosinAction
|
|
|
|
|
|
Avoid Scammers Posing as Contact Tracers
The L.A. County Department of Public Health continues ramping up contact tracing efforts as cases of COVID-19 increase. If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, you might receive a call from a contact tracer. But scammers are pretending to be contact tracers, too. Here’s how you can spot the scam. - Real contact tracers won’t ask you for money. Only scammers insist on payment by gift card, money transfer, or cryptocurrency.
- Contact tracing doesn’t require your bank account or credit card number. Never share account information with anybody who contacts you asking for it.
- Legitimate contact tracers will never ask for your Social Security number. Never give any part of your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you.
- Your immigration status doesn’t matter for contact tracing, so real tracers won’t ask. If they do, you can bet it’s a scam.
- Do not click on a link in a text or email. Doing so can download malware onto your device.
Talking to a real contact tracer helps stop the spread of COVID-19. Reporting scammers helps stop them. Report fake contact tracers to your state and at ftc.gov/complaint.
If you have a confirmed case of COVID-19 and need to talk to a real contact tracer, call 1-833-540-0473.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update from L.A. County's Superintendent of Schools
L.A. County parents, teachers and students may be wondering what the start of the new school year will bring. While many factors, metrics or conditions are being considered, L.A. County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo has issued the following statement:
We want to do everything possible to bring students back to school as safely as possible. Districts have been planning to reopen since the day they closed, and we know our young people learn best in the classroom. However, it is important to acknowledge that planning for reopening is complicated. Our plans must abide by public health orders. Our models must meet the needs of all students, including their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Districts have plans for different types of instructional models and scenarios. The goal of each plan is to get students back into safe classroom environments, whether we bring everyone back at once, in phases or with hybrid models. Different models will offer parents choices in what works best for their child. We are working on partnerships to find alternative locations to support our families who need childcare support. We are looking at ways to support students who struggle with learning.
School districts are faced with difficult decisions as we await final guidelines from the Department of Public Health. We are grappling with financial uncertainty and concerns about paying for required health and safety equipment, even as supplies arrive from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
While the future is uncertain, we want every family, student, educator and school employee in Los Angeles County to know our 80 school districts are focused on continuing to educate and support our young people while complying with public health guidelines. It is LACOE’s commitment to help districts succeed by leveraging partnerships and resources and providing guidance, technical assistance and support.
For information on L.A. County's School Reopening Guidelines, visit www.lacoe.edu/Home/School-Reopening
For information on the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District’s reopening plans, watch a recent town hall meeting at youtu.be/V296n5U-c_s
To keep up with L.A. County's Office of Education visit lacoe.edu or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you know a senior in need of free meal assistance?
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 August 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/greatplates
|
|
|
|
Rep. Lieu Leads 27-Member Letter Urging SBA to Allow COVID-19 Expenses Through Loan Program
Today, South Bay Rep. Ted Lieu and 26 members of Congress urged the U.S. Small Business Administration to issue clear guidance that recipients of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans can count expenses for COVID-19 safety compliance — specifically the CDC recommendations for businesses — as working capital expenditures. As small businesses around the country begin modified re-openings, many responsible owners are working hard to follow public health guidelines and take the necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of both their employees and the patrons. However, SBA has not provided clear guidelines as to whether EIDL funds can be used for things like plexiglass dividers, which more businesses are using to reopen safely.
Read the letter at bit.ly/3eiycB1
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 City of Palos Verdes Estates is holding a blood drive on Tuesday, July 28 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the PVE Police Station, 340 Palos Verdes Drive West in Palos Verdes Estates.
Appointments can be made online at ucedonor.com (click on “Blood Drives” and enter “City of Palos Verdes Estates” in the Account Name box), or by phone at 310-825-0888 X 2.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CasesAs of July 10, there are 127,358 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 167 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,731), 60 in Palos Verdes Estates (population 13,190), 29 in Rolling Hills Estates (population 8,066), three in Rolling Hills (population 1,874), and one in the unincorporated area of the Peninsula. Countywide, 3,738 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share via Email
