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

Back to School with Dr. Alex Cherniss on RPVtv

RPVtv’s Maria Serrao discusses all things back-to-school with Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss in the latest virtual edition of “Around the Peninsula.”

The episode will air daily on RPVtv Cox 33/Frontier FiOS 38 and can be viewed on RPVtv's YouTube channel at youtu.be/Dag1MsVKh3Ea

PVPUSD Student Town Hall August 18

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss and the Board of Education invite intermediate and high school students to join principals and student representatives at a virtual student town hall meeting for updates and questions regarding school reopening planning on Tuesday, August 18 from 7-9 p.m. This event will be live-streamed and the public will have an opportunity to submit questions at the following link: www.pvpusd.net/students/. Questions/comments should be submitted by Monday, August 17 at 5 p.m.

L.A. County Colleges and Universities Must Continue Distance Learning

The L.A. County Department of Public Health announced it will adhere to guidance from the California Department of Public Health, which recommends that counties with high levels of community transmission of COVID-19 limit the reopening of colleges and universities.

Colleges and universities in L.A. County will not be able to resume all in-person academic instruction at this time. Institutions may continue to offer in person training and instruction for essential workforce for required activities that cannot be accomplished through virtual learning. All other academic instruction must continue to be done via distance-learning as specified in the county's Protocols for Institutes of Higher Education.

Faculty and other staff may come to campus for the purpose of providing distance learning, and other activities related to the purposes above, as well as maintaining minimum basic operations. The institution must comply with all relevant portions of the County's Protocols for Institutes of Higher Education to maximize safety for all employees.

Colleges and universities should also limit their on-campus student residency, but may continue to provide housing for students who have no alternative housing options. For students enrolled in programs providing training and instruction for essential workforce, on campus housing should be offered only to students who must participate in in-person instruction in order to complete their training and who do not have alternative local housing options. For student athletes who are participating in on campus sports, campus housing should be offered in the small training cohorts as recommended by the state guidance.

Collegiate sports may only proceed in compliance with all the California Department of Public Health Specific Interim Guidance for Collegiate Athletics.

Los Angeles County will continue to monitor the data to guide the reopening journey for this, and other, critical sectors.

COVID-19 Rent Relief Program: Multi-Lingual Toolkit and FAQs

Earlier this week L.A. County announced the creation of a COVID-19 Rent Relief Program which aims to assist low-income renters and property owners who have struggled to pay their rent and/or who are behind on paying rent due to COVID-19. Today, we offer you a multi-lingual toolkit and FAQs, so it's easier to share the good word before the application filing period (August 17 through August 31) comes and goes!

Multi-Lingual Toolkit and FAQs

To help those in your community learn about L.A. County's $100 Million COVID-19 Rent Relief Program - in a language of your choice - check out our:

Digital Toolkit for shareable graphics and text in 13 different languages
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) translated in 13 languages (towards the bottom of the page) to help answer your questions on eligibility requirements, deadlines and how to apply.
For additional assistance, dial 2-1-1 to speak with multi-lingual community resource experts over the phone.

To learn more or apply, visit rentrelief.lacda.org.

Malicious Cyber Actor Spoofing COVID-19 Loan Relief Webpage via Phishing Emails

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Cyber Security Team is aware of a scheme involving malicious actors seeking personal information by impersonating the Office of Disaster Assistance and SBA-themed Eventbrite events. Learn more about this scheme at https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-225a?fbclid=IwAR3_63Ys-l8a-HmRWRUUC4Ccu60KsOCETumboZJ0X4A_Rzc4xZsSMyG5L8s

For information on how to avoid SBA COVID-19 scams and how to report fraud, visit sba.gov/COVIDfraudalert

Nursing Students May Supplement Healthcare Staff during Recent Spike in COVID-19 Cases

Due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the state, the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health, is notifying nursing students, nursing schools, long-term care facilities, and general acute care hospitals that students who meet CDC guidelines for healthcare workers can work as supplemental staff during this public health crisis.

Students working toward obtaining their direct patient care clinical experience as part of an approved nursing program through the BRN and recent graduates can be utilized in much-needed areas of the healthcare workforce, to help with patient ratios and to reduce burnout from current healthcare staff.

Read more at: https://thedcapage.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/FINAL-COVID-BRN_News_Release_8.11.2020.pd

Cox Communications Offers Two Months of Free Internet Service to New Qualifying Families in Time for Back-to-School

As back-to-school fast approaches, Cox has announced new customers that qualify will receive Connect2Compete, the company's low-cost internet, for two months at no cost. New customers must sign up between July 21 and September 30 for free service, which also includes free technical support.

A summary of enhancements and benefits of Cox's Connect2Compete program include:

2 months of free Connect2Compete service and remote desktop and phone support through Cox Complete Care for eligible new customers who apply between July 21 and September 30, $9.95/month thereafter
Easy referral for discounted, refurbished equipment through PCs for People
Student and family access to the Cox Digital Academy, which provides computer literacy training and educational resources for students
Free WiFi modem rental
Access to over 3M+ Cox Hotspots nationwide

Having trouble staying connected?

The City has received inquiries from residents who are experiencing problems with their internet connection and are concerned about staying connected when school starts. Any Cox Communications customers who are having trouble with their internet connection are advised to contact Government Affairs Manager Michael Hadland directly at michael.hadland@cox.com. Please provide your address. Customers can also report problems to Customer Support at 1-800-234-3993.

Palos Verdes Peninsula Village Zoom Info Session August 14

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Village builds community with older adults while they remain in their homes as they age. PVP Village has been serving its members throughout the COVID-19 crisis with a calendar full of virtual social opportunities, continuing transportation to essential appointments, computer help including Zoom and FaceTime, grocery shopping, handyman help and referrals.

?For information about this dynamic and caring community of friendship and support, contact Executive Director Marianne Propst to participate in a Zoom information session on Friday, August 14 at 1 p.m. You also may call for an informal chat or to arrange a socially distant visit.

Call 310-991-3324 or visit www.peninsulavillage.net for more details.

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 13, there are 216,139 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 246 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,731), 76 in Palos Verdes Estates (population 13,190), 33 in Rolling Hills Estates (population 8,066), five in Rolling Hills (population 1,874), and seven in the unincorporated areas of the Peninsula. Countywide, 5,171 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/