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

Thinking of Halloween? L.A. County Wants to Help You Plan for a Safe Celebration.

As fall approaches, many families are starting to plan for the upcoming holiday season -beginning with Halloween. L.A. County and the Department of Public Health want to help you take part in this holiday, while reducing your risk of developing COVID-19, and have prepared guidance to help make this year's Halloween celebrations as safe as can be.
Ready to celebrate? Check out the Department of Public Health’s Halloween Guidance, which includes suggestions and recommendations for you, your friends, and family

Updated Tennis and Pickleball Checklist

On September 9, the L.A. County Department of Public Health updated its General Reopening Checklist for Tennis and Pickleball Courts to allow doubles play if players remain 6 feet apart from each other and wear a face covering when not actively playing on the court. Read the full checklist at: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/Reopening_TennisPickleballCourts.pdf

PVPUSD Offers Free Breakfast and Lunch Curbside Pickup for All Students

Any adolescent 18 years of age and under may now pick up a FREE breakfast and lunch from the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District! This program will run until winter break.

Curbside pickup is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Miraleste Intermediate School, Palos Verdes Intermediate School, Ridgecrest Intermediate School, Palos Verdes High School and Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. No pre-order required!

For more information, visit pvpusdschoolnutrition.net

Having Trouble with Your Internet Connection?

The City has received inquiries from residents who are experiencing problems with their internet connection and are concerned about staying connected for distance learning. 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. The following are links to Cox Communication's troubleshooting FAQs and videos, a Wifi Optimization Guide including a helpful Infographic and Internet Experience Customer Resources.

After School Recreational Enrichment Program Starts September 14

The San Pedro & Peninsula YMCA will be launching its After School Recreational Enrichment Program in partnership with the City at Hesse Park beginning September 14! The after school program for grades K-5 will take place from 3-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. This program is 100% outdoors and will feature activities covering science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM), individual conditioning physical exercise, enrichment, and much more, all designed to maintain physical distancing and follow Los Angeles County Department of Public Health protocols. Fees are $100 per week, per child.

**Due to lower than anticipated enrollment at Ryan Park and Eastview Park, these locations will be placed on hold until there is more interest.**

? For more information and to register for the After School Recreational Enrichment Program, visit bit.ly/3jg58gA or ymcala.org. Download a program flyer at: bit.ly/3gunjxl

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.

Know a Senior in Need of Meal Assistance? Great Plates Delivered Extended through October 9

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 October 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

L.A. County Joins Forces with Citizen to Launch SafePass Partnership

L.A. County and local city leaders recently announced a partnership with SafePass, a mobile app that provides contact tracing capabilities for individuals throughout L.A. County. SafePass will allow L.A. County users to self-report their symptoms for COVID-19 and receive notifications and alerts directly from the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

All contact tracing data is: anonymous, private, encrypted, and deleted after 30 days by Citizen. Additionally, SafePass:

Tracks any close contacts with other users and alerts them to potential exposures.Any users who have meaningful contact with another user (who later tests positive for COVID-19) will receive a notification to get tested.
Offers immediate access to eligible users for a free at-home testing kit for those who have been notified of exposure through the app; and
Provides up-to-date information about all active testing sites in L.A. County (terms and conditions apply, see citizen.com/tracing/tests).

The Citizen SafePass mobile app complements existing local COVID-19 response efforts in L.A. County by introducing this innovative tool that ramps up the critical contact tracing process. L.A. County residents are encouraged to download SafePass to expand local efforts to track COVID-19 for L.A. County’s 10 million residents. To learn more about SafePass, visit citizen.com/safepass.

L.A. County Launches COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program

Today, L.A. County launched the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program (CSCCP) to help educate and train business owners to comprehensively implement Department of Public Health COVID-19 safety directives.

The CSCCP is a no-cost online training course that educates business owners on the essentials of the County Health Officer’s Orders and what they need to do to ensure that their business practices are aligned and in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements. After completing the training, businesses will receive a COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate that can be posted on storefronts. The training will be available in 13 languages and can be accessed online through the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/covid19cert.htm

This voluntary program offers business, employees and consumers alike the added reassurance that essential training has been completed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This training is highly recommended for both business owners and employees. Consumers are urged to look for a posted Safety Compliance Certificate at any businesses they visit. Businesses that do not participate are required to display Public Health COVID-19 Protocols in their storefronts.

Enforcement of all Health Officer Orders is managed by Public Health’s Environmental Health Division. Citations and/or fines may be imposed for lack of compliance with all Health Officer Orders. Residents may report violations and non-compliant businesses by calling (888) 700-9995 (M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) or filing a complaint online.

Disasters Don’t Wait: Make Your Plan Today.

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. As our nation continues to respond to COVID-19, there is no better time to be involved this September. The 2020 NPM theme is: "Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today."

Each week this month, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes Emergency Preparedness Division will be providing tips in the City Manager’s Weekly Administrative Report on how you can prepare. Subscribe to the Weekly Administrative Report listserv at rpvca.gov.notify. And be sure to visit our website at rpvca.gov/emergency for additional information about emergency preparedness in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.

L.A. County Animal Care and Control Waives Cat Adoption Fees in September

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control is waiving cat adoption fees for the month of September. The department is hoping to get more animals out of its care centers and into homes. This waiver does not include license and trust deposit fees. For more information, visit animalcare.lacounty.gov.

What is the Difference Between Flu and COVID-19?

Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.

While more is learned every day, there is still a lot that is unknown about COVID-19 and the virus that causes it. For a comprehensive comparison of COVID-19 and flu, given the best available information to date, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm

Reopening Sector Toolkits: DPH Offers Further Guidance on How to Reopen

If your sector has been allowed to reopen, chances are you've had a question or two about the process. Whether you're responsible for reopening a business or an office, L.A. County wants to help guide you through the reopening process. That is why the Department of Public Health has created Reopening Toolkits to better guide you, and support safety for employees and customers, while on the path to recovery.

Currently, toolkits are available for the following sectors:

Hair Salons and Barbershops
Gyms and Fitness Establishments
Hotels, Lodging and Short-Term Rentals
Music, Television and Production
Office Worksites
Personal Care
Restaurants
and Warehousing, Manufacturing and Logistic Establishments

Download the Reopening Toolkits at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/reopening-la.htm?utm_term=#toolkit

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 Rolling Hills Estates is hosting a blood drive on Friday, September 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ernie Howlett Park, 25851 Hawthorne Blvd. in Rolling Hills Estates.

Appointments can be made online at ucedonor.com (click on “Blood Drives” and enter “City of Rolling Hills Estates” in the Account Name box), or by phone at 310-825-0888 X 2.

Last month, donors were able to provide 24 pints!

Governor Newsom Signs Statewide COVID-19 Tenant and Landlord Protection Legislation

Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he signed legislation to protect millions of tenants from eviction and property owners from foreclosure due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. These protections apply to tenants who declare an inability to pay all or part of the rent due to a COVID-related reason.

The Governor, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced an agreement on the legislation, AB 3088, co-authored by Assemblymembers David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) and Senators Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas).

Under the legislation, no tenant can be evicted before February 1, 2021 as a result of rent owed due to a COVID-19 related hardship accrued between March 4 – August 31, 2020, if the tenant provides a declaration of hardship according to the legislation’s timelines. For a COVID-19 related hardship that accrues between September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021, tenants must also pay at least 25 percent of the rent due to avoid eviction.

Tenants are still responsible for paying unpaid amounts to landlords, but those unpaid amounts cannot be the basis for an eviction. Landlords may begin to recover this debt on March 1, 2021, and small claims court jurisdiction is temporarily expanded to allow landlords to recover these amounts. Landlords who do not follow the court evictions process will face increased penalties under the Act.

The legislation also extends anti-foreclosure protections in the Homeowner Bill of Rights to small landlords; provides new accountability and transparency provisions to protect small landlord borrowers who request CARES-compliant forbearance; and provides the borrower who is harmed by a material violation with a cause of action.
Additional legal and financial protections for tenants include:

Extending the notice period for nonpayment of rent from 3 to 15 days to provide tenant additional time to respond to landlord’s notice to pay rent or quit.
Requiring landlords to provide hardship declaration forms in a different language if rental agreement was negotiated in a different language.
Providing tenants a backstop if they have a good reason for failing to return the hardship declaration within 15 days.
Requiring landlords to provide tenants a notice detailing their rights under the Act.
Limiting public disclosure of eviction cases involving nonpayment of rent between March 4, 2020 – January 31, 2021.
Protecting tenants against being evicted for “just cause” if the landlord is shown to be really evicting the tenant for COVID-19-related nonpayment of rent.

Existing local ordinances can generally remain in place until they expire and future local action cannot undermine this Act’s framework. Nothing in the legislation affects a local jurisdiction’s ability to adopt an ordinance that requires just cause, provided it does not affect rental payments before January 31, 2021.

Be Counted. Complete the Census.

Have you completed your 2020 census? Responses to the census shape decisions about how billions of dollars in federal funds flow into communities each year for the next 10 years for critical services, including health care, emergency response, schools and education programs, and roads and bridges. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of census data and census participation.

As of September 9, Rancho Palos Verdes had a self-response rate of 79.7%, above state and national averages, but behind our goal of 100% participation. The U.S. Census Bureau, however, has extended the official deadline to participate in the census to September 30 in response to the evolving COVID-19 crisis. If you haven't already done so, complete your census form now online at my2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020, or by mail if you receive a paper form.

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 September 10, there are 251,024 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 278 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,731), 91 in Palos Verdes Estates (population 13,190), 40 in Rolling Hills Estates (population 8,066), 11 in Rolling Hills (population 1,874), and 10 in the unincorporated areas of the Peninsula. Countywide, 6,128 people have died.

According to the Department of Public Health, 13 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/