COVID-19 Update: RPV Ends Local Emergency Declaration

As COVID-19 and its impact on the local medical system have subsided and it is no longer an immediate emergency, last night, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council adopted a resolution ending the City’s local emergency declaration that was originally issued on March 17, 2020. The move follows announcements to end COVID-19 emergency declarations at the federal, state, and county levels.

What does this mean for RPV?

Today, the City’s virtual Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was deactivated after operating for the past three years at Level 3, the lowest activation level. While the EOC is no longer active, City staff will continue to follow COVID-19 updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), and the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

Any significant future developments will be shared via the City Manager’s Weekly Administrative Report, the Breaking News listserv, and the City's social media pages.

L.A. County Aligns with State on New COVID-19 Guidelines

The L.A. County Department of Public Health has aligned with the following new guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH):

• Masking – With current COVID case and hospitalization levels, masking for the general public is based on individual preference. Vulnerable populations, including people who are elderly, immunocompromised, or have underlying health conditions, and those who have contact with them should consider masking in indoor public spaces.
• Vaccination – On April 3, CDPH will rescind COVID-19 vaccination orders for workers at correctional, detention, and adult care facilities.
• Isolation – Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 should continue to isolate (stay home) for 5 days and may leave isolation after day 5, as long as they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicines) and they either have no symptoms or their symptoms are mild and improving. A negative COVID-19 test is no longer required to leave isolation between days 6-10. The Department of Public Health strongly recommends that people test negative prior to leaving isolation between days 6-10. Infected people should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days. People may now discontinue wearing a mask around others between days 6-10 if they have two sequential negative tests taken at least one day apart.
• Quarantine – It is strongly recommended but not required that a person who is a close contact to a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 wears a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings or when near those who are at high risk for severe illness. It is recommended that close contact tests as soon as possible to determine infection status and then, if negative, test again within 3-5 days after the last known exposure.

The Department of Public Health will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 and to protect the county’s most vulnerable residents by continuing to require robust COVID-19 case and cluster reporting by worksites, schools, and healthcare facilities to the Department of Public Health. The ongoing case and cluster reporting requirements are intended to help Public Health officials quickly identify sectors where there may be increased COVID-19 transmissions and take action to prevent unmitigated spread.

Public Health will also continue enhanced protective measures in healthcare settings. Specifically, Public Health will continue to require that healthcare workers continue to be vaccinated and boosted and wear a mask during patient care or working in patient care areas. This requirement will be re-assessed by the end of September 2023.

Public Health will continue to work to provide free vaccinations, boosters, testing and treatment, regardless of immigration or insurance status.

Even with less stringent COVID-19 guidelines going into effect, L.A. County residents are strongly recommended to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, test before gatherings and get treatment and stay home when sick.

Don’t Throw Out Expired COVID-19 Tests Just Yet

Did you know at-home COVID tests can still be used past the expiration date? The easiest way to tell if a test you are using is still effective is to take the test and ensure there is a control line, marked by a “C”. If the control line is absent or discolored, the test is truly expired and a different test should be used. Learn more by reading the L.A. County Department of Public Health Guidance (PDF).

Free COVID-19 Home Tests Available 

Speaking of at-home COVID-19 tests, free rapid antigen tests are still available for pickup to RPV residents at two City parks.

Two test kits (each containing two tests) per household are available for pickup at the front desks at Hesse Park and Ryan Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Proof of RPV residency, such as an ID or utility bill, is required.

These iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test kits were provided to the City for distribution by the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Please note that while the tests have a July 2022 expiration date, both the L.A. County Department of Public Health and the California Department of Public Health have endorsed the emergency use of COVID-19 home antigen tests beyond their expiration date until further notice.

Hesse Park is located at 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard and Ryan Park is located at 30359 Hawthorne Blvd. If you have questions, please contact Hesse Park at 310-544-5350 or Ryan Park at 310-544-5362.

As a reminder, the U.S. government is offering American households four free rapid antigen COVID tests sent via USPS. Order yours today at COVIDtests.gov. Learn more at: covidtests.gov/faq

COVID-19 Tenant Protections Continue Through March 31: What Renters Need to Know

COVID-19 emergency tenant protections for L.A. County renters are set to end March 31, 2023. The L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs has put together a guide to help you understand what protections expire at the end of March and what protections will continue beginning April 1. Read the guide at: bit.ly/3RUjpSK