City Of Hermosa Beach Coronavirus Update For January 14, 2021

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

January 14, 2021

To help keep the community informed, the City of Hermosa Beach is providing regular updates featuring the latest news about COVID-19; related local updates; and how the City is working to meet the needs of the community and protect public health.

Join Mayor Justin Massey for a Virtual Coffee on Saturday: With COVID-19 restrictions limiting the ability to get together, Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey has scheduled a virtual coffee at 10 a.m. on Saturday. He plans to discuss City initiatives and answer questions. To participate, please register here.

Downtown Lane Reconfiguration Project Nearly Completed: While the Public Health Orders have suspended outdoor dining for now, the City is optimistic that outdoor dining will be permitted to resume soon as more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine and continue to take all the necessary precautions. In preparation for the return of outdoor dining, crews began the City’s Downtown Temporary Lane Reconfiguration Project on Monday. The project is designed to accommodate expanded space for restaurants’ outdoor dining decks. The project will temporarily reconfigure lanes on Hermosa Avenue between 8th Street and 14th Street, and on Pier Avenue between Hermosa Avenue and Valley Drive to allow businesses to better utilize public right-of-way under health orders that limit indoor dining and other activities.

Striping is completed on both Hermosa and Pier Avenues. The contractor expects to have all work finished by the weekend. Staff is reaching out to existing dining deck operators to gauge their interest in expanding into this new additional space and is working with them to expedite that process.

L.A. County’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program Moving Forward: Under Los Angeles County’s vaccination plan, the County is in Phase 1A of the distribution process. This is the distribution phase for health care workers and others on the frontlines. The timelines and progression through the phases are based on the allocations provided to the County from the State, which receives its allocation from the Federal government. As a result, the timelines are frequently changing. These are the current plans for future vaccines:

• Phase 1B will begin when the County receives additional vaccine supplies from the State. This is the phase when vaccines are planned for people age 65 and older and people working in education and other settings where they are more likely to be exposed to the virus.

• Phase 1C is expected to begin in March, and it will include people aged 50 to 64 and younger adults with underlying health conditions, as well as people working in certain industries that are at-risk of exposure because of their jobs.

City Planned Ahead to Provide COVID-19 Vaccinations to the Public: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Hermosa Beach partnered with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to establish a Medical Point of Dispensing – or MPOD – clinic within the City boundaries for the distribution of vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccine. The City reached an agreement with the County for the MPOD in 2019 and in November 2020, the Hermosa Beach MPOD was redesigned to incorporate the COVID-19 safety precautions. It was also moved to a completely outside MPOD to exercise the process in preparation of a COVID-19 vaccine distribution. This redesign was used during the distribution of flu shots in November to identify areas of improvement, such as additional signage and equipment needs. Staff continues to collaborate with County partners to ensure the MPOD is ready to be activated to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to the public.

City Working on COVID-19 Vaccinations for Frontline Staff: The City is working closely with neighboring jurisdictions and County partners to get City staff that interact with the public vaccinated. Through the City’s partnership with Los Angeles County Fire Department, some Hermosa Beach Police Department officers received their first dose of the vaccine. The City is continuing to explore opportunities to get frontline staff vaccinated.

Hermosa Beach City Council COVID-19 Updates: City Manager Suja Lowenthal provided the City’s COVID-19 Update during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. The City also presented its Table of the City’s COVID-19 Actions. Beach Cities Health District provided BCHD’s COVID-19 Update.

L.A. County Reports on Surge in Workplace Outbreak: L.A. County reported the COVID-19 surge in Los Angeles County has contributed to a surge in outbreaks at workplaces across the county, including grocery stores, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and many other workplaces where people come together on a daily basis. The largest increase is among general worksites, which includes warehouses, manufacturing facilities and logistics companies. In just over a month, outbreaks at these worksites increased from 9 per week on November 1, to 44 per week on December 6, nearly a fivefold increase.

The County has also experienced an increase in outbreaks in schools and daycare settings. Starting in the middle of November, outbreaks increased from about 20 outbreaks to a total of 70 outbreaks by mid-December. And while almost all the outbreaks were small and well-contained, dozens of staff and a small number of students were affected.

The County is also experiencing increases in workplace outbreaks at food facilities which includes retail food outlets such as grocery stores and convenience stores as well as food manufacturing facilities.

These increases reflect a pattern of transmission: from worksite to home and back to worksites. As the percentage of people who are positive with COVID-19 increases, there is a larger pool of infected people walking around without symptoms who now expose a greater and greater percentage of people to this virus.

Employees are reminded if you have concerns about your workplace following safety protocols that keep you and customers safe, you can anonymously call the customer call center at (888) 700-9995, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To report violations online, visit: the County’s website.

Employees are reminded to stay home if you begin to develop symptoms and call your medical provider. If you test positive and may have exposed others, please call the County’s contact tracing team at 833-641-0305 so they can get in touch with those who may be exposed.

Jan. 31 Covered California Deadline: The pandemic has increased the importance of having health care coverage. Covered California open enrollment for health insurance is happening now. If you sign up before January 31st, you will be covered for the year of 2021. Enroll today at coveredca.com.

Help for Stress, Depression and Anxiety: During this difficult and uncertain period, many are feeling stressed, anxious or depressed. If you need someone to talk to, please call the L.A. County Department of Mental Health hotline at (800) 854-7771 or text “LA” to 741741. Please also view the CDC’s guidance for coping with stress and anxiety during a pandemic.

COVID-19 Exposure Notification Available on Cell Phones: Californians can opt-in to receive Apple or Google notifications if they’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19. CA Notify, the new statewide exposure notification system, is completely anonymous and will never track your location. To help protect your community against COVID-19, please go to canotify.ca.gov and add your phone today.

Reminder: Food and Other Assistance Available: If you are in need of food assistance, housing relief, information about COVID-19 and more, please call 2-1-1 or visit 211la.org.

Reminder for Flu Immunizations: Now more than before, flu immunizations are important to protect the health of the community and preserve hospital capacity. You can get a flu shot at any local pharmacy. For quick flu facts and frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and the flu, click here.

Los Angeles County Update: L.A. County Department of Public Health (Public Health) reported today that the County has tragically experienced nearly 2,000 COVID-19 deaths in just a week. It also marked another grim milestone of recording more than 13,000 total COVID-19 deaths. Today, Public Health confirmed 287 new deaths and 17,323 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health has identified 975,299 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 13,234 deaths. Last Thursday, Public Health reported a total 11,545 COVID-19 deaths.

Today, Public Health confirmed 287 new deaths and 17,323 new cases of COVID-19. According to the State, the Southern California Region continues to have 0% ICU capacity.

Latest Facts and Figures

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 728 | 7
• L.A. County - 975,299 | 13,234
• California - 2,816,969 | 31,654
• United States - 22,965,957 | 383,351

*All reported data is from the close of the previous day.

Additional Resources

Please continue to follow public health experts’ recommendations to avoid spreading the coronavirus including frequent handwashing, wearing a face covering, keeping a safe distance from one another, and staying home if you are ill. Public Health has issued the following guidance during this time of increased spread: If you are mildly sick, stay home for at least seven days or until 72 hours after being fever free, whichever is longer. Call your doctor if you are concerned and/or your symptoms worsen. Individuals who are elderly, have underlying health conditions or pregnant should consider contacting their providers earlier when they are sick. More information is available here.

We are monitoring updates and sharing information about the coronavirus from trusted sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health, and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.