Hermosa Beach Coronavirus Update For March 11

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

March 11, 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.

L.A. County Expects to Begin Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions Next Week: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) anticipates qualifying for the Red Tier in the State's Blueprint for a Safer Economy that allows for additional re-openings next week. The exact date depends on when 2 million vaccine doses have been administered to people in the most under-resourced communities across the state, which is anticipated between Monday, March 15, and Wednesday, March 17.

Public Health said the County is principally aligned with the state’s reopening framework for the red tier, with mandatory mask wearing, distancing and infection control practices for every business and permitted activity. Additional safety modifications are required or recommended for certain sectors. Newly permitted activities and modified safety protocols in the red tier will include the following:

• Schools are permitted to re-open for in-person instruction for students in grades 7-12 adhering to all state and county directives.
• Institutes of higher education can re-open all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing, which remains under current restrictions for the Spring semester.
• Gyms, fitness centers, yoga and dance studios can open indoors at 10% capacity with masking requirements for all indoor activities.
• Retail and personal care services can increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.
• Restaurants can open indoors at 25% max capacity under the following conditions: 8 feet distancing between tables; 1 household per table with a limit of 6 people; the HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated and, to the maximum extent possible, ventilation has been increased. Public Health strongly recommends that all restaurant employees interacting with customers indoors are provided with additional masking protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be fit-tested N95 masks, KN95 masks or double masks and a face shield. In addition, Public Health strongly recommends that all employees working indoors are informed about and offered opportunities to be vaccinated. Outdoor dining can accommodate up to 6 people per table from 3 different households.
• Indoor shopping malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining.
• Museums, zoos and aquariums can open indoors at 25% capacity.
• Movie theatres can open indoors at 25% capacity with reserved seating only where each group is seated with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between any other groups.
• Private gatherings can occur indoors with up to 3 separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing.

Mayor Thanks Nation’s Leaders for COVID-19 Relief Funds: Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey issued a statement today, thanking the nation’s leaders for “passing the American Rescue Plan that, among other important measures, provides an estimated $3.9 million to help the City of Hermosa Beach make up for the significant loss in revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds will help the City continue to provide essential services as our economy begins to recover from the pandemic. On behalf of the City Council, I thank City Staff for its hard work keeping the City working amid this past year’s significant challenges, and I thank our residents, businesses and community partners for their steadfast resilience.”

COVID-19 Relief Funds Benefit Individuals and Businesses: The American Rescue Plan Act the president signed into law today is a $1.9 trillion measure that provides payments to individuals whose income qualifies them for those payments and the following other benefits:

• Extend unemployment benefits and related services;
• Make up to $10,200 of 2020 unemployment compensation tax-free;
• Make student loan forgiveness tax-free through 2025;
• Provide a maximum recovery rebate of $1,400 per eligible individual;
• Expand and otherwise modify certain tax credits, including the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit;
• Provide premium assistance for certain health insurance coverage; and
• Require coverage, without cost-sharing, of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

It also provides funds for the following sectors:

• Agriculture and nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program);
• Schools and institutions of higher education;
• Child care and programs for older Americans and their families;
• COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, treatment, and prevention;
• Mental health and substance-use disorder services;
• Emergency rental assistance, homeowner assistance, and other housing programs;
• Payments to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments for economic relief;
• Multiemployer pension plans;
• Small business assistance, including specific programs for restaurants and live venues;
• Programs for health care workers, transportation workers, federal employees, veterans, and other targeted populations;
• International and humanitarian responses;
• Tribal government services;
• Scientific research and development;
• State, territorial, and tribal capital projects that enable work, education, and health monitoring in response to COVID-19; and
• Health care providers in rural areas.

Hermosa Beach COVID-19 Grants for Small Businesses: The Hermosa Beach Small Business Grant Assistance Program the City Council approved on February 9 is underway. This was a one-time opportunity to re-direct $110,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to a grant program for small businesses in Hermosa Beach that create or retain jobs for low- and moderate-income people.

The deadline to apply for the grants was Friday, and there were 75 applicants for the grants of $10,000 each. The Los Angeles County Development Authority is overseeing the Small Business Grant Assistance Program. It will hold a lottery to determine which applicants receive a grant. The Authority will notify the selected businesses by March 17 and ask them to complete a comprehensive application form. The forms will be due April 9, and the grants are scheduled to be issued later that month.

COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines Issued: As the number of people receiving the COVID-19 vaccines continue to climb, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines on Monday for people who have received their vaccines. The L.A. County Department of Public Health has also posted a fact sheet explaining the changes.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks or more after they received the second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks or more after they received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC said fully vaccinated people should continue to wear a face covering in public because they can be asymptomatic and transmit the virus to unvaccinated individuals. The CDC said they also should avoid travel for now, but they can:

• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
• Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
• And refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if they are asymptomatic.

City Manager’s COVID-19 Update: In case you missed it, City Manager Suja Lowenthal provided the City’s COVID-19 Update at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

COVID-19 Vaccination Update: Currently, the following groups are eligible for the vaccines:

• Healthcare workers
• People age 65 and older
• Education and childcare workers
• Food and agriculture workers
• People in emergency services
• Custodians and janitors
• Public transit workers
• Airport ground crew workers
• Emergency responders, like social workers who handle cases of violence, abuse or neglect
• Foster parents providing emergency housing for young people

To secure an appointment, please visit vaccinatelacounty.com. There you can learn more about the vaccine, determine if you fall within the eligibility groups, ensure you have the proper documentation and book your appointment.

The City continues to work with neighboring jurisdictions and Los Angeles County to bring vaccinations to the South Bay, especially for people aged 65 and older in our community. Also, people age 65 and older may call Beach Cities Health District at 310-374-3426, extension 256 to get assistance in securing a vaccination appointment and transportation. They may also be added to a list of vaccine opportunities located closer to their homes.

New Groups Eligible for Vaccines Monday: On Monday, March 15, the State plans to add an additional group to the eligibility list: Adults age 16 to age 64 who have underlying health conditions that cause them to be at very high risk of severe illnesses if they become infected with COVID-19. The medical conditions are:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Down syndrome
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Heart conditions
• Chronic pulmonary disease
• Solid organ transplant
• Severe obesity
• And Type 2 diabetes.

Vaccines may also be provided to people who have a developmental or other severe high-risk disability in which one or more of the following applies:

• An individual is likely to develop severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19
• And/or acquiring COVID-19 will limit the individual’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival and providing adequate care will be particularly challenging as a result of the individual’s disability.

Please see yesterday’s update to the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order, modified to reflect changes with respect to small gatherings for fully vaccinated people per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Interim Guidance for fully vaccinated people and visits or small private gatherings.

Please also see today’s press release with new information about vaccine eligibility for custodians and janitors, public transit workers, and airport ground crew workers and upcoming eligibility beginning March 15 for people ages 16 through 64 who have underlying health conditions or disabilities that put them at the highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19.

Los Angeles County Update: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today confirmed 101 new deaths and 1,378 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health identified 1,208,024 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,304 deaths. Of the 101 new deaths reported today, 27 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 47 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 21 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach and two deaths were reported by the City of Pasadena.

Latest Facts and Figures

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 925 | 11
• L.A. County - 1,208,024 | 22,304
• California - 3,516,862 | 54,891
• United States - 29,052,862 | 527,726

*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.