Hermosa Beach Publishes Coronavirus Update For April 8

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

April 8, 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.

Hermosa Beach Set to Host a Vaccine Clinic: In partnership with L.A. County Public Health and Curative, the City of Hermosa Beach will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Hermosa Beach residents and eligible employees of Hermosa Beach businesses on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Hermosa Beach Community Center at 710 Pier Avenue.

Please confirm you are part of an eligible vaccination group and available on Tuesday, April 13 prior to filling out the interest form. Capacity is limited and filling out the interest form is not a guarantee of an appointment as interest may exceed capacity. Confirmation and an appointment time will be provided via email no later than Monday April 12.

Complete the COVID-19 vaccination interest form.

Please arrive promptly at your registered time and expect the whole process to take 1 hour from arrival to departure. This will be a walk-through site, with accommodations available for those that need to receive the vaccine from their vehicle.

Please bring with you:

• A government-issued ID
• Insurance card/information
• Mask, to be worn the whole time

The City is working to schedule additional COVID-19 vaccination clinics as supplies are available and eligibility expands to additional groups.

South African and Brazilian P. 1 Variants Detected in L.A. County: Public Health has identified one case of the South African variant, B.1.351, and three cases of the Brazilian P.1 variant, both variants of concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified the South African and Brazilian variants as variants of concern because they are potentially associated with increased transmissibility and reduced susceptibility to certain therapeutics. Although these are the first reported cases of the South African and Brazilian variant in L.A. County, it is likely there are additional undetected/ undiagnosed cases. To date, 33 cases of the Brazilian variant and 10 cases of the South African variant have been reported in California.

Among 70 specimens analyzed at the Public Health Laboratory this past week, 64% of the specimens analyzed were the UK variant of concern, B.1.1.7 and 20% were the California variant of concern identified as B.1.427 or 429. This means 84% of the variants identified this past week are variants of concern with the probability of increased transmissibility and more severe disease. Three cases of the New York variant were also detected this week, which is a variant of interest. There were no cases of the Brazilian P.2 variant identified this week.

Travel Advisory Updates and Confronting COVID-19: Late last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance related to travelers who have been fully vaccinated. On Monday, Los Angeles County updated its travel advisory.

The CDC and Los Angeles County continue to urge that everyone avoid non-essential travel during this time when there are significant hotspots across the country and the world and significant risk from more infectious variants.

Travel is associated with additional risks. Travelers who are fully vaccinated, meaning two weeks have passed after their second dose for Pfizer or Moderna, or after their single dose of Johnson & Johnson are, however, at lower risk and can now travel and will not be required to test or quarantine upon their arrival in Los Angeles County if they do not have any symptoms of illness. Travelers who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine for seven full days after travel if they receive a negative COVID-19 test result taken three to five days after their arrival. If a traveler does not get tested after they arrive in Los Angeles County, they must quarantine for a full 10 days. All travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, must self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their arrival, and should get tested and isolate if they develop symptoms.

Governor Says State May Fully Reopen Economy June 15: California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday outlined the state’s next step in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, saying it can move beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to fully reopen the economy on June 15 if two criteria are met:

• If vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated; and
• If hospitalization rates are stable and low

The governor said everyday activities will be allowed and businesses can open with common- sense risk reduction measures, including encouraging all Californians to get vaccinated and mandating masking, to prevent illness and promote health. The governor said California will be able to reopen fully and safely because of the state’s commitment to the equitable distribution of vaccines. On Tuesday, he reported that the state had reached a total of 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered to Californians in some of California’s hardest-hit communities. The state is providing additional information on its move beyond the Blueprint.

School COVID-19 Update: As of April 2, the L.A. County Department of Public Health (Public Health) reports that 1,827 schools are providing on-campus services for high needs students. This includes over 110,000 students and over 38,000 staff. 44 public school districts and 334 private and charter schools are open in Los Angeles County. Another 20 districts and 118 private and charter schools are scheduled to open between now and April 26, including LAUSD. More than 1,500 school site visits have been conducted across L.A. County. Under the current Health Officer Order, schools and school districts are permitted to reopen whenever they are prepared to be fully compliant with L.A. County and State directives, and Public Health will continue providing technical assistance or guidance as needed. Public Health also updated its Reopening Protocols for K-12 Schools.

Public Health reports that outbreaks at schools are extremely rare in L.A. County. It reports there have been 87 K-12 school affiliated outbreaks since Sept 1, 2020, with only one new outbreak over the last 8 weeks. This is a significant decline from what Public Health saw during the surge, when there were more than 50 outbreaks in the month of December alone. Public Health said it is important to remember that cases recorded for schools do not necessarily happen in the school setting. In many cases there is information that these people acquired their case from transmission outside of the school setting, such as a community or family setting.

School staff have been eligible to be vaccinated since March 1. Many partners including school districts, schools, providers, unions, and health care providers have worked together to vaccinate these essential workers. School staff can get vaccinated through pharmacies, County or City PODs, LAUSD education specific sites and district-health facility partnerships. To date, 239,090 vaccine doses have been allocated to teachers and staff as of last week in K through 12 public and independent schools. According to weekly surveys sent to school districts from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, every teacher who wanted a vaccine has been offered a vaccine.

Los Angeles County Update: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 52 new deaths and 710 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health identified 1,223,791 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,388 deaths.

Latest Facts and Figures

Jurisdiction - Reported Cases | Reported Deaths

• Hermosa Beach - 968 | 10*
• L.A. County - 1,223,791 | 23,388
• California - 3,588,152 | 58,788
• United States - 30,737,477 | 556,106

* These numbers are subject to change pending further investigations by L.A. County Department of Public Health.

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.