COVID-19 Hits Manhattan Beach Police, Parks And Recreation Staff

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — COVID-19 has now hit the ranks of first responders in the City of Manhattan Beach, with four confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the Manhattan Beach Police Department, according to Lisa Jenkins, human resources director for the city.

" We have had five employees test positive in the past four weeks," she told Manhattan Beach Patch, "one in the Parks and Recreation Department and three in the Police Department." The three positive cases in MBPD triggered a "reportable cluster" under Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines so the city is now "working with the County on their response and evaluation of these cases," she noted.

Said Manhattan Beach Mayor Suzanne Hadley, “Some of our city staff and first responders have unfortunately contracted COVID. We have been fortunate that as far as I know most cases have been mild, and we have not had serious complications or death.

"Our city HR department, working with County guidelines from the DPH, instituted early quarantine procedures that have helped limit the spread among employees," said Hadley. "These guidelines have protected employees, their colleagues, and their own families. Out of an abundance of caution, CMB staff are asked to quarantine even if they were potentially exposed to someone who’s tested positive for COVID. Of all employees quarantined, a significant majority ultimately tested negative and have been able able to return to work."

Said City Manager Bruce Moe, “While we are disappointed to have seen a handful of cases in our employee population over the last several weeks, unfortunately what we are seeing is consistent with the current rise in COVID-19 cases the County and State are seeing. As we have throughout the pandemic, we have dedicated Safety Officers for our employees within our Emergency Operations Center and we are continuing to prioritize employee health and safety. We continue to reinforce and update our safety protocols and will be working with the County to investigate the reported cases.

"That being said, I would like to reassure the community that public safety is not compromised in any way. The City has mutual aid agreements in place and has been preparing for scenarios where public safety staffing is impacted. The City continues to maintain a normal response to calls for service.”

Said Hadley, "A vaccine is perhaps weeks or months away. We look forward as a city to the time it becomes widely available. We are hoping our police and fire will receive the vaccine on the early side along with other first responders and medical workers. This would be great news. Until that time that the vaccine is widely available, or cases begin to drop significantly, we all need to continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, limit exposure to those outside our own households, and keep up our sanitation practices."