Dear Residents,

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes continues to monitor the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Los Angeles County and would like to share the following updates with the community:

We’re Here

Although City Hall is closed for the weekend (and closed to the public in person through at least April 19), the City Council and City staff are monitoring communications from various government agencies and the public and will continue to share information with residents. A webpage with coronavirus updates, resources and information on local closures is continuously being updated at rpvca.gov/coronavirus

Stay connected and get daily updates from the City by subscribing to the “Breaking News” listserv at rpvca.gov/notify

Be sure to also follow the City on Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Latest

A Message from Mayor John Cruikshank and Mayor Pro Tem Eric Alegria

Take a moment to watch a PSA from RPV Mayor John Cruikshank and Mayor Pro Tem Eric Alegria about what you can do and what the City is doing to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Watch the PSA on RPVtv’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPhqT4PI4WI

COVID-19 Facebook Live Town Hall Meeting April 6 with Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi

Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi is holding a virtual town hall meeting tomorrow, April 6 at 2 p.m. via Facebook Live to answer constituent questions and share actions and resources for South Bay residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit Assemblymember Muratsuchi’s Facebook page to tune in at facebook.com/Muratsuchi 

Drive-Up Mobile COVID-19 Testing Available at the South Bay Galleria by Appointment Only

L.A. County is quickly ramping up and adding more COVID-19 drive-up mobile testing sites to serve all residents of our communities. New sites are planned to open this week at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital as well as in East Los Angeles and Santa Clarita. In addition, the County is in discussions with AltaMed to bring several urgent care facilities into the County’s testing network in underserved areas.

The County and City of Los Angeles currently offer multiple drive-up mobile testing sites. For a full list of locations and answers to questions about testing, go to covid19.lacounty.gov/testing.

Locally, there is a drive-up mobile testing site at the South Bay Galleria (1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278)

The first step to getting a test is visiting lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs to determine if you are eligible and to register for an appointment. People who can’t use a computer or access the internet can dial 2-1-1 for help making an appointment.

Health equity is central to Los Angeles County’s mission as officials work to bring this important service to areas of the County where there are testing service gaps. Officials are working to build a network of testing sites that are free and open to any member of the public who qualifies for testing; no one will be turned away regardless of immigration status or lack of insurance coverage.

To ensure testing sites help those who need it the most, people with insurance should first contact their medical providers to request COVID-19 testing through their own networks which are also providing testing in a variety of locations throughout the County.

Drive-up mobile testing is by appointment only. Walk-up appointments are not available.

• Those with symptoms who are 65 and older
• Those with symptoms who have underlying chronic health conditions
• Those who are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period due to a confirmed COVID-19 exposure (with more than 7 days of quarantine remaining)

For people who prefer not to visit a drive-through test center, there are a limited number of tests available at a walk-in clinic. Select the Carbon Health-Echo Park location on the appointment registration website.

For more questions about testing, please see Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone interested in getting tested must first register on the screening website, coronavirus.lacity.org/Testing. This first step determines if people are eligible to be tested. At the website, individuals are asked to answer basic questions including name, date of birth, address, and whether they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing. The website (in real time) determines and confirms an individual’s testing eligibility. Those who receive confirmation of testing eligibility will then be given a selection of testing sites, available appointment times to complete the test registration process. The registration number will be required information at the testing site.

All of the testing locations are “drive-up” — clients stay in their cars for tests (though pedestrian clients with appointments can be tested as well). There are two types of tests: a nasal swab and an oral swab. The nasal swab is administered by trained hospital or fire department staff. The oral swabs are self-administered, meaning clients must swab their own mouths/throats using instructions provided to them at the site. The testing process takes between 5 and 10 minutes, however waiting times may vary. More information and frequently asked questions are available at covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

For more information and FAQs: covid19.lacounty.gov/testing

To register and see if you are eligible for a test: coronavirus.lacity.org/testing

Palos Verdes Medical Group is now offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing for Peninsula residents.
 
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, or may have been exposed, please call PVMG at 310-544-6858. You will be scheduled for a Telehealth visit with one of the providers. If testing is recommended, patients will be offered COVID-19 testing at new drive-thru site on the fourth (top) floor of the Promenade on the Peninsula mall.
 
Testing is by appointment only and open to both PVMG patients and community members. Call PVMG at 310-544-6858 for any questions or to schedule a Telehealth visit.

Cases

 
As of April 5, there are 5,940 known cases of novel coronavirus across Los Angeles County, including the South Bay, so the public should not think one location is safer than another and everyone should be aware and practice social distancing, also known as physical distancing. The total includes 28 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes, 23 in Palos Verdes Estates and eight in Rolling Hills Estates. Countywide, 132 people have died.

To date, the City is aware of the death of one resident who contracted the novel coronavirus. We extend our deepest condolences to the resident’s family and ask for their privacy to be respected during this difficult time.

Belmont Village on Crestridge Road is included on the county’s list of long-term care facilities with at least one resident who developed symptoms while in the facility and tested positive for COVID-19.

For a list of cases broken down by city and age group, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/locations.htm

It’s important to note that the total number of confirmed cases that the Department of Public Health shares every day reflects a moment in time and may not include cases confirmed by commercial labs that have not yet been shared with the Department of Public Health. A commercial lab may share a positive result with a physician before the health department.

Guidance for Cloth Face Coverings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending the public wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

For more information and frequently asked questions, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

For the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s guidance on cloth face coverings, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/GuidanceClothFaceCoverings.pdf 

Remember, our best community and individual defense against COVID-19 is washing our hands frequently, avoiding touching our eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, avoiding being around sick people and practicing physical distancing, especially by staying at home. Face coverings are not a replacement for these other evidence-based measures; they are just an additional tool that may be used to protect us from exposure to COVID-19 when used properly.

Please Remember: Toilets Are Not Trash Cans

The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California remind the public that during times like this when toilet paper is in short supply and there are many creative solutions out there, toilets are not trash cans. Only the 3 p’s — pee, poo, and (toilet) paper — belong in the toilet. Flushable wipes, paper towels, baby wipes, and facial tissue go in the trash! Let’s all do our part to keep our sewers and septic tanks from clogging and resulting in other unintended health conditions.

Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection, Other Events Postponed

In compliance with the “Safer at Home” Order, Los Angeles County Public Works has postponed various types of events on a temporary basis throughout the county.
The following events have been postponed:

• Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection
• Smart Gardening Workshops
• Mattress Collection
• Mulch and Compost Events
• Annual Clean-up Collection

We encourage residents to do their part to “flatten the curve” on COVID-19 by staying home. We appreciate the public’s participation in keeping our communities clean and environment healthy. Please remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink! We are all in this together!
 
Visit CleanLA.com for updates as they become available.

RPV City Council to Consider Helping Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19

On April 7, the RPV City Council will consider creating local small business relief programs such as business license tax (BLT) relief, online fundraising for local businesses, and direct loan programs. A staff report on this item is available at: https://rpv.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=5&event_id=1662&meta_id=81211

You can watch the live virtual meeting at 7 p.m. streamed on the City website, rpvca.gov, or televised on RPVtv Cox 33/Frontier FiOS 38. To submit a public comment or participate in the virtual meeting, visit rpvca.gov/participate

Virtual Meetings

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Rancho Palos Verdes City Council, commission and committee meetings are going virtual.

City Council and Planning Commission meetings will be conducted at their normal times using the Zoom video conference platform. These meetings will also be live-streamed on the City website at rpvca.gov and televised on RPVtv Cox 33/Frontier FiOS 38. Visit rpvca.gov/participate for information on how to participate in public comment.

Civic Center Advisory Committee, Emergency Preparedness Committee, Finance Advisory Committee, Infrastructure Management Advisory (IMAC) Committee, Traffic Safety Committee meetings will be conducted at their normal times using the Zoom video conference platform. To watch and/or participate in public comment, complete a form at rpvca.gov/participate to receive an email with further instructions.

All City Council, commission and committee meeting agendas are available at http://rpvca.gov/772/City-Meeting-Video-and-Agendas

If you require a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in a meeting, please contact the City at least 48 hours prior to the meeting via email at adarequests@rpvca.gov

Reminder: Parks, Beaches and Nature Preserve CLOSED

County Beaches and Hiking Trails CLOSED

Other Closures

Open for Business

Watch the latest episode of RPVtv’s “Around the Peninsula” featuring an interview with PVP Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Eileen Hupp to find out how you can support local businesses during the coronavirus outbreak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etJcYqikC9o  

How You Can Help

Personal Protective Equipment Needed

Want to help our nurses, doctors and health care workers? If you want to donate/know of businesses that may be able to help with personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks, N95 face masks, face shields and other supplies, email medsupply@dhs.lacounty.gov

To find out how you can support local hospitals, visit the How You Can Help page on the City’s coronavirus webpage.

Local Volunteer Match

PVPUSD School Board Member Linda Reid is coordinating a volunteer effort to match up senior citizens needing errand/grocery/meal help in PV with volunteers. PVPUSD students, parents, and alums unexpectedly home from college will assist! Any older residents may email Member Reid at reidl@pvpusd.net to be matched up with a local volunteer during this difficult isolating time. 
 
Neighborhood Watch

For 28 years, residents and Block Captains have worked together through RPV Neighborhood Watch to build safe and cohesive neighborhoods. Working cooperatively between neighbors and law enforcement has resulted in supportive neighbors who help each other when necessary. Those residents or blocks who are not yet a part of Neighborhood Watch can contact Gail Lorenzen at rpvnw@ix.netcom.com.

Senior Support

Please consider checking on your older neighbors or those with underlying health conditions. There are ways to let people know you care while keeping a safe distance (e.g., a phone call, a text, a note under their door to make sure they have everything they need). Self-isolation doesn’t need to mean loneliness. Lomita Sheriff’s Station deputies are available to provide a “welfare check” for seniors. Residents are encouraged to call the station’s non-emergency number at 310-539-1661 if they are aware of seniors who are at risk or may need attention. We are all in this together.

California Health Corps

Health care professionals with an active license, public health professionals, medical retirees, medical and nursing students, or members of medical disaster response teams in California are all encouraged to join the new California Health Corps.
Interested medical and health care professionals are encouraged to visit healthcorps.ca.gov for more information and to register for the California Health Corps.

Medical doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, behavioral health scientists, pharmacists, EMTs, medical and administrative assistants, as well as certified nursing assistants are encouraged to step up and meet this moment to help California respond to the outbreak.

Make a Donation

Los Angeles County officials encourage members of the public who want to help those in the community experiencing hardships to make monetary contributions to reputable non-profit organizations or to the funds listed below, which are supporting COVID-19 disaster efforts. 

Support the California Community Foundation’s Covid-19 LA County Response Fund

The California Community Foundation launched the COVID-19 LA County Response Fund, which supports community needs identified by our partners in health, housing, education and immigration.

Support the United Way’s Pandemic Relief Fund

United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Pandemic Relief Fund supports L.A. County’s unsheltered residents who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus, and low-income individuals, students and families at imminent risk of homelessness and hardships due to health and economic impacts of coronavirus.

Support other nonprofits

Philanthropy California’s disaster resilience team is coordinating with state agencies and partners to respond to the impacts of COVID-19/Coronavirus. You can search for Los Angeles County non-profits through this site. 

American Red Cross

Give a financial gift or lifesaving blood.

City Hall Closed

As a reminder, to reduce the risk of community spread of COVID-19, through at least April 19, City Hall and park buildings are closed to the public, and all recreational activities, classes and events at City facilities have been canceled. The City will primarily be providing essential city services that are necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our community and City employees. To facilitate these measures, all non-essential staff will be working remotely. Inquiries will be reviewed daily and will be responded to on a case-by-case basis. Please note that our response to your inquiry could be delayed.

Community Development Department applications and permit requests may be submitted to planning@rpvca.gov. 

Non-emergency service requests may be submitted at http://www.rpvca.gov/FormCenter/NonEmergency-Customer-Service-Requests-3/NonEmergency-Customer-Service-Requests-43. 

Public Works service requests may be submitted at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/6d13530e7ca84edbb5c4e022bdc54da8. 
 
Please visit the appropriate department page on the City website for a list of phone numbers and email addresses to accommodate your needs:
 
City Manager
City Clerk
Community Development
Finance
Human Resources
Public Works
Recreation, Parks & Open Space
RPVtv
 
Overall Staff Directory

Resources

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus
California Department of Public Health: cdph.ca.gov/covid19 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): cdc.gov/COVID19
World Health Organization: who.int/coronavirus
California Governor’s Office: covid19.ca.gov
County of Los Angeles: lacounty.gov/covid19
L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1
FEMA Coronavirus Rumor Control: https://www.fema.gov/Coronavirus-Rumor-Control
 
Sign up for “Notify Me” city listervs at rpvca.gov/notify
Be sure to also follow the City on Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
 
Sign up for emergency alerts from Alert SouthBay by:

• Texting “alertsb” to 888-777, which returns a link to register for Everbridge (for COVID-19-related alerts, text the keyword "cv19rpv")
• Registering online at alertsouthbay.com
• Downloading the free Everbridge app on an iOS or Android device from the App Store or Google Play. Select “Find an organization or subscription” and search “alertsb”

Sign up for emergency alerts from Alert LA County at https://lacounty.gov/emergency/alert-la/ 

The City Council is committed to keeping you informed on this ever-changing situation, and thanks you for your cooperation and support. The City reminds all residents that closures and cancellations announced by the City and other agencies and institutions are being implemented because public health officials advise that social distancing is the best and most effective tool to slow the spread of coronavirus.