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 May 15), 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

“Safer at Home” Order Extended through May 15

County officials have extended the “Safer at Home” Public Health Officer Order through May 15. Accordingly, all City closures and event cancellations are extended through this date.

Please note that the extension of the “Safer at Home” Order is not because our efforts are not helping. Rather, the data shows that physical distancing is working and will continue to work if we stick with it.

The updated order also requires essential businesses to provide cloth face coverings for all of their employees to wear while performing duties that involve contact with other employees and/or the public, and to post their physical distancing plans. The order allows essential businesses to implement the new measures by April 15. The public is also required to wear a face covering to enter essential businesses.

City Staff reporting to work are considered essential employees and measures are in place consistent with the latest orders.

Read the updated order at https://covid19.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/HOO_Safer-at-Home-Order-for-Control-of-COVID_04102020.pdf

Reminder: Parks, Beaches and Nature Preserve CLOSED

As we approach Easter and as Passover has begun, the City would like to remind residents that all City parks, beaches and open space areas, including the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, remain closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Though the need to connect with friends and family is strong, group meals and social gatherings make social distancing difficult, and therefore, put everyone at risk.

City staff, Park Rangers and law enforcement are monitoring these areas.

These closures follow county and state guidance, along with similar closures by other cities, and were put in place March 23 after a weekend that saw a high volume of visitors despite the “Safer at Home” Order and physical distancing guidelines.

Please know that these closures are temporary. The more we all stay home except for essential needs and stick to walking in our neighborhoods, the sooner we will get through this and reopen the open space areas.

We’re all in this together, RPV. We will get through this together and resume our routines, but we need everyone to do their part to get us through sooner.

For a full list of closures, visit: bit.ly/2UexWwo

Cases

As of April 11, there are 8,873 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 physical distancing. The total includes 38 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes, 32 in Palos Verdes Estates and 10 in Rolling Hills Estates. Countywide, 265 people have died.

To date, the City is aware of the deaths of two residents who reportedly contracted the novel coronavirus. We extend our deepest condolences to the residents’ families 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.

Local COVID-19 Testing Sites

COVID-19 testing has expanded countywide. While testing is more widely available, it is mostly reserved to residents of L.A. County who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and those most vulnerable, such as:

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)

Testing is by appointment only. Walk-up appointments are not available. The following locations have started testing for COVID-19:

South Bay Galleria (Redondo Beach) - To schedule an appointment at a drive-up mobile testing site in Los Angeles County, please visit: https://lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs
Palos Verdes Medical Group - Call PVMG at 310-544-6858 for any questions or to schedule a Telehealth visit.
Exer Urgent Care - Testing is only for those who are evaluated either through VirtualCare by Exer or at one of the clinics. To start the process, visit https://exerurgentcare.doxy.me/virtualcare

For a list of frequently asked questions about L.A. County testing, locations, eligibility and more, visit: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/

Mental Health Virtual Town Hall April 13

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health will be hosting a virtual town hall via Skype on Monday, April 13, at 2 p.m. to provide updates about COVID-19 issues and how the department is responding and adapting to the situation.

Questions for the Town Hall will be taken in advance via email at COVID@dmh.lacounty.gov.

Join the Town Hall via Skype at the following link: https://join-noam.broadcast.skype.com/dmh.lacounty.gov/4fe7532d56564ffc86739954179bd44d/en-US/

For tips for coping with stress due to the coronavirus pandemic, visit https://lacounty.gov/covid19/coping-with-stress/

For 24/7 help, call the L.A. County Department of Mental Health’s ACCESS hotline at 800-854-7771.

How to Make Your Own Face Covering

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health requires everyone to wear cloth face coverings when interacting with others while obtaining or providing essential supplies and services. N95 and surgical masks should only be used by healthcare workers, first responders, essential workers providing care for people who are ill, and people who are ill.

To watch a video on how to make your own face covering, visit youtu.be/tPx1yqvJgf4

For tutorials, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

Remember, the best community and individual defense against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid being around sick people, practice physical distancing, especially by staying at home and wearing a face covering when out procuring or providing essential services.

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

Things to Try While Physical Distancing

Palos Verdes Library District Resources

Although Palos Verdes Library District locations are currently closed, online services are available at pvld.org! Many digital resources are accessible 24/7, no matter where you are. All you need is your library card number and PIN. Please call the library at (310) 377-9584 to leave a message if you need assistance with the digital services listed below:

Read eBooks and listen to audiobooks on OverDrive. Stream movies and TV shows on Kanopy and Hoopla.
Check out digital magazines via Stream and download music on Freegal.
Kids and learners of all ages can get one-on-one homework help and tutoring from 1 pm – 10 pm every day on Brainfuse, plus there are many other resources for school and careers available at all hours.

Be sure to also check out kids’ activities and other online resources curated by library staff:

Kids Book & Author Activities

Crafts and Activities
Virtual Exploring
Homework Help

PVLD's Young Artists & Authors at Home

Are you writing or creating art while you are home? The library would love to showcase your work online.

Submit your work at https://www.pvld.org/youngartistsauthors and check us out each day to see all of the amazing new submissions.

Explore and More: The World At Your Fingertips

Visit libraries and museums around the world. Watch operas and Broadway musicals from your couch. See animals at the zoo without any crowds. Stay fit while the gyms are closed. And get self-care tips to aid your mental health. We may all be inside right now, but the world is at your fingertips to explore and more.

We also invite you and your family to share your Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak stories online with Your Story is the Peninsula’s Story. Parents and educators, please take this as an opportunity to help your students tell their stories.

L.A. County Library Resources

While L.A. County residents focus on physical distancing in the fight against COVID-19, we'd like to take a moment offer a few ideas on how to beat the blues, entertain kids, learn something new, or remain social - for free!

The following suggestions are brought to you by the L.A. County Library, the Department of Arts and Culture, and creative and resilient artists and organizations who are finding ways of creating and engaging with you (from the comfort of your own home):

For the young:
For the young at heart:
- Online art project tutorials and activities for adults
- Virtual programming, such as Book Talks (Coming Soon)
- Courses for learning a new language, photography, coding, resume writing, and applications such as Office 365
For all ages:
- Performances
- Physical distance dancing
- 24/7 digital collection of hundreds of eBooks, audio books, music, movies, magazines for LA County Library cardholders

For more information on what L.A. County Library offers, visit lacountylibrary.org or reach library staff via:

Phone: Locate your local library at https://lacountylibrary.org/library-locator/ (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 6:00 p.m)
Text: (626) 394-4019 (Monday-Friday, Noon-6:00 p.m.)
Email or chat at https://lacountylibrary.org/contactus/ (Monday-Friday, Noon-6:00 p.m.)

Closure Information

For a list of school, library, transit and other local closures, visit the Closure Information page on the City’s coronavirus webpage.

Open for Business

Need a list of Peninsula restaurants that are serving takeout and delivery? Or updated grocery store hours? Check out the Open for Business tab on the City’s coronavirus webpage. If you would like to add your business to this page or provide updated information, please email slee@rpvca.gov.

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 relief funds supporting COVID-19 disaster efforts. Find a list of organizations and relief funds on the How You Can Help page on the City’s coronavirus webpage.

City Hall Closed

As a reminder, to reduce the risk of community spread of COVID-19, through at least May 15, 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.