Dear Residents,

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

The Latest

We’re Here

As we head into the holiday weekend, the City would like to wish residents a happy and safe Fourth of July! Remember, house parties are high-risk for spreading COVID-19. Quarantine fatigue is real, but with cases on the rise, we can’t let our guard down. Please only celebrate the holiday with members of your household.

Although City Hall is closed for the holiday weekend, 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 updates from the City by subscribing to the Breaking News listserv at rpvca.gov/notify

COVID-19 Community Updates are distributed Monday through Friday, though any major announcements over the weekend will be shared with the community. Please note there will be no COVID-19 Community Update on July 3 due to the holiday.

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

Fourth of July Closures

In observance of Independence Day, City Hall offices will be closed to the public on Friday, July 3, but most staffed City parks will be open for their regular posted hours. Due to the countywide closure of beaches, all Rancho Palos Verdes beaches, beach access trails, and two reserves will be closed July 3-5. Below is a complete list of closures:

Ocean Trails Reserve and Beach
Founders Park
Rancho Palos Verdes Beach
Abalone Cove Park, Reserve and Beach
Sacred Cove Beach
Pelican Cove Beach
All trails accessing the beach

Please contact trails@rpvca.gov, check trailalerts.rpvca.gov or call the Preserve Info and Reporting Line at 310-491-5775 for additional information. Thank you for your cooperation during this temporary closure.

County Leaders Urge Public to be Safer at Home this Fourth of July

Los Angeles County leaders are urging residents to stay home this 4th of July holiday weekend to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the healthcare system is not overwhelmed. They are asking each resident to do their part to keep the county safe and moving ahead toward recovery.

Rather than going forth on the 4th, residents should celebrate with members of their own households, avoid large gatherings, and practice the basic rules that keep everyone safer during the pandemic: cloth face coverings, physical distancing of at least six feet from non-household members, frequent and thorough hand-washing, and resisting the urge to touch your face.

Although Grand Park in downtown L.A. will be closed to public gatherings and picnics on the holiday, its annual 4th of July Block Party will go on--virtually. Catch the show on ABC7 Saturday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The program can be viewed on the County Channel (92 or 94 on most cable systems) and streamed at july4.grandparkla.org from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

New Health Order: Indoor Activities Including In-Person Dining to Close

L.A. County is moving swiftly to address the increasing spread of COVID-19 across the county and has issued a revised Health Officer Order to follow a series of new state directives. The new directives have emphasized the need for L.A. County residents to avoid crowds, especially in indoor spaces.

Read the revised Safer at Work and in the Community Order (PDF)

The revised order includes:

The temporary closure of indoor, in-person dining at restaurants, indoor museums, indoor children’s museums, and indoor operations at zoos and aquariums, and cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities. If your business is impacted by these closures and you have questions about moving your operations outdoors, please contact the RPV Community Development Department at 310-544-5228 or planning@rpvca.gov.

The lowest risk dining options are still drive-thru, delivery, takeout and curbside pickup. Being in enclosed spaces for long periods of time poses an increased risk for patrons. Outdoor dining offers increased ventilation; and can be achieved safely with limited capacity and tables spaced at least 6 feet apart. Strict adherence to public health guidelines must also be followed. Restaurant food servers must wear masks and face shields.
As a reminder, the modified order requires businesses with three (or more) known cases of COVID-19 within the workplace over the span of 14 days to report the outbreak to the Department of Public Health.

Bars have also been ordered to remain closed in all 19 counties on the state's watch list, including L.A. County.

Additional requirements are to be implemented at fitness facilities. While fitness facilities will remain open, all patrons and employees are required to wear cloth face coverings masks and gloves at all times while inside the fitness facility.

Family gatherings are traditional for the holiday weekend. This year, however, L.A. County residents should celebrate only with members of their immediate households.

State enforcement strike teams will be deployed throughout California, beginning today, targeting non-compliant workplaces in partnership with local public health departments and businesses.

It is more important than ever to follow prevention practices outlined by the Department of Public Health:

Please continue to wear your cloth facial covering.
Practice physical distancing.
Wash your hands frequently.
And don’t touch your face.

People with underlying health conditions, who are at higher risk for serious illness or death due to COVID-19, should take special precautions and stay at home wherever possible.

Please contact your healthcare provider to request a test if you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. If you don’t have a provider, please call 211 to get connected to one. Registration for test appointments next week at L.A. County-operated sites will be available starting Friday, July 3 at covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/

Governor Newsom Launches “Wear a Mask” Public Awareness Campaign in Response to Surge in COVID-19 Cases

As COVID-19 cases rise throughout the state and in advance of the Fourth of July weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the “Wear a Mask” public awareness campaign encouraging Californians to use face coverings – one of the best ways people can protect themselves and others from the virus. The campaign is taking an aggressive approach to slowing the spread of COVID-19, which will save lives and allow the state to reopen the economy. The campaign, which will continue until at least the end of the year, will kick off in English and Spanish and then expand into other languages later this month.

Read more at https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/07/02/governor-newsom-launches-wear-a-mask-public-awareness-campaign-in-response-to-surge-in-covid-19-cases/

Cases

As of July 2, there are 107,667 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Los Angeles County (population 10.17 million), 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 142 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,731), 53 in Palos Verdes Estates (population 13,190), 24 in Rolling Hills Estates (population 8,066) and two in Rolling Hills (population 1,874). Countywide, 3,454 people have died.

According to the Department of Public Health, 12 deaths have been reported in Rancho Palos Verdes. The City extends its deepest condolences to the families of these residents.

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

For an interactive dashboard with maps and graphs showing testing, cases and death data by community, poverty level, age, sex and race/ethnicity visit: http://dashboard.publichealth.lacounty.gov/covid19_surveillance_dashboard/

An interactive dashboard of COVID-19 cases in the South Bay maintained by the City of Torrance is available at bit.ly/2XB1fv1. The dashboard reflects information sourced by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about the 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/