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

PVPUSD Student Town Hall August 18

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss and the Board of Education invite intermediate and high school students to join principals and student representatives at a virtual student town hall meeting for updates and questions regarding school reopening planning on Tuesday, August 18 from 7-9 p.m. This event will be live-streamed and the public will have an opportunity to submit questions at the following link: www.pvpusd.net/students/. Questions/comments should be submitted by Monday, August 17 at 5 p.m.

What Do Face Coverings Do?

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, significant emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies show masks reduce the spray of microscopic respiratory droplets when worn over the nose and mouth. This is called source control.

A face covering, as seen in the above graphic, limits the spread of respiratory droplets from every person wearing a face covering that fits snugly over their mouth AND nose. The simple piece of fabric stops many of your respiratory droplets from reaching those around you.

Because we have no way of knowing if we (or those around us) are infected with COVID-19, the best strategy is to ALWAYS wear a face covering when around people that aren't part of your household, and to ask that those around you wear a face covering as well.

Face coverings can feel uncomfortable, but they really do protect us all. And while we look forward to a time when we don't have to wear them - we're not there yet.

Don't forget: 1) Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance; 2) Masks with exhalation valves (or vents) should NOT be worn to help prevent the person wearing the mask from spreading COVID-19 to others; and 3) Adhere to the modifications and restrictions that are working to get us back to slowing the spread again.

ICYMI: Protocols for Child Care and Extended Day Programs

As students, families, educators and care providers navigate the beginning of a new school year, L.A. County recognizes that extended day programs for school-aged children are an essential piece of the puzzle for working parents. These programs provide essential enrichment activities, and help children stay healthy while socializing with their peers in the periods before and after school.

To help get virtual learning started on the right foot, the L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH) developed protocols for early childhood education, childcare programs for school-aged children, and day camps. Protocols issued earlier this week include the following highlights:

Childcare centers may now have more students per class (increased from 10 to 12)
Childcare programs can now offer physical activity and academic enrichment activities before, during and after the normal school day.
Extended day programs will now have to follow similar rules as childcare and day camps:
- staff and students are required to maintain a safe physical distance;
- wear cloth face coverings while they are together; and
- staff and students will be screened before the start of activities each day, and will need to take detailed actions if anyone in the program develops COVID-19 symptoms.

L.A. County continues to urge residents to wear masks, socially distance from people you don't live with, and wash hands regularly, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. In-person learning for students in TK-12 cannot take place until L.A. County's case rate drops to 200 cases per 100,000 population, per state guidance

Cox Communications Offers Two Months of Free Internet Service to New Qualifying Families in Time for Back-to-School

As back-to-school fast approaches, Cox has announced new customers that qualify will receive Connect2Compete, the company's low-cost internet, for two months at no cost. New customers must sign up between July 21 and September 30 for free service, which also includes free technical support.

A summary of enhancements and benefits of Cox's Connect2Compete program include:

2 months of free Connect2Compete service and remote desktop and phone support through Cox Complete Care for eligible new customers who apply between July 21 and September 30, $9.95/month thereafter
Easy referral for discounted, refurbished equipment through PCs for People
Student and family access to the Cox Digital Academy, which provides computer literacy training and educational resources for students
Free WiFi modem rental
Access to over 3M+ Cox Hotspots nationwide

Having trouble staying connected?

The City has received inquiries from residents who are experiencing problems with their internet connection and are concerned about staying connected when school starts. Any Cox Communications customers who are having trouble with their internet connection are advised to contact Government Affairs Manager Michael Hadland directly at michael.hadland@cox.com. Please provide your address. Customers can also report problems to Customer Support at 1-800-234-3993.

Palos Verdes Peninsula Village Zoom Info Session August 14

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Village builds community with older adults while they remain in their homes as they age. PVP Village has been serving its members throughout the COVID-19 crisis with a calendar full of virtual social opportunities, continuing transportation to essential appointments, computer help including Zoom and FaceTime, grocery shopping, handyman help and referrals.

?For information about this dynamic and caring community of friendship and support, contact Executive Director Marianne Propst to participate in a Zoom information session on Friday, August 14 at 1 p.m. You also may call for an informal chat or to arrange a socially distant visit.

Call 310-991-3324 or visit www.peninsulavillage.net for more details.

County Rent Relief Program to Launch August 17

L.A. County has announced the creation of a COVID-19 Rent Relief Program which aims to assist low-income renters who have struggled to pay their rent and/or who are behind on paying rent due to COVID-19. Those who are most at need will be targeted with more assistance. The program will launch on August 17 and close on August 31.

L.A. County's COVID-19 Rent Relief Program will be operated by the L.A. County Development Authority (LACDA), and is funded by an allocation of $100 million in CARES Act funding meant to assist between 8,000 and more than 9,000 renting households with limited means.

Requirements: the program is available to all residents of the county who qualify (with the exception of residents living in the City of Los Angeles, as the City also received its own allocation of CARES Act funds). The following is required:

A W-9
Participation agreements are needed from the property owners to receive rental income on behalf of their qualified tenant; and
Property owners must agree to the terms of the participation agreement

To learn more or apply, visit rentrelief.lacda.org or dial 2-1-1. Please note citizenship documentation will not be requested from any party (renter or property owner).

Tomorrow is Takeout Thursday!

The community is encouraged to join in the “Takeout Tuesdays and Takeout Thursdays” initiative launched by the Peninsula cities and the PVP Chamber of Commerce by posting on social media and inviting friends and neighbors to order takeout, using Tuesdays and Thursdays as a special reminder.

Residents are asked to show their support by ordering takeout or delivery, not only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on a regular basis throughout the coronavirus restrictions. Check the Open for Business page on the City website for a list of local restaurants offering takeout, delivery and curbside pickup.

Looking for a fun outdoor activity for your kids?

National Park and Recreation Month is over, but you can still play Agents of Discovery at Hesse Park and Eastview Park! The self-guided, mobile educational game will be available at both locations through September 30.

Kids and their families can play by downloading the Agents of Discovery app to access RPV’s “missions” (games). Players that complete all the challenges will receive a gift bag from the Recreation and Parks Department!

To download the free Agents of Discovery app, go to Google Play or the App Store. Once downloaded, find our missions within the app and hit “play” before you head out. No WiFi connectivity is required to download or play the missions.

Free Virtual Art Classes for Older Adults

Discover the healing properties of art therapy with free virtual art classes for older adults presented by BlueSea Care every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register at bit.ly/2X7doqz

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Recreation and Parks Department at 310-544-5260 or parks@rpvca.gov. If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in programs, services, activities and meetings, contact the City's ADA Coordinator/Risk Manager at 310-683-3157, adarequests@rpvca.gov, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, at least 48 hours in advance to request an auxiliary aid or accommodation.

New Temporary Special Use Permit for RPV Businesses

The Community Development Department has developed a new Temporary Special Use Permit (TSUP) to assist Rancho Palos Verdes businesses with the opportunity to provide limited outdoor operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A TSUP will allow for outdoor operations on sidewalks and parking lots for:

Restaurants
Fitness centers
Hair salons and barbershops
Personal care services, such as nail salons, massage, and tattoo parlors

A TSUP will be processed administratively without a filing fee, public notification, or appeal process that is typically required for a standard Special Use Permit. For a complete list of operational requirements and permit limitations, please see the TSUP application at bit.ly/3gcLFME. For questions regarding the application or submittal requirements, please contact the Planning Division at 310-544-5228 or send an email to the Planning Division at planning@rpvca.gov.

Cases

As of August 12, there are 214,197 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 245 cases in Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,731), 76 in Palos Verdes Estates (population 13,190), 33 in Rolling Hills Estates (population 8,066), five in Rolling Hills (population 1,874), and seven in the unincorporated areas of the Peninsula. Countywide, 5,109 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/