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

ICYMI: PVPUSD Student Town Hall

In case you missed it, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District has uploaded a recording of Tuesday’s Student Town Hall on the district’s YouTube channel at: youtu.be/Vg7Phv9rr4A

Your Child's Mental Health during COVID-19

Parents and students, L.A. County understands these next few days and possibly weeks may be tough as you start the school year online. We're sure there will be frustrations with the transition and know that feelings of anxiety, stress, anger or depression during this time are normal.

Parents and caregivers should be on the lookout for signs of anxiety and depression in children. This can take different forms – being withdrawn, acting out, disobeying, being tearful. Please reach out if you need support:

1. Call the L.A. County Department of Mental Health (DMH) 24/7 Help Line at (800) 854-7771. The call is free AND confidential.
2. Call your pediatrician or healthcare provider if you are concerned about your child. If you don't have a health care provider, dial 2-1-1 and we'll connect you to one.

You can also visit DMH online at dmh.lacounty.gov/resources for resources related to back-to-school and a number of other mental health topics.

What Parents and Students Can Do to Safely Get Back to School

Parents and students can turn change and stress caused by COVID-19 into strength, growth and resilience this new school year. L.A. County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debra Duardo, Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer, and Department of Mental Health Director Dr. Jonathan Sherin tell you how. Watch their video at youtu.be/HLO8MGH316k.

LAUSD Announces Testing and Contact Tracing Plans 

This week, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced the launch of a program that will provide regular COVID-19 testing and contact tracing to school staff, students and their families. As part of this plan, research will commence to study the impact and effects of reopening and this data will be available to the general public.

The testing and contact tracing program and its corresponding research are a groundbreaking collaboration between LAUSD and leading scientists from the University California Los Angeles, Stanford University and the Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, testing experts, and healthcare companies Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net. Together, they will be part of a task force co-chaired by Beutner and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Strategic interpretation of the evidence on testing and epidemiological modeling will be provided by the Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University and UCLA. They are providing their services pro bono.

Tests first will be provided to staff already working at schools and their children, utilizing childcare LAUSD is offering to staff at schools. Testing then will be provided to all staff and students over time. The goal in this early phase is to establish a baseline. After that, there will be periodic testing of staff and students. The frequency and schedule for that testing will be set after the initial testing phase based on epidemiological modeling. 

The spread of COVID-19 in the Los Angeles area still far exceeds guidelines from the State of California governing the possible return of students to school campuses. Any decision about the return of students to schools is some time away. The launch of this program now allows a system to be built and tested, as well as provides a base of knowledge to help prepare for an eventual return to school campuses.

Read more at: achieve.lausd.net/covidtesting

PVP Chamber Joins Safe in the South Bay

Chambers of Commerce in the South Bay — including the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber— have teamed with Beach Cities Health District to create Safe in the South Bay, a self-certification program to assist businesses in complying with new public health guidelines in response to COVID-19. Look for the Safe in the South Bay shield for businesses committed to taking the necessary steps to keep you and their employees safe during COVID-19.

In addition to displaying the Safe in the South Bay seal at the front of your business, you can add it to your website and social media pages. Be sure to use #SafeintheSouthBay, #healthheroes, and #pvpchamber.

To find the reopening protocol by business sector, visit www.bchd.org/covidreopening. For questions about prevention practices and/or requirements, visit Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health website or call (888) 700-9995.

Contact the Chamber with questions at connect@palosverdeschamber.com. The Chamber is sponsoring this program as a community service for all businesses on the Peninsula. As an added benefit, the Chamber will actively promote members who participate in this program.

LiveWell during COVID-19 August 25

Join Beach Cities Health District for its new Safe in the South Bay Series bringing health experts, cities, chambers, schools and community members together around this fast-moving pandemic. The live-streamed series will cover a variety of COVID-19 topics, including testing, navigating the new normal, mental health and personal resilience.

The first event, LiveWell during COVID-19, will take place on Tuesday, August 25 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Panelists will answer some of your most frequently asked COVID-19 questions, as well as receive an update on the latest beach cities COVID-19 numbers, what it means to live in the new normal and how you can support local businesses.
Panelists include:

• Dr. William Kim, BCHD’s Chief Medical Advisor
• Dr. Moe Gelbart, Executive Director, Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Torrance Memorial
• Dr. Anthony Taranto, Executive Director of Student Services, Redondo Beach Unified School District
• Kelly Stroman, President/CEO of Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce

Register at bchd.org/coronavirus

Know Your Landlord/Tenant Rights Webinar August 25

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn and the L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs are hosting a Know Your Landlord/Tenant Rights Webinar on Tuesday, August 25 at 11 a.m. Learn about the countywide moratorium on evictions and other rent-related topics, plus participate in a question and answer session. Sign up at ow.ly/ZzLM30r4Qx2. 

Updated Isolation Guidance Does Not Imply Immunity to COVID-19

On August 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its isolation guidance based on the latest science about COVID-19 showing that people can continue to test positive for up to three months after diagnosis and not be infectious to others. Contrary to media reports, this science does not imply a person is immune to reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the three months following infection. The latest data simply suggests that retesting someone in the three months following initial infection is not necessary unless that person is exhibiting the symptoms of COVID-19 and the symptoms cannot be associated with another illness.

People with COVID-19 should be isolated for at least 10 days after symptom onset and until 24 hours after their fever subsides without the use of fever-reducing medications.

There have been more than 15 international and U.S.-based studies recently published looking at length of infection, duration of viral shed, asymptomatic spread and risk of spread among various patient groups. Researchers have found that the amount of live virus in the nose and throat drops significantly soon after COVID-19 symptoms develop. Additionally, the duration of infectiousness in most people with COVID-19 is no longer than 10 days after symptoms begin and no longer than 20 days in people with severe illness or those who are severely immunocompromised.

CDC will continue to closely monitor the evolving science for information that would warrant reconsideration of these recommendations.

Reminder: Don’t Let a Negative Test Result Create a False Sense of a Security

Tested negative for COVID-19? A negative result does not protect you from virus, nor is it a reason to engage in risky social behavior. Remember, a COVID-19 test does not guarantee that you do not have the virus; a false-negative test is possible. Also, even when accurate, a test result only reflects whether you have the virus at the moment you took the test. You could become positive at any time and an exposure to COVID-19 could happen immediately following your test.

If you were a contact to a suspected or positive case when you were tested, you should remain in quarantine for the full 14 days even if your test comes back negative. This is because the incubation period for the virus can be up to 14 days and unless you were tested on the 14th day from your exposure, a negative test earlier in the quarantine period does not mean you are not infected.

Be Counted. Complete the Census.

Have you completed your 2020 census? Responses to the census shape decisions about how billions of dollars in federal funds flow into communities each year for the next 10 years for critical services, including health care, emergency response, schools and education programs, and roads and bridges. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of census data and census participation.

As of August 19, Rancho Palos Verdes had a self-response rate of 76.9%, above state and national averages, but behind our goal of 100% participation. The U.S. Census Bureau, however, has extended the official deadline to participate in the census to September 30 in response to the evolving COVID-19 crisis. If you haven't already done so, complete your census form now online at my2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020, or by mail if you receive a paper form.

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

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.

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/