Full Notification

Current Initiatives and Updates

• Where L.A. County Stands on the States Tier System - On August 28, the state introduced its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a four-tier framework by which counties are measured for loosening and tightening restrictions on social activities and business operations. 
  • Latest Metrics - As of September 22, 2020, Los Angeles County remains in Tier One, with "widespread" risk and the most restrictions. According to the State’s website, L.A. County reflects 7.7 new COVID-19 cases per day (per 100k), with an adjusted case rate for tier assignment of 7.0; positivity rate is 2.8%.
  • Tier Two - Los Angeles County has met the metric thresholds for Tier Two (“substantial risk”). However, per State guidelines, Los Angeles County must continue to meet these metric thresholds for two consecutive weeks before moving into Tier Two.
• State Allows County to Consider Re-Opening Nail Salons - The State also announced that counties may now make their own determination to allow nail salons to resume indoor operations. The L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH) will be consulting with the Board of Supervisors to determine the timing of adopting changes to the County Health Officer Order that would allow nail salons to resume modified indoor operations. When the Health Order is modified, the City will make the respective changes in Manhattan Beach and advise accordingly.
• Make Manhattan Beach Count by Submitting Census Response by September 30 - We thank all residents who completed the 2020 Census. There is only one week left to be counted, and Manhattan Beach's response rate is only 69% percent. The City still needs 31% of our residents to submit their questionnaires by Wednesday, September 30, so our community can get a complete and accurate count. For every resident who is not counted, Manhattan Beach loses much-needed federal funding for schools; healthcare, emergency preparedness, and response; public safety; programs for children and seniors; roads; parks; and much more. The Census takes less than 10 minutes, and there are more ways to complete the Census than ever before: visit 2020census.gov, call (844) 330-2020, or mail in your form. Participate today to create a better future for yourself and those who are important to you.
• Keep Manhattan Beach Flu Free - Get a Flu Shot– Now more than ever, it is essential to get a flu shot. According to the L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH), it is highly likely that both the flu and COVID-19 will be present simultaneously. Not only is getting immunized vital because it is safe and provides protection against the harmful effects of influenza, but it can also help keep people out of the hospital, which will conserve hospital resources that may be taxed with COVID-19. Visit the DPH website for quick flu facts, flu prevention, and influenza watch (activity, severity, virology, vaccine match, and effectiveness). Take control and be protected from the flu by getting immunized. Flu clinics are already open across the County. To locate a flu vaccine near you, call your doctor, go to a local pharmacy, or go to vaccinefinder.org. To find a flu shot at low cost or free, call 2-1-1, or locate an L.A. County Public Health Clinic.
• Unhealthy Air and COVID-19 – DPH has published several warnings of unhealthy air quality due to smoke from the wildfires. While Manhattan Beach is not local to the fires, it is difficult to tell how far or where the wind carries smoke, ash, or soot, which can be harmful, even for healthy people. Respiratory symptoms such as dry cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing are common to wildfire smoke exposure and COVID-19.  Persons who are either susceptible to or affected by COVID-19 may have health conditions that make them vulnerable to wildfire smoke exposure. Visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for information on symptoms from wildfire smoke exposure differences from COVID-19. View the Current Air Quality Index (updated hourly), managed by South Coast Air Quality Management District for information on how clean or polluted the air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern.

Federal, State, and County Updates

• CDC Guidance for Re-opening Buildings – The Center for Disease Control and Prevention published guidance on re-opening buildings after prolonged shutdown or reduced operation. Considerations include mold awareness and remediation, legionella (the cause of Legionnaires' disease), and lead and copper contamination. Visit cdc.gov for information.
• COVID-19 and Food Safety – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), response to COVID-19 Weekly Update, recently reported on food safety. Work done by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) indicates that so far, there is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 (the strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) has been transmitted by food, food packaging, or food handling. Visit dhs.gov for more information.
• Pandemic Recovery Funds for Small Nonprofits - The L.A. Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund grant application is open for small nonprofits to apply through September 25. Approximately 100 grants of $75,000 will be awarded; winners are chosen through a randomized application system. Visit lacovidfund.org for more information.
• Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Contribute to a Stronger Economy– Celebrate American entrepreneurship and tune in to the virtual conference starting tomorrow to learn how small businesses can recover, adapt, and innovate during these challenging times. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and co-sponsors will host virtual events on September 22-24, 2020. Register to attend the free online conference;  visit sba.gov for more information.
• Small Business Opportunity to "Grow with Google" Workshop Series – The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) will launch the "Grow with Google" workshop series on September 22 to help California small businesses grow their digital footprints. The workshop series is offered several times through October 7. The topics include:
  • Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps: Learn about Google My Business, a free tool for local businesses who want to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps;
  • Make Your Website Work for You: discover how to create a search-friendly website that drives user action and supports their goals. Whether launching a new website or sprucing up an old one, this workshop will help; and
  • Use YouTube to Grow Your Business: get best practices for creating a YouTube Channel and compelling video content that promotes your products and services and drives engagement with your brand. Visit business.ca.gov for more information and to register.

• Actions in Response to COVID-19 – The Governor signs bills in response to COVID-19, including:
  • AB 1876 expanding access to California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), which will bolster immigrant family facing COVID-19 induced recession and boost economic growth; and
  • SB 1383 ensures job-protected leave for Californians who work for an employer with five or more employees to bond with a newborn, care for a seriously ill family member, address a military exigency or care for their own illness.
• Clinical Trials to Test Convalescent Plasma Against COVID-19 - Clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are expanding enrollment to further evaluate convalescent plasma as a treatment for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Preliminary observational studies indicate that convalescent plasma may improve outcomes among severely ill and hospitalized patients with COVID-19.  The trial expects to enroll approximately 1,000 hospitalized patients 18 years or older with respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 and assess clinical improvement at 14 and 28 days and evaluate outcomes based on mortality, intensive care unit admission, and patient antibody concentrations. Visit nih.gov for more information.

• IRS Supports Small Business Week - In support of National Small Business Week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will host a Twitter chat titled, "IRS Tips for Small Business Owners," on Twitter by #IRS (@IRSnews). Get tips to help small businesses navigate the unique challenges brought forth by COVID-19 on Thursday, September 24, at 11:00 AM. Follow along using #IRSsmallbiz. Visit IRS.gov for their dedicated page on Coronavirus Tax Relief for Businesses, and Tax-Exempt Entities, where business owners can find employer tax credit information and answers to questions frequently asked; the Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center page is also a useful resource with tools and common forms for small businesses.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Playbook - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) released documents outlining a detailed strategy to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to the American people as quickly and reliably as possible. The documents, provide a strategic distribution overview along with an interim playbook for state, tribal, territorial, and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19. Visit hhs.gov for more information.
• L.A. County Daily Briefing Statistics on COVID-19 – L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed 40 new deaths, no (zero) new case of COVID-19 in Manhattan Beach, and 810 new cases of COVID-19 in L.A. County in today's daily report. To date, DPH has identified 262,133 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,401 deaths. Testing results are available for more than 2,563,000 individuals, with 9% of all people testing positive. The County continues to see the number of daily COVID-19 hospitalizations decline from the July 20 peak of a 3-day average of over 2,200 hospitalizations. Even in the last month, since the end of August, there has been a significant decrease from an average of 1,200 daily hospitalizations to the average this past week of under 800 hospitalizations per day. DPH is hoping to not see an increase in the number of daily hospitalizations in the upcoming weeks associated with activities that occurred over the Labor Day holiday. Currently, there are 745 confirmed cases currently hospitalized, and 28% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. To view DPH's COVID-19 Daily Data, visit lacounty.gov. To view statewide case statistics and demographics, including positive cases, deaths, and testing results, visit covid-19.ca.gov.

[1] September 21, 2020, Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html

[2] September 21, 2020, Source: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx

[3] September 22, 2020, Source: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

[4] September 22, 2020, Source:  http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/