Full Notification

Current Initiatives and Updates

• Public Health Announced Additional Sectors Re-Openings with Restrictions - The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that the Health Officer Order will be revised to allow for limited in-door operations at nail salons and shopping malls, outdoor operations for cardrooms, re-opening of outside playgrounds and the school waiver program for grades TK-2. The re-opening dates and restrictions vary per business sector. However indoor services at nail salons may resume at 25% capacity today in compliance with Personal Care Protocols. DPH is consulting with County Counsel to determine the process and date for re-opening outdoor operations at breweries and wineries serving meals. The City will provide more information and issue a press release when the Health Order is modified.
• Well done, Manhattan Beach! Continue to Slow the Spread –In September, there were eight days of zero new cases of COVID-19 and ten days of one new case in the City.  While L.A. County remains in Tier One, we must not be discouraged. Let's remain diligent and continue to slow the spread. Keep wearing face coverings when outside your home per State and County guidelines. Avoid the three C's 1) Confined Spaces - especially with poor ventilation. Outdoors are better than indoors. 2) Crowds – the more people, the higher the risk.  3) Close Contact – staying further apart is safer than being close together.
• Be Well This Season, Get a Flu Shot -  Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between them. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published Similarities and Differences between Flu and COVID-19 given the best available information to date. At present, there is no vaccine for COVID-19, but there is a vaccine for the flu. Take control and be protected from the flu by getting immunized. 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.

Federal, State, and County Updates

• Actions in Response to COVID-19 – The Governor signed several bills in response to COVID-19:
  • Executive Order N-51-20, superseded by AB 1867, provides paid sick leave and other benefits for food sector workers;
  • Executive Order N-62-20, superseded by SB 1159, provides workers' compensation;
  • Executive Order N-64-20 and Executive Order N-67-20 superseded by AB 860 and SB 423 provides guidelines for the November General Election;
  • AB 323 declares newspaper journalists, advertisers, and writers as independent contractors;
  • AB 841 includes energy-efficient programs under the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program; and
  • AB 2588 requires employers to pay for employees' and applicants' educational programs, training, and costs incurred providing direct patient care.
• Equity Metric Added to Los Angeles County in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy – The State added the health equity metric requirement to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to counties with a population greater than 106,000. The equity metric is to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among Californians who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The metric takes effect on October 6. Visit cdph.ca.gov for more information.
• Update on Outdoor Equipment Rentals – The L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH) recently updated the Protocols for Outdoor Equipment Rental Services, including kayaks, standup paddle boats, kitesurfing, electric boat rentals, and bikes. Customers should be aware that they are responsible for sanitizing any rented equipment before use by wiping down surfaces with EPA registered disinfectants. Rental companies are responsible for additional frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all rental equipment and being in compliance with the conditions laid out in the Checklist for Outdoor Equipment Rental Services. For more information, visit ph.lacounty.gov.
• County Employers and Youth May Benefit From Youth at Work Program – The Youth at Work Program was announced during the County's COVID-19 Press Conference yesterday. The Youth at Work program will help place County youth in a paid job that may lead to a long-term career path. Youth and young adults ages 14 to 24 are eligible to apply and receive 120 hours of personal enrichment training and paid work experience. L.A. County employers have the opportunity to become a youth worksite, receive subsidized wages, and a boost in workforce while providing a young worker invaluable experience. Visit workforce.lacounty.gov/youthatwork for more information.
•  Webinar Series on COVID-19 and Dementia – The National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) is hosting a free webinar series on COVID-19 and dementia. Each webinar will focus on organizations that have pivoted their service delivery system to continue serving and supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers during the pandemic. For more information and to register for each webinar, visit acl.gov.

• Discover Your Antibody Status When Giving Blood - The Red Cross is committed to helping others in meaningful ways during the pandemic. The Red Cross also needs blood donations. Help save lives and gain insight to your exposure to COVID-19. The American Red Cross is testing all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies as an additional health service to donors. Testing will provide insight into whether donors may have been exposed to coronavirus. Please note the Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, including COVID-19. Individuals who believe they may be ill with COVID-19 should not donate until symptom free for 14 days and healthy. Visit redcrossblood.org to sign up to donate and for more information.
• Projections in Healthcare / Predictive Modeling – Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) released the COVID-19 Projections of Hospital-based Health Care Demand September 30 Update. Key findings include:
  • The number of new patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization each day across Los Angeles County appears to be level;
  • The estimated transmission number ("R") is now 1.00, with an uncertainty of 0.90 to 1.07. Last week the estimate was 1.02 with an uncertainty of 0.95 to 1.09. If R is above 1 the number of cases will increase over time;
  • The model suggests that about 0.11% (uncertainty of 0.06% to 0.19%) of everyone in Los Angeles County is currently infected and infectious to others;
  • This suggests about 1 in 880 (between 1 in 1650 and 1 in 530) Los Angeles County residents are currently infectious to others. Last week this estimate was 1 in 770; and
  • The transmission of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County is changing over time. With different patterns in different geographic areas, more detailed geographical analysis is required to identify specific communities needing additional support in identifying cases and limiting spread.
• L.A. County Daily Briefing Statistics on COVID-19 – DPH confirmed 35 new deaths, one new case of COVID-19 in Manhattan Beach, and 1,148 new cases of COVID-19 in L.A. County in today's daily report. To date, DPH has identified 271,371 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,610 deaths. Testing results are available for more than 2,667,000 individuals, with 9% of all people testing positive. Currently, there are 746 confirmed cases presently hospitalized, and 27% of these people are documented 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 30, 2020, Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html

[2] September 30, 2020, Source: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx

[3] October 1, 2020, Source: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

[4] October 1, 2020, Source:  http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/