Full Notification

Current Initiatives and Updates

• Where L.A. County Stands on the States Tier System - As of October 13, 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 9.0 new COVID-19 cases per day (per 100k), with an adjusted case rate for tier assignment of 7.6. The positivity rate is 3.7%; the health equity metric is 6.0% (Healthy Places Index quartile positivity rate). Los Angeles County has met the State's positivity rate metric threshold for Tier Three with "moderate" risk but remains in Tier One because the tier assignment case rate is greater than 7. When the positivity rate and case rate fall into different tiers, the stricter tier prevails. The number of daily new cases continues to indicate that COVID-19 is spreading throughout L.A. County communities. Of the new cases reported by Public Health on Friday, October 10, 72% of COVID-19 cases occurred in people under 50 years old. The highest number of cases among all age groups in L.A. County are in residents between the ages of 30 and 49 years old at 35% of all cases. The second highest is among residents between the ages of 18 and 29, with 25% of all cases.
• COVID-19 Situation Reports and Case Counts to be Sent via Email – The City of Manhattan Beach remains committed to providing the community with critical information and updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the community's feedback, beginning Tuesday, October 20, COVID-19 updates will only be sent by email and not by text message. Text messages will focus on community alerts and advisory notifications. If you are not receiving COVID-19 updates by email, sign up for Coronavirus eNews on the City's website to subscribe to the City's newsletters. The City will also post timely information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the City's website.
• City Reimagines Halloween to Ensure Safe Celebrations – As the community begins to plan for the upcoming holiday season, starting with Halloween, the City is recommending safe alternatives that still promote festive holiday celebrations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  While the "World Famous Pumpkin Races" are canceled this year in compliance with County Health Orders and to avoid gatherings, the City is excited to partner with Manhattan Beach Downtown Business and Professional Association to host a virtual pumpkin decorating contest. Residents are encouraged to decorate pumpkins ahead of time and drop them off at Metlox Plaza (13th and Morningside) for display at the "Pumpkin Valet" between Noon to 5:00 PM Sunday, October 25. Then enjoy shopping, and dining downtown as photos of the pumpkins are captured and prepared to upload to the contest site. Pumpkin contest categories are Best Kids Creation, Good Enough to Eat, Most Artistic, Most Original, Scariest, and Local Love for Manhattan Beach. The City and the Manhattan Beach Downtown Business and Professional Association will award prizes from local businesses. For more information, visit the City's website.
• Recent Press Release:
  • City Reimagines Halloween to Ensure Safe Celebrations and Adhere to County Health Recommendations (10/8/2020)

Federal, State, and County Updates

• Updates in Public Health Protocols – The L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH) recently updated several protocols, including:
  • Protocol for Social Distancing (Clarification added that visitor assessments should also include whether they are currently required to be under isolation or quarantine);
  • Reopening Protocol for Outdoor Playgrounds:
  • Protocols for Shopping Center Operators;
  • Protocols for Retail Establishments Opening for In-person Shopping (Clarification added that visitor assessments should also include whether they are currently required to be under isolation or quarantine);
  • Guidance for Ventilation at Workplace Settings; and
  • Civil Weddings (in compliance with the guidelines in the California Executive Order).

• Guidance for Individuals in Gatherings - COVID-19 continues to spread and remains easily spread among people in close contact with an infected person. DPH recommends if you were in a crowd with non-household members, especially if people were not wearing face coverings and were shouting, chanting, and singing, you may have been exposed to COVID-19 if an infected person was also there. People can pass the virus to others, even before they know they have it. It is essential that you stay away from other people, especially those at greater risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, and monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 full days. This is essential to prevent the unintentional spreading of COVID-19 to others. If you have symptoms or you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, or if you were in a crowd or gathering where people were close together and not wearing face coverings or keeping their distance, you should get tested. County residents needing a COVID-19 test are strongly encouraged first to contact their Primary Care Provider or Healthcare Center about receiving a test at their facility. If you do not have access to this care or are unable to contact them, free testing is available. The local County test site is at the Beach Cities Health District campus in Redondo Beach. To schedule a test, visit lacounty.gov/testing or call 2-1-1. Testing does not protect you from either infecting others or becoming infected yourself. Remember, testing is not a replacement for infection control practices. A negative test result only means you were negative at the moment your specimen was taken. A person who has recently tested negative for the virus could test positive within hours of testing and have the ability to infect other people unknowingly. By finding out if you are positive, even if you have no symptoms yet, you can quickly take steps to prevent your family, friends, or coworkers from becoming infected by you and get the medical care you need. For more information, visit publichealth.lacounty.gov.

• State Guidance for Halloween and Día de los Muertos – The California Department of Public Health released guidance for safer Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations during COVID-19. Día de los Muertos is the Mexican tradition celebrated in the Latino community honoring the deceased, which often includes gatherings of the extended family and cemetery visits. Families are encouraged to place traditional indoor alters outside so others can view them from a safe distance, create virtual altars online, and keep cemetery visits short and limited to people within the same household. Visit cdph.cd.gov for more information.
• Apply Now for the Small Business Revitalization Grant - Did your business close its doors due to COVID-19? The deadline to apply for the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) Small Business Revitalization Grant Program is October 16 at 12:00 PM. The program is designed to assist breweries with no kitchen, wineries with no kitchen, miniature golf parks, batting cage facilities, kart racing centers, and tanning salons in Los Angeles County that have been impacted by the pandemic. Eligible applicants will receive $30,000 to use for working capital, such as employee payroll, working capital to continue operations, payment of outstanding business expenses, and adaptive business practices needed to remain open. For more information, visit lacda.org.
• COVID-19 Science Updates – Data serves a vital role in informing efforts to prevent and reduce public health risks. Given the large number and different types of studies being released, it can be challenging to stay on top of the latest research. The COVID-19 Science Update was created to help inform the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 response and keep staff updated on the latest research. It summarizes COVID-19-related studies, including epidemiology, clinical treatment and management, laboratory science, and modeling. Visit cdc.gov to view today's COVID-19 Science Update and past issues. 

• Development of Fast Molecular Test – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DOD), awarded a contract to Cue Health, Inc. to expand U.S. production capacity for a cartridge-based point-of-care COVID-19 molecular test that produces results in about 20 minutes. The public-private partnership provides the capabilities to expand Cue's industrial base, increase domestic production to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per day by March 2021, and deliver six million COVID-19 tests and 30,000 instruments to the U.S. Government. Visit hhs.gov for more information.
• 2020 California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention – California's small businesses are faced with an unprecedented economic disruption due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As small business owners persevere through the pandemic, their stories are inspiring examples of how they are using creativity, connection, and community to navigate their survival in the face of adversity. The L.A. County Consumer & Business Affairs, Office of Small Business, welcomes business owners to the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention. Register to attend the free three-day virtual event - an excellent opportunity to help boost your business with new strategies and resources. Topics include:
  • At Your Fingertips: Tips and Tricks for Marketing and Communications
  • Economic Forecast: California's Economic Landscape
  • Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste: Rising to the Challenge
  • The Good, the Bad, the Ugly of Contracting
  • Cybersecurity in the New Reality
  • The REAL Value of Relationships: The Key to YOUR Business's Future
  • The Ongoing Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Owned Businesses
  • Latinas Shaping the U.S. Economy
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Leading the Cultural Transformation of the Small Business Ecosystem in Cali
  • Lessons of Success from Latina Entrepreneurs and Businesswomen
• L.A. County Daily Briefing Statistics on COVID-19 – DPH confirmed 18 new deaths, one (1) new case of COVID-19 in Manhattan Beach, and 790 new cases of COVID-19 in L.A. County in today's daily report. The low number of new deaths and cases reflects a lag from reports over the weekend. To date, DPH has identified 283,750 positive cases of COVID-19 across all L.A. County areas, and a total of 6,790 deaths. The Department of Public Health has tracked the number of positive cases and deaths among healthcare workers related to the COVID-19 pandemic response through the pandemic. There have been 99 deaths and 16,080 positive cases among healthcare workers and first responders in Los Angeles County. The number of new weekly cases among healthcare workers has declined from 704 new cases reported for July 4 to 368 new cases reported last week. Two-thirds of healthcare workers' cases occurred among women (68%), and the majority of COVID-19 related deaths in healthcare workers/first responders have occurred among men (55%). Nurses continue to account for most positive cases (36%) and deaths (43%) among healthcare workers. Half of the healthcare workers identified with COVID-19 are Latino/Latinx, origin (50%), and nearly half are between 30 and 40 years old (46%). Cases have been identified among 29 different occupational settings, and skilled nursing/long-term care facilities have the highest proportion of cases (33%). Testing results are available for more than 2,838,000 individuals, with 9% of all people testing positive. There are currently 692 confirmed cases presently hospitalized, and 27% of these are 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] October 12, 2020, Source:https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker

[2] October 12, 2020, Source:https://update.covid19.ca.gov/

[3] October 13, 2020, Source:http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

[4] October 13, 2020, Source:http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/locations.htm