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Long Beach COVID-19 Daily Update -3.16.20

LBLN ,

By the Numbers (Long Beach only):

  • 5 positive results
  • Approximately 100 persons currently being monitored

***Please note that private labs also are now testing people. Those labs are only required to report positive results; therefore we are unable to accurately quantify the number pending or negative results.***

Today’s Highlights:

  • Today is the first day the City of Long Beach is operating under temporarily modified conditions. Details about City modified operations are here. 
  • The City has issued guidance for local restaurants and bars in light of state guidance issued yesterday.
  • Long Beach Police Department has increased patrol resources and will continue to monitor key resource locations to ensure public safety. LBPD also provided health and safety recommendations to area grocery stores.
  • The City urges people to remain calm. Please follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for guidance for our residents.
  • Long Beach is working to protect people experiencing homelessness during this public health emergency.
  • City residents are strongly encouraged to sign up for Alert Long Beach to receive emergency notifications to their mobile phone and/or email address.
  • The Joint Information Center remains open throughout the weekend and during normal business hours: 562.570.NEWS (6397), jic@longbeach.gov. 
  • The Incident Management Team remains fully operational. 

This Week’s Highlights:

  • This respiratory disease outbreak has no impact on the quality or supply of Long Beach’s tap water and should not disrupt water or sewer service to Long Beach Water’s customers. Details here. 
  • Utilities including Southern California Edison and the Long Beach Water Dept. are temporarily suspending shutoffs. 
  • The City of Long Beach established an information hotline for businesses, workers and employers in Long Beach. That number is operated during normal business hours at 562.570.4BIZ (4249).
  • Saturday, March 14, Long Beach reported its first instance of community spread.
  • Long Beach Unified School District announced Friday, March 13, that it will close schools beginning Monday, March 16. School will resume Monday, April 20. A press conference about the school closures can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsLCMg0uWHY.
  • Friday, March 13, the federal government declared a National State of Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
  • Thursday, March 12, Long Beach Health Officer, Dr. Anissa Davis, signed a declaration that prohibits all large-scale events in the city. This declaration is effective immediately and will remain in effect through April 30, 2020, unless further action is taken by the Health Officer to lessen or expand the order.
  • On Tuesday, March 10, in a unanimous decision, Long Beach City Council adopted a resolution to ratify the City Manager’s Proclamation of Local Emergency and ratify the Long Beach Health Officer’s Declaration of Local Health Emergency regarding the serious and imminent threat of an outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s or the City of Long Beach’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries—or local jurisdictions—should do.

What you need to know NOW:

  • The City urges people to practice social distancing, including avoiding crowds of people and keeping at least six feet of distance from others.
  • Residents of Long Beach should continue to practice preventive measures such as frequent hand washing, disinfecting high-touch surfaces regularly, staying home when sick, not touching one’s face with unwashed hands and covering one’s coughs and sneezes. 
  • The City encourages everyone to put together a family action plan, including choosing a room in one’s house that can be used to separate sick household members from others; ensuring access to prescription and nonprescription medication, food and other essentials; and creating an emergency contact list of family, friends, neighbors, delivery services and other community resources. 
  • Reach out to elderly family members and neighbors to ensure they have what they need. More information about preparedness can be found at www.ready.gov.
  • The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Health Department Operations Center is activated at a Level I, and is conducting an extensive contact investigation, following up with individuals who may have been exposed as a result of the presumptive positive cases.
  • The City of Long Beach continues to monitor the situation 24/7 in coordination with local, state and federal officials.

COVID Testing Glossary:

  • Positive – Includes cases not yet confirmed by CDC, as well as confirmed cases. The CDC confirms the test result; for information about CDC confirmation process, contact CDC. The term “presumptive positive” has been used in previous communications to indicate positive test results not yet confirmed by CDC.
  • Negative – Number of people who have received a negative test result.
  • Monitored – The DHHS is closely monitoring individuals who may have been exposed. 

A Note About Quarantine and Isolation: 

Quarantine is used by public health professionals to separate potentially exposed individuals from the public in the case that they become symptomatic and thus contagious to others. Being in quarantine is not an indication that a person has or is likely to have COVID-19. Quarantined people are asked to limit their contact with others for 14 days, and may be excluded from work or school. Quarantined people should notify their provider immediately if they begin experiencing symptoms. Should they begin exhibiting symptoms, they may be required to isolate.

Isolation means separating a person that is sick in order to prevent them spreading the virus to others. People may be asked to self-isolate at home while they are being tested, while they recover, or they may be isolated in a healthcare setting if they need medical support to recover.

Who To Call & Additional Resources:

  • Up-To-Date Local Information on COVID-19: www.longbeach.gov/COVID19 and @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Highlights can be found using the hashtag #COVID19LongBeach.
  • Hotline Numbers: 
  • Media Inquiries: 562.570.NEWS (6397) or jic@longbeach.gov 
  • Business Information Line (normal business hours): 562.570.4BIZ (4249)
  • Public Information Line (normal business hours): 562.570.INFO (4636)
  • Health Providers: