The Los Angeles Post

California Public Health Officials Provide COVID-19 Update

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State Announces New County Monitoring List to Support Local COVID-19 Response and Allow Timely Response to Outbreaks

State Releases New Guidance to Help Counties Plan for Reopening Based on Decisions by Local Public Health Officials

State Announces Critical Supplies and Guidance to Support Re-Opening of Schools and Childcare Facilities 

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health today announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19. California has 122,901 confirmed cases and 4,485 deaths. To date 2,238,463 tests conducted in California, with an increase of 55,792 tests over the prior 24-hour reporting period. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected. However California remains in the range of stability for case positivity rate and COVID-19 related hospitalizations. Despite increased testing and the reopening of certain sectors of the economy, California’s case positivity rate is at 4.5 percent and the number of hospitalizations has decreased by 2.9 percent over the last 14 days.

As Californians will remain at risk for COVID-19 until there is an effective, widely available vaccine, CDPH today also released its first County Monitoring List to give Californians insight into how their county is performing and provide early indicators of developing areas of concern. As the state continues to advance through its Pandemic Resilience Roadmap, CDPH also released guidance for additional sectors of the economy. This guidance provides sectors with information on public health modifications they should implement prior to opening. Upon review of local data related to COVID-19 spread and county preparedness, the county public health officer will make a final decision about the timing for opening a sector.

“Just because some businesses are opening doesn’t mean your risk for COVID-19 is gone. We all need to continue to keep physical distancing, wash our hands and wear face coverings in public,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health. “As we continue to release guidance on how different sections can reopen with modifications, it is important to remember guidance doesn’t mean ‘go.’ Your local health officer will make the final decision about which sectors will open, guided by data specific to your community.”

County Monitoring List
California is actively monitoring data on how COVID-19 is affecting individual communities. Today, the California Department of Public Health is publishing the County Monitoring List to give Californians insight into how their county is performing and provide early indication of developing areas of concern. The state will work closely with county health officials to more effectively target the public health response to local outbreaks. This will include identifying the drivers of increased transmission, reviewing strategies, discussing additional steps that can be taken (testing, contact tracing, infection control), discussing gaps in resources, and reviewing local containment measures. If a county is not able to address a localized outbreak it should consider reinstituting sector limitations or more general Stay-at-Home provisions. If the county makes insufficient or no progress, the State Public Health Officer may take action.

Given the state’s vast geographic diversity, many counties have attested to epidemiological readiness and overall preparedness and are able to move at their own pace into Stage 3 depending on local conditions. California provides guidance on how local jurisdictions should modify behavior and operations to reduce risk for infection should they decide to reopen a specific sector. If the state has not yet released guidance for a sector, then that sector cannot yet be reopened. Local officials in counties with attestations determine when specific sectors of their economy that have state guidance posted will reopen. It is up to the local jurisdiction to make decisions regarding reopening specific sectors based upon the epidemiology and readiness of the county.

Interim Statewide Guidance for Schools and Updated Guidance for Childcare
The California Department of Public Health today released interim guidance for schools and school–based programs to assist communities, school leaders, staff and parents to plan for the upcoming school year. The guidance is based on the best available public health data, international best practices currently employed, and the practical realities of managing school operations. As the science evolves and the school year draws closer, the guidance will be updated based on the most current information and the progress of the disease in California. In that spirit, the California Department of Public Health also released updated guidance for childcare programs and providers, including resources for parents and for employers supporting employees with childcare needs.

To support the safe reopening of schools and to protect public health, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Department of General Services will assist public schools (traditional and charter), private schools and childcare facilities in procuring necessary PPE, supplies and equipment.

The following supplies will be distributed to meet the near-term needs of schools and childcare:

  • No-touch thermometers for every school and childcare facility totaling over 47,000;
  • Face shields for every teacher and childcare provider, totaling approximately 2.4 million;
  • Over 14 million cloth face coverings for staff and students;
  • Over 16 million disposable masks;
  • 123,000 N95 masks for school-based health professionals, including those interacting with symptomatic students; and
  • 143,000 gallons of hand sanitizer.

The Department of General Services will also work with schools and childcare providers to procure PPE and other supplies through a statewide process, easing logistical burdens and ensuring lower rates by leveraging the state’s purchasing power.

Implementation of the interim guidance should be tailored for each school site and the needs of students and families. School leaders should engage with families, staff, and public health authorities as they begin planning for the upcoming school year.

Guidance for Day Camps
This new guidance is intended to help day camps formulate and implement plans for safe re-opening. Implementation requires training and support for staff and adequate consideration of camper and family needs.

Guidance for Casinos Operated by Sovereign Tribal Nations
In working with California’s sovereign tribal nations, California has released guidance on how to reopen casinos with reduced risk of transmission. Tribal governments should coordinate with local public health officials in the surrounding or neighboring jurisdictions to determine the readiness for reopening.

Guidance for Music, Film and Television Production
Music, TV and film production may resume in California, recommended no sooner than June 12, 2020 and subject to approval by county public health officers within the jurisdictions of operations following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Guidance for Professional Sports without Live Audiences
Professional sports in California may resume training and competition without live audiences, recommended no sooner than June 12, 2020 and subject to approval by county public health officers within the jurisdiction of operations following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, athletes, coaching staff, medical staff, broadcasting staff and others at sporting facilities or events should abide by COVID-19 protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Retail staff should adhere to Retail guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

June 12 Planning Guidance for Counties with Attestations
The California Department of Public Health also released new guidance on how local jurisdictions with attestations to readiness should modify behavior and operations to reduce risk for infection. All guidance is effective as of June 12 and should only be implemented with local health official approval following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 populations, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing.

More information about the state’s COVID-19 guidance is on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance web page.

More information about reopening California and what individuals can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California.

www.cdph.ca.gov