REGIONAL MESSAGE ON COVID-19 THREAT ALERT SOUTHBAY CITIES
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER
KEY MESSAGES
September 3, 2020
*All weekly regional messages can be found under the COVID-19 tab on the www.alertsouthbay.com homepage.
FOUR TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Overall, LA County, including the South Bay region, is trending downward in our current case count and positivity rates. As of today, our daily new case averages are down 55% from August 1, 2020 and our positivity rate is down 28% with a 7-day average of 4.8%.
Collectively, we have all made a difference in slowing the spread of COVID-19, which means a few things:
Community transmission rates are lower.
Progress is being made towards the additional reopening of indoor activities.
Children will be back at school sooner if these trends continue.
Trends from previous holiday weekends have shown a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in LA County and the South Bay. We know the past six months have been challenging for everyone, but please remember to celebrate safely this weekend. This means:
When outside of your home and around others, please wear a face covering.
Avoid crowded areas and be flexible and willing to change your plans if you find yourself on a crowded beach, park, trail, etc.
Avoid confined spaces, especially where physical distancing or staying more than three steps away from others isn't possible.
If you are sick (or have been exposed to someone positive for COVID-19), please isolate or quarantine as appropriate.
Contract tracing efforts are finding most cases originate from small family gatherings with members outside your household. Focus your activities outdoors, spaced out from others, and wear face coverings. There are safe ways to see family and friends without putting yourself and others at risk. What you do this weekend will make a difference.
FLEX ALERT INFORMATION
A Flex Alert has been issued for the Holiday weekend beginning Saturday, September 5 through Monday, September 7, from 3 pm-9 pm. With the temperature in the mid-'80s to '90s at the beaches and inland areas up to 105, depending on the demand on our electrical grid, the ISO may issue a Flex Alert. To find your rotating outage group number, enabling you to better prepare for an outage, you have several options:
View the number at the top of your bill (rotating outage number group)
Visit sce.com/…/outage-inf…/rotating-outages/rotating-group-number
Call SCE at 1-800-611-1911
As a reminder, you can conserve energy by doing the following:
Set thermostat at 78° or higher and turn off, if away
Cool with fans and draw drapes
Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances.
Use major appliances in the morning or late evening.
For more information, please visit http://www.flexalert.org.
HOW TO #BEACHRESPONSIBLY
LA County Beaches will remain open this holiday weekend, recognizing that being outdoors is safer than indoors. With that in mind, please remember that transmission occurs when you are in close contact with others without a face covering. While it is tempting to high-five your friend you haven't seen in six-months, try and keep your distance and wear your face covering. As a reminder, face coverings are required when out of the water and around others while on LA County Beaches. Please share how you are being responsible by tagging us in your photos using the #BeachResponsibly.
And if you have visited LA County Beaches recently, you’ve noticed an increase in trash and other items that have been left behind. We are encouraging you to help keep our beaches and ocean clean by utilizing the ‘pack-in pack out’ method. Grab a trash bag when heading to the beach and throw it in with your towel and sunscreen. If we all are responsible for our items, it can and will make a difference.
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH: PREPARING FOR CONCURRENT DISASTERS
(This will be part of a month-long series on preparedness)
September is National Preparedness Month. This designation is designed to encourage preparedness for disasters that could happen at any time. As our nation continues to respond to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, disasters will continue to pose a threat to our country and region. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to prepare for disasters and emergencies BEFORE they happen.
Know the risks in your area. Every city has a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) that outlines the hazards affecting their area. You can contact your local city Emergency Management Department and request a copy of their LHMP.
If you live near the coast, understand if you live in a Tsunami inundation zone and familiarize yourself with possible evacuation routes.
If you live in an area with high wildfire danger, know the steps you can take to mitigate your risk such as brush clearance, having a plan if you need to leave immediately, and ensuring you have gas in your vehicle.
Sign-up to receive local area emergency alerts. You can do this by visiting https://member.everbridge.net/311578402488335/login and selecting the cities you wish to be alerted by.
Maintain Situational Awareness:
Identify at least two-ways out of your neighborhood.
Identify ‘trusted networks' or a reliable news source so that you do not spend precious time validating information. Local AM/FM radio stations will broadcast emergency information when available. Check with your local city for their listing.
Be prepared to evacuate by creating a go-bag with essential documents and supplies.
This should include at a minimum copies of insurance documents, birth records, vaccination records and medical information, medications, food, water, first aid supplies, and FACE COVERINGS. If you have children or pets, consider their needs as well. And remember, if you feel unsafe, you do not have to wait to be told to leave.
Have a plan on where you will go and how you will communicate.
COVID-19 presents new challenges with sheltering. Staying with close friends or family may be a better option right now, depending on your situation.
Develop a plan on how you will communicate with loved ones if you need to leave suddenly to include a meeting location. Also, identify alternative ways to communicate, such as SMS and email, as they require less data and are more reliable than voice communications in disasters.
Tip: Change your voicemail ASAP if calls aren’t going through to let loved ones know that you are ok and safe. You can also change your cellphone settings to use wifi for calls or use social media platforms and apps such as WhatsApp and Zello if cellular service is not available.
For more information on how to be Fire Aware, visit http://fire.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Ready-set-go_051420.pdf.####