Joint Statement from the Westside Cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Malibu, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood Regarding Current Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
March 4, 2020 2:44 PM
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – The Westside cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Malibu, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood are jointly following the lead of Los Angeles County and its Department of Public Health (Public Health) and are at-the-ready for local action if the County or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend it. The five neighboring cities regularly collaborate on matters of public safety and response to natural and man-made disasters, large-scale regional public events, and emergency preparedness.
In response to six new cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) with known origins related to travel, not community transmission, Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach, and the City of Pasadena this morning declared a Level Three local emergency. This Level Three local emergency enables local agencies with their own public health departments (Los Angeles County, City of Los Angeles, Pasadena and Long Beach) to transition into full preparedness mode and makes them eligible for state and federal funding for any increase in COVID-19 cases and possible community spread. Under the LA County Public Health emergency declaration and from a regional emergency management perspective, all local jurisdictions within Los Angeles County fall under this public health declaration, including the five Westside cities.
Together, and within our local jurisdictions, the Westside cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Malibu, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood undergo emergency management training and meet regularly in preparation for a range of emergency scenarios. Each city, in standard preparation for any emergency or disaster, has robust plans in place for continuity of government services and business operations.
At this moment, Westside cities continue to urge the public to do the following:
- Avoid / Stay away from sick people;
- Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand cleaner;
- Keep hands away from eyes, nose, and mouth;
- Disinfect public counters, desks, common areas, phones, keyboards, etc.;
- Use disinfectant wipes identified for use against Influenza A&B and Coronaviruses;
- If you have symptoms (fever, cough, vomiting, difficulty breathing) stay home and call your doctor;
- Remain home until you have spoken with your doctor or health provider and are cleared to return to work; and
- Cover your coughs and sneezes.
The Westside cities will continue to follow the lead of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in implementing protocols for public spaces and in messaging to the community.
For updates and information about the current numbers of cases in the United States and in Los Angeles County, the spread of the virus, severity, treatments, precautions, and other important public health information in multiple languages, please visit
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
For additional information, please reference:
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health News Release, March 4, 2020
“County of Los Angeles Declares Local Health Emergency in Response to New Novel Coronavirus Activity”
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=2248
Contacts:
Keith Sterling, City of Beverly Hills, (714) 600-0952, ksterling@beverlyhills.org
Shelly Wolfberg, City of Culver City, (310) 253-6000, shelly.wolfberg@culvercity.org
Matt Myerhoff, City of Malibu,(424) 395-6450, mmyerhoff@malibucity.org
Constance Farrell, City of Santa Monica, (424) 280-0008, constance.farrell@smgov.net
Lisa Marie Belsanti, City of West Hollywood, (323) 513-7861, lbelsanti@weho.org
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SANTA MONICA QUOTES:
“Santa Monica is monitoring the coronavirus hour by hour in close collaboration with the LA County Department of Public Health,” said Mayor Kevin McKeown. “We are committed to keeping the community apprised of updates and impacts as the situation evolves. Everyone plays a role in helping prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. We ask the community to follow the recommended practices to protect your families, neighbors, and the entire community.”
“We are aligned closely with local hospitals, schools, businesses, and community organizations to ensure that our community members know where to access the latest official coronavirus information, how to be prepared, and any impacts on our city,” said City Manager Rick Cole. “We have contingency plans in place and our team is trained in multi-hazard emergency coordination, including working with our partners at LA County Department of Public Health for this type of public health crisis.”
“The County’s Department of Public Health has been preparing a coordinated approach to the coronavirus threat for two months,” said LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. “Today’s announcement will help the County more effectively and quickly prepare. We want to take every measure possible to slow the spread of the virus. I’m urging people to stay informed: The County’s Department of Public Health website is a great resource with credible information. Take recommended precautions: Wash your hands frequently, keep 6 feet between you and people you don’t know at large public events. Parents, please make a plan in case schools need to close. Employers, please insist that sick employees stay home.”
Media Contact
Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov
Departments
More Information
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=2248
http://www.santamonica.gov/coronavirus
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov
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