Update
#79
COVID-19 Emergency
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2 New Cases in Big Bear Valley Reported Today
2 Positive Tests Out of 211 Tested at June 19 Testing Event
City Continues to Closely Monitor County Hospitalization Data
City Evaluating Potential Adjustments to Show and/or Date for Fireworks
7 Communities in San Bernardino County Planning July 4 Fireworks Displays
San Bernardino County Allows Bars To Remain Open, For Now
PLEASE WEAR YOUR FACE COVERINGS!
Keep Us OPEN!
Please Get Tested!
FREE COVID-19 Testing Readily Available in San Bernardino County
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THIS IS THE OFFICIAL COVID-19 GUIDANCE FROM THE CITY OF BIG BEAR LAKE
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The City of Big Bear Lake is working hard to ensure that the residents, second home owners, investors, businesses, and visitors in our community have the correct information about the status of COVID-19 in Big Bear Lake and the City's response to the COVID-19 event.
This email newsletter is the official guidance from the City of Big Bear Lake, and the City appreciates everyone's adherence to the guidance outlined herein. This email newsletter also serves as the City's official press release regarding the City's COVID-19 response, and press inquiries may be directed to City Manager Frank Rush at 909-866-5832 or via
email.
The City issues these COVID-19 updates periodically as significant or new information emerges. To be sure you are receiving the latest and most accurate information, please sign up for this email newsletter by clicking
here
. PLEASE share this email newsletter with anyone and everyone, as we want to reach as many people as possible with this information. Thank you!
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2 NEW CASES IN BIG BEAR VALLEY REPORTED TODAY
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San Bernardino County is reporting 2 new confirmed cases in the Big Bear Valley today.
A total of 4 new cases have been reported by County public health officials in the last 3 days, and 2 of these 4 cases were tested at the special June 19 testing event at City Hall.
The total cumulative case count now includes
9 reported cases in the City of Big Bear Lake and
6 in unincorporated areas (15 total cases). It is important to note that these are cumulative totals since reporting began in early March, and that most of these individuals have fully recovered by now and have resumed normal activities.
There have been 6 new cases reported since the beginning of May, and these cases are believed to be the only currently active cases in the Big Bear Valley. Thankfully, there have been no deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the Big Bear Valley.
The County now reports a cumulative total of
12,550 confirmed cases in all of San Bernardino County. A total of
139,704 tests have been administered thus far in the County, with
9.0% testing positive for COVID-19. Sadly, a total of
253 people have now died from COVID-19 in San Bernardino County.
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2 POSITIVE TESTS OUT OF 211 TESTED AT JUNE 19 TESTING EVENT
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Earlier today, San Bernardino County public health officials released the results of the COVID-19 testing event at Big Bear Lake City Hall on June 19.
A total of 211 individuals were swab tested at the June 19 event for active cases of COVID-19, and only 2 individuals tested positive. These 2 new cases are included in the County's current reporting described above.
A total of 197 individuals participated in serology testing, and complete aggregate results are not yet available. Similar testing throughout the County has indicated that less than 1% of those tested to date have presented with antibodies, so we expect the results of this testing to yield only a small number of potentially previously exposed individuals in Big Bear Lake.
The City continues to work with San Bernardino County public health officials to schedule additional free testing events in Big Bear Lake in the future.
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CITY CONTINUES TO CLOSELY MONITOR COUNTY HOSPITALIZATION DATA
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Because
any COVID-19 patients from the Big Bear Valley would likely be treated by other, larger hospitals in San Bernardino County, City officials continue to closely monitor hospitalization and ventilator data in the entire County. Thankfully,
there has been sufficient capacity in San Bernardino County hospitals throughout the COVID-19 event. However, hospitalizations have increased in the County in recent weeks and are now at the highest levels since the COVID-19 event began.
According to the latest County data, there are currently
459
confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients hospitalized in San Bernardino County. Although hospitalizations have increased in the County in recent weeks, it is important to understand the context of this increase.
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in our County previously peaked at 451 patients on April 10, and then dropped to 196 patients by May 15. On June 16, there were a total of 293 patients hospitalized in our County. It is important to note that there are approximately 6,000 hospital beds in San Bernardino County, and the County has specifically identified 1,106 "surge capacity" beds (the number of additional beds a hospital could provide if all available space was needed) in response to the COVID-19 event.
According to the latest County data, there are a total of
147
COVID-19 patients in intensive care. This is the highest reported number of ICU patients with suspected or confirmed cases during the COVID-19 event, eclipsing the April 10 total of 124 patients.
It is important to note, however, that there are still a total of
124
intensive care beds available in San Bernardino County. To put this in perspective, there were a total of 61 intensive care beds available on April 16, a total of 168 intensive care beds available on May 16, and 156 intensive care beds available on June 16.
According to the latest San Bernardino County data, COVID-19 patients are currently utilizing
105 ventilators out of the 807 ventilators in our County. There are a total of 191 ventilators currently being utilized by patients with other ailments, and a total of
511 ventilators remain available.
Since April 11, there have never been less than 500 ventilators available in San Bernardino County.
The overall number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in San Bernardino County has increased by approximately 50% since June 16, and City officials are concerned about this increase. The total number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized has been relatively stable over the past 6 days, and we are hopeful that this number will again begin to decrease in the coming days.
The City considers this data to be among the most important data when making decisions for our community, and will continue to monitor and adjust our COVID-19 strategy if / as needed.
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CITY EVALUATING POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS TO SHOW AND/OR DATE FOR FIREWORKS
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As of now, the annual July 4 fireworks show is still on for this Saturday night, however, the City continues to evaluate local and regional circumstances that have changed significantly since the City's decision on June 16. As such, the City is considering potential adjustments to the show and/or date, and will announce any adjustments (if they are implemented) in future City COVID-19 updates.
The number of cases in Southern California and Southern California has increased significantly over the past week+, however, the Big Bear Valley continues to experience a relatively low incidence of COVID-19. Although hospital capacity in San Bernardino County has decreased somewhat over the past week+, it remains at manageable levels at this time. The City has been closely monitoring this data to determine if hospital capacity increases or decreases, as this is perhaps the most critical indicator in managing the City's COVID-19 actions.
The City continues to evaluate current circumstances, and is also awaiting additional guidance from the Governor regarding July 4 activities that is anticipated on Wednesday.
It is important to note that the City has experienced significant visitation in recent weeks, and this high visitation is expected to continue in the coming weeks and months as people seek safe, enjoyable, and nearby recreation and travel opportunities.
The City expects a large crowd during the weekend of July 4 regardless of whether or not the July 4 fireworks show is produced. The City's decision to proceed with the July 4 fireworks show was not made to attract visitors (they are already here), rather it was made to honor the founding of the United States of America, to give our community something to look forward to and to celebrate, and to maintain this important annual Big Bear tradition. It is not intended to attract additional visitors to Big Bear Lake this year.
If the City proceeds with the July 4 fireworks show, the City will be taking several steps to promote public health and safety during this year's show:
- The barge from which the fireworks are launched would be repositioned to a location in the middle of the lake. This adjustment is expected to improve visibility further west along the north shore, further east along the south shore, and at higher elevations in Moonridge, providing more room for viewers to spread out and allowing additional viewing from neighborhoods at higher elevations. All historical viewing locations would remain intact.
- Viewers would be encouraged to view the fireworks from their home, vehicle, or boat to avoid interactions with others.
- Viewers would be advised to maintain at least 6 ft. of separation from other groups while viewing the fireworks.
- Viewers should wear face coverings while viewing the fireworks near others,
- The City and Visit Big Bear, with volunteer assistance from the Interact Club, will be distributing free face masks to viewers at Rotary Park, Veterans Park, Meadow Park, and The Village from 5 pm - 9 pm on July 4.
- Additional hand washing stations and portable toilets would be in place at Rotary Park, Veterans Park, Meadow Park, and The Village during the show, and all weekend long.
- The July 4 fireworks show will be live-streamed on multiple platforms to enable those who are not comfortable venturing out to view the show. The show will be broadcast live on Channel 182 and also at the City's website.
As noted above, additional adjustments may be made between now and July 4 to promote public health and safety, and any adjustments to the show and/or date will be communicated in future City COVID-19 updates.
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7 COMMUNITIES IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY PLANNING JULY 4 FIREWORKS DISPLAYS
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Many communities have canceled July 4 fireworks displays due to public health and/or financial concerns, however, the following communities in San Bernardino County are still planning fireworks displays:
Several other Southern California communities are also planning to proceed with July 4 fireworks shows in Orange and San Diego counties.
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SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ALLOWS BARS TO REMAIN OPEN, FOR NOW
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Governor Newsom has ordered the closure of bars in 7 California counties experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, and has recommended that County leaders implement identical restrictions in 8 other counties, including San Bernardino County.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors met earlier today to discuss this issue, and the County has allowed bars to remain open, at least for now, while additional education and enforcement efforts are implemented. As such, bars remain open in Big Bear Lake, at least for now. San Bernardino County and/or Governor Newsom may consider re-implementing this restriction in the future if necessary.
The Governor's recent order and recommendation applies to bars only, and does NOT apply to restaurants that serve drinks with food orders. For more details on the Governor's recent order, please click
here.
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PLEASE WEAR FACE COVERINGS!
KEEP US OPEN!
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PLEASE wear face coverings when interacting with others in Big Bear Lake! It's now required by the State, and the City supports this requirement.
It's not too much to ask EVERYONE to wear a face covering, and it may make the difference in keeping our community SAFE and OPEN! Absolutely no one wants to have to re-institute business closures and "stay-at-home" orders, and the combination of physical distancing, face coverings, and good hygiene are our best tools to avoid a return to the more restrictive measures implemented in March, April, and May.
You don't need to wear a face covering at home, while driving, or while exercising by yourself or with your family, but PLEASE wear one when you're working in a local business, patronizing a local business, at church, at other indoor gatherings, and any time it's not possible to maintain at least 6 feet of separation from others - indoors and outdoors.
It's the least you can do for our community!
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PLEASE GET TESTED!
FREE COVID-19 TESTING READILY AVAILABLE IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
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San Bernardino County continues to offer numerous, FREE COVID-19 testing sites all throughout our County. These sites are available to any Big Bear resident who is interested in being tested, and there are no screening requirements - anyone can get tested!
To view all of the testing sites in San Bernardino County, please click
here. The City is pleased to have worked with the County to offer free testing in Big Bear Lake on April 17 and June 19, and will work to schedule additional testing in the coming weeks.
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PERSONAL FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL!
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The City reminds everyone that
personal fireworks are ILLEGAL in the Big Bear Valley!
City staff, Sheriff's deputies, and Fire Department staff will be closely monitoring for any illegal fireworks activity, and
citations with fines up to $1,000 will be issued for any fireworks violations
. Please don't put our community at risk of a significant forest fire, and simply sit back and enjoy the spectacular professional show over the lake on July 4!
If you see someone using personal fireworks, please call (909) 866-7566 or text (909) 731-4887 immediately. For additional information, please contact Big Bear Fire Department by clicking
here
or call (909) 866-7566.
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BIG BEAR LAKE BUSINESSES ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR COVID-COMPLIANT GRANT FUNDING - STILL MORE THAN $20 MILLION AVAILABLE
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San Bernardino County's new COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program still has more than $20 million available to award to businesses to assist with the cost of implementing COVID-19 safety measures. Each business is eligible for up to $2,500, and these funds may be used for the purchase of supplies and equipment necessary to keep your customers, employees, and our community safe!
All Big Bear Lake businesses are encouraged to apply! To learn more, and to apply for your $2,500 grant, please click
here.
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VISITORS ENCOURAGED TO AVOID SR 330, SHOULD INSTEAD USE SR 18 OR SR 38 TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM BIG BEAR
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Construction work continues on SR 330 leading from Highland to Running Springs, with one lane closed just south of the City Creek Fire Station.
Considerable delays may occur as a result, and the City of Big Bear Lake advises all travelers to use either SR 18 from San Bernardino to Crestline, and then on to Running Springs and Big Bear Lake, OR to use SR 38 from Redlands up through Angelus Oaks and Big Bear City to Big Bear Lake.
The SR 18 route is only 6 miles longer, but will take less time during heavy traffic conditions. The SR 38 route is 18 miles longer, but will still take less time during heavy traffic conditions, and is a beautiful drive with fewer twists and turns along the way!
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ESSENTIALLY ALL BIG BEAR LAKE BUSINESSES ARE NOW APPROVED TO REOPEN UNDER GOVERNOR'S RESILIENCE ROADMAP
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In order to eliminate confusion for business owners, the City advises all businesses to adhere to business-specific guidance included in the
Governor's Resilience Roadmap
when opening.
The City encourages all Big Bear Lake businesses to take all appropriate steps to keep your employees, your customers, and our community safe!
PLEASE implement appropriate physical distancing, require face coverings, promote good hygiene, implement proper disinfection procedures, and other health and safety measures - help us keep Big Bear Lake SAFE and OPEN!
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RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCES FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND VISITORS
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The City has compiled specific recommendations and resources for our residents, businesses, and visitors, and encourages everyone to diligently implement these recommendations and take advantage of these resources:
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Stay Informed!
Sign up for City of BBL Updates,
Visit Our Other Digital Platforms
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The City of Big Bear Lake strives to keep our residents, property owners, investors, businesses, and visitors well-informed about the City's issues and initiatives - including the COVID-19 event - with an emphasis on information specific to Big Bear Lake and the entire Big Bear Valley.
The easiest way to stay-informed is to sign up for the City's email newsletter and other updates. It's easy to sign up - simply visit
the City's website
and click on "Text & Email Notifications" in the top center of the homepage. Simply click on the link, enter your name and email address, and you're all set. Signing up will ensure that you receive periodic updates about COVID-19 in Big Bear Lake, the City's new monthly newsletter - Elevation 6752', and other special communications from the City of Big Bear Lake for emergency situations, special events, and more.
In addition to the City's email updates, you can also get the latest information from the City of Big Bear Lake via the following digital platforms:
- Visit our website by clicking here
- "Like" us on Facebook - City of Big Bear Lake
- Follow us on Twitter - @CityofBBL
- Follow us on Instagram - @citybigbearlake
- Sign up for text message alerts by clicking here .
Please help us spread the word, and share the City's digital communications platforms with your family, friends, other residents, property owners, frequent visitors, or anyone else who is interested in Big Bear Lake. Thank you!
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Frank A. Rush, Jr., City Manager
City of Big Bear Lake
39707 Big Bear Blvd. PO Box 10000, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Phone: (909) 866-5831 | Fax: (909) 866-5491
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