RHE COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update:
Important update for all City email subscribers
April 21, 2020
The City of Rolling Hills Estates is actively monitoring and listening to the health and policy experts at the federal, state and county levels and taking actions to adhere to requirements or implement policies based upon health expert recommendations.  This important email update is being sent to all City email subscribers to ensure the community is notified.

For important information, please   visit the City’s Coronavirus webpage.

April 21, 2020 Citywide Update
New Grant for Small Businesses
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has announced a new Save Small Business Fund in partnership with Vistaprint and a coalition of supporting companies, foundations and donors.

This fund is providing $5,000 in short-term relief to small businesses that have between three and 20 employees and operate in an economically vulnerable community.
 
To apply for these one-time supplemental cash grants, visit the  Save Small Business Fund .
PVP Chamber Business Series: Featuring Dr. Lawrence Sher
Tune in to the Chamber's Weekly Business Series featuring Dr. Lawrence Sher- Specialist in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Noted Physician and Leader in Research and Clinical Trials
 
Thursday, April 23 at 1 PM
 
After the presentation, Dr. Sher will take questions from the audience. 
The session will last one hour and is limited to the first 100 registrants.  
 
In Need of Homeschool Support?
Do you need homeschool support? PVLD card holders can now access several features, including :

  • Homework Help Interact with live tutors in math, science, reading/writing, social studies, PSAT/SAT, ACT, AP and state standardized tests.
  • Skills-Building Choose your topic to receive real-time help.
  • Personalized eLearning Tools My File Sharing, My Session Replay, My Tutoring Archive, My Tests Archive, and more!
  • 24-Hour Writing Lab Submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback.
  • Homework Send Question Submit homework questions for expert guidance.

Don't have a PVLD library card? You can now get one digitally at pvld.org.

T o access these features, visit: main.pvld.ca.brainfuse.com/authenticate.asp?
COVID-19 Testing
Drive-up mobile COVID-19 testing is available to all LA County residents with symptoms. Testing is free and no insurance required.

Here is what you need to bring with you:

  • Photo ID 
  • Confirmation number from the website

Make your appointment here: https://lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs

The nearest locations for County organized testing for Peninsula/South Bay residents is at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center 1000 W. Carson St., Torrance, CA 90502.

Additionally, Palos Verdes Medical Group and Exer Urgent Care will be offering COVID-19 testing patients and community members.

If you are experiencing signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or think you may have been exposed, please call Palos Verdes Medical Group at  310-544-6858  or Exer Urgent Care at 424-323-3500 to schedule a Telehealth visit.
Physical Distancing
This past weekend saw the highest number of daily reported deaths in LA County, and nearly a doubling of the total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19. While distancing fatigue is being felt far and wide, the County of Los Angeles reminds its residents:

Cloth face coverings can help slow the spread, but are not substitutes for...   
 
     ... staying at home;
     ... washing hands frequently;
     ... and physical distancing.

And when you do have to head for the great outdoors - whether its to purchase essential goods or to maintain your well-being with a walk around the block - keep your distance & don't forget your cloth face covering.

ICYMI: "One World: Together At Home," a global broadcast benefiting frontline healthcare workers and the World Health Organization (WHO), aired over the weekend. If you missed it, you can now take in its musical performances, tributes, and celebrity appearances  online  - and from home.
LASD: Dependent Adult and Senior Citizen Welfare Checks
During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and as the Safer at Home Health Officer Order remains in effect, the community has raised concerns regarding the need to protect our vulnerable senior and dependent adult population. 

Among these concerns are the vulnerable being infected by COVID-19, but also a rise in elder and dependent adult abuse as a result of limited resources during this health emergency. 

A majority of the dependent adult and senior citizen population are currently isolated in assisted living/convalescent facilities, senior centers, or senior living communities without visitation from family or friends, and may have had health needs overlooked by a health care worker, a caretaker, or themselves. In an attempt to contact those who are vulnerable and may need help, LASD is conducting patrol checks and performing additional community outreach activities.

These include:
 
  • Unit commanders will identifying all senior living communities, senior centers, dependent adult and assisted living/convalescent facilities within their station jurisdiction and generate a list to provide the facility names and locations; 
  • Assigning station patrol personnel to conduct directed patrol checks, based on the list of identified facilities etc.

For more, View the Full Notice.
#RHEresilient Weekly Activity: Virtual Earth Day
Earth Day is coming! Stay tuned for a list of activities for you, your families, friends and neighbors to participate in while we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day virtually!

Start early with our #EarthDayActivity : Check out this hands-on activity from PBS Kids that introduces children to watersheds by building a simple model of a watershed to see how water flows & carries pollutants through a watershed. Visit, http://ow.ly/1vdS50zjozS .

See more activities at RHE.city/virutalrec.
Early Results of Antibody Testing Suggest Number of COVID-19 Infections Far Exceeds Number of Confirmed Cases in Los Angeles County
USC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today released preliminary results from a collaborative scientific study that suggests infections from the new coronavirus are far more widespread - and the fatality rate much lower - in L.A. County than previously thought.

The results are from the first round of an ongoing study by USC researchers and public health officials. They will be conducting antibody testing over time on a series of representative samples of adults to determine the scope and spread of the pandemic across the county.

Based on results of the first round of testing, the research team estimates that approximately 4.1% of the county's adult population has antibody to the virus. Adjusting this estimate for statistical margin of error implies about 2.8% to 5.6% of the county's adult population has antibody to the virus- which translates to approximately 221,000 to 442,000 adults in the county who have had the infection. That estimate is 28 to 55 times higher than the 7,994 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to the county by the time of the study in early April. The number of COVID-related deaths in the county has now surpassed 600.


Antibody testing for COVID-19 includes the use of a serologic test. This test measures a person's antibodies to COVID-19, and shows us the body’s immune system response to the infection. As a result, the serologic test helps us detect both current and past COVID-19 infections.
 
Why is it important?
Antibody testing helps us better understand the spread of COVID-19 in L.A. County, and the risk of hospitalization or death among COVID-19 patients. It will also help us plan for future hospital bed and/or ventilator needs.
 
Still curious about antibody testing? Watch this Video on Antibody Testing .
We Want to Hear from You
Our communities are all facing challenges during this unprecedented time in our lives. As we strive to help support our communities, your feedback is incredibly valuable in helping address your concerns.

Thank you for taking the time to provide your comments for our first survey. The results of that survey are in and we were able to gather some useful information around resident sentiment during this COVID-19 crisis.

Please answer our second brief survey to help us understand your specific concerns and how we can support you being Safer at Home.

Are you a senior or disabled Rolling Hills Estates resident in need of assistance?

Let us know.... please call City Hall at (310) 377-1577 during regular business hours, Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. We are here to help.
Donate Blood
If you are healthy & have not been exposed to Coronavirus or someone who may have it, PLEASE consider giving blood with the Red Cross. Enhanced safety protocols are in place to ensure the safety of donors & staff in response to the concern.

To schedule an appointment to donate, visit: http://rcblood.org/2TzQeaY

"We understand people may be hesitant to come give blood, but we want to reassure everyone on the precautions our teams are taking to keep you safe."- Red Cross

  • Is it safe to give right now?

Donating is a safe process and health individuals should schedule a blood or platelet donation to help maintain the nation's blood supply.

  • Safety at Blood Drives

Red Cross employees implemented added precautions to ensure blood drives and donation centers are safe for donors and staff, including: Using sterile collection sets, spacing beds and feet apart where possible, having hand sanitizer available, using aseptic scrubs on arms, donor and staff temperature checks before entering drives, wiping down donor-touched areas.

  • What if a donor becomes sick after donating?

Red Cross provides a call back number donors should call if they become sick with any illness days after their donation.
Local Plasma Donation Needed
A Torrance Fire Engineer is in need of a plasma donation to help him fight his COVID-19 illness. Specifically, he needs plasma donated from a fully recovered COVID-19 patient so their antibodies may help boost his ability to fight back.
Please see the below requirements. If you think you or someone you know fits the criteria, please contact Dr. Marc Cohen at  emsdoc911@hotmail.comor use the below url link to contact the American Red Cross:

Time is of the essence. Even if you aren’t a match, you could be for another patient who needs this therapy.

To qualify as a plasma donor, you must:

Have had COVID as confirmed by a positive test.

Already be recovered and have one of the following:

  • your symptoms resolved at least 28 days prior to donation OR
  • your symptoms resolved 14 days prior to donation AND a repeat COVID test is negative

Be one of the following:

  • Male donor
  • Female donor who has never been pregnant
  • Female donor who has been tested since their most recent pregnancy and results interpreted as negative for HLA antibodies.
WDACS Critical Delivery Service Now Available
Late-payment Penalties for Property Tax Bills may be Canceled
The Los Angeles County Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services Department is providing free delivery service to older and dependent adults during COVID-19 crisis. They can deliver:

Groceries, Household Items, Vital Necessities

Call 1-888-863-7411 between 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday to request services.
Rolling Hills Estates property owners unable to pay their property taxes by the deadline due to the direct effect of the public health crisis may submit an online request for penalty cancellation.

With County buildings closed to the public at this time, payments can be processed online online, by telephone or by mail. Review payment methods and several other online self-service options at  https://ttc.lacounty.gov/ .

For more information, call 213-974-2111 or  Read the FAQ here.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health COVID-19 Update
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 46 new deaths and 1,400 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Seven hundred and thirty-four of these cases are from a backlog of tests, and 625 are daily reported cases. Thirty-three people who died were over the age of 65; four people who died were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. Thirty-one people had underlying health conditions including 27 people over the age of 65, three people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and one person between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. Five deaths were reported by the City of Pasadena and two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. 

To date, Public Health has identified 15,140 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 663 deaths. Eighty-nine percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 582 people (95 percent of the cases); 36% of deaths occurred among Latinx residents, 28% among White residents, 18% among Asian residents, 16% among African American residents, and 3% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 76 cases reported earlier were not LA County residents. As of today, 3,639 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (24% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for over 89,000 individuals and 14% of people testing positive.

Please note: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health report now includes cases by cities. As of April 21, 2020, the City of Rolling Hills Estates has thirteen (13) confirmed cases.

More Information and Resources Available
COVID-19 Updates
Residents and businesses can continue to monitor the City's dedicated COVID-19 Updates webpage, which has been newly redesigned for ease-of-use and increased resource information at RHE.city/Covid19 .

Here you will find latest updates, information for seniors and businesses, information on utilities, current status of local restaurants, etc.

The City is working diligently to identify additional resources for the community, especially for our high risk seniors.
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