October 7, 2020
A Flu Vaccine is Important!
By William Kim, M.D., Chief Medical Advisor, Beach Cities Health District

Flu season is upon us and I’ll get right to it: health professionals around the country, including the California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Beach Cities Health District, are calling on people to get vaccinated against this contagious respiratory illness that affects thousands of people annually.

Getting a flu shot in a normal year is important. But 2020 is no normal year with the COVID-19 pandemic taking the lives of more than 205,000 Americans. California’s Department of Public Health is urging all Californians aged six months and older to get vaccinated against the flu “in an effort to prevent a ‘twindemic’ of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza.”
Say "Boo to the Flu"
The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated every year. Flu vaccines not only protect you, but also your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors, as well as children younger than six months old who are too young to be vaccinated. Did you get your flu vaccine? If yes, show how you are being a health leader by updating your Facebook frame on your profile picture or use our virtual background image.
Visit facebook.com/profilepicframes and search: I Got My Flu Vaccine! 
Download the virtual background image here.
Los Angeles County Remains in the Highest Risk Level
COVID-19 is still widespread and needs to continue to be taken seriously. Los Angeles County remains in the highest risk level, Tier 1 (purple), of the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. To move forward, the county must reduce its daily number of new COVID-19 cases.

We must all continue to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by following the health guidance and avoid gathering with people we do not live with. Each of us is capable at any moment of becoming infected and infecting others.
Latest Health Officer Order and Sector Reopenings
On October 6, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health revised the Health Officer Order to allow the following sectors to reopen on the following dates under the following restrictions. Read the Health Officer Order here. 
Join us for the second Virtual Safe in the South Bay Series: LiveWell during COVID-19
Monday, October 19 | 5 - 6 p.m. 
Beach Cities Health District’s Safe in the South Bay Series is bringing health experts, cities, chambers, schools and community members together around this fast-moving pandemic. The live-streamed series will cover a variety of COVID-19 topics, including testing, navigating the new normal, mental health and personal resilience. 
How COVID-19 Spreads
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated information on how COVID-19 spreads.
It spreads very easily from person to person
It most commonly spreads during close contact
  • People who are physically near (within 6 feet) a person with COVID-19 or have direct contact with that person are at greatest risk of infection.
  • Infections occur mainly through exposure to respiratory droplets when a person is in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
It can sometimes be spread by airborne transmission
  • Some infections can be spread by exposure to virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours. These viruses may be able to infect people who are further than 6 feet away from the person who is infected or after that person has left the space.
  • Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission.
It spreads less commonly through contact with contaminated surfaces
For more information, click here.
As of 10/6/2020
226
372
573
Healthy Living Campus
Environmental Impact Report Process
The refined draft Healthy Living Campus master plan, presented at the June 17, 2020 BCHD Board of Directors meeting, was developed from more than 60 meetings attended by more than 550 residents and drawing more than 1,000 comments during the last three years regarding elements of the campus. 
  
The Board endorsed a project description to continue the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process ⁠— originally started in June 2019 ⁠— with the more compact Healthy Living Campus master plan as the basis of the project description. This blueprint will inform the public and project decision-makers about significant environmental effects and identify possible ways to minimize or avoid those effects. 

The updated, more compact draft master plan includes:  
A Community Wellness Pavilion with public meeting spaces, demonstration kitchen, modernized Center for Health & Fitness, aquatics and more.
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a Medicare/Medicaid program that provides comprehensive medical and social services to older adults.  
Fewer Units: Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE) units drop from 420 to 220. Pricing has yet to be determined. One plan being considered will offer 10 percent of units at below market rates. 
Smaller New Building Area: New on-campus building area drops 18%
Less Construction Time: Active construction time is shortened from nine to five years in two phases (instead of three). 
2.5 acres of open space for programming to replace acres of asphalt. 
Virtual Walk to School Day
Although Walk to School Day is virtual, it’s still a great idea for students and families to be active! We encourage you to walk together as a family. Choose a time that works for you and share photos of your walk on social media (use #WalktoSchoolDay)!
 Wednesday, October 7
Virtual Mindfulness Drop-In
Take 30 minutes to downshift and practice mindfulness techniques the first Wednesday of each month.  
 Wednesday, October 7
4 - 4:30 p.m.
Virtual Active Aging Week
Act toward maintaining and improving your health with free virtual lectures!

Wednesday, October 7 | 11 a.m. 
Take AIM at Your Back! 5 Things you can do Today to Take Care of Your Lower Back, presented by Carina Escudero, DPT of AIM Sports Medicine, Hermosa Beach.

Thursday, October 8 | 11 a.m. 
Boost Your Well-Being Workshop, presentation by Tiana Rideout-Rosales, BCHD's Community Health Programs Coordinator.

Friday, October 9 | 1 p.m. 
Walking Tall: Restore Yourself Through Posture, presented by Annelise Tripp, Medical Exercise Specialist.
Virtual Blue Zones Project Social Hour
Enjoy good company and practice a few Power 9 Principles of Longevity, including Down Shift and Right Tribe. Our special guest will be Natural World Market & Cafe. Relax, bring your healthy bites and connect with your community!
Tuesday, October 13
4 - 5 p.m.
Advancing the Science: The Latest in Alzheimer's and Dementia Research
Virtual event presented by the South Bay Dementia Education Consortium

Hear about the latest study results and groundbreaking discoveries presented at the 2020 Alzheimer's Association International Conference and learn about the clinical trials currently underway at UCLA and USC.
Guest Speakers:
Donna Beal, MPH, MCHES
VP Programs - Alzheimer's Association Central Coast Chapter
Monica Moore, MSG
Community Health Program Manager Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease
Wednesday, October 14
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Mental Health & Happiness: An Introduction to the Series
This introduction provides an overview of the series designed to support well-being through gratitude, empathy, bravery and purpose. Learn techniques to build a practice supporting stress resilience and positive social connections.
 Friday, October 16
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Virtual Families Connected Speaker Series "Practicing Resiliency with Your Family During COVID-19" presented by Kelly Greco, PsyD
Hear Dr. Greco speak about strength-based practices like positive psychology and solution-focused strategies to build resiliency and help the community thrive.
 Thursday, October 22
6:30 - 8 p.m.
Virtual BCHD Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, October 28
6:30 p.m.
Virtual Blue Zones Project Cooking Show
Learn about Blue Zones Project inspired food from registered dietitian, Marissa Martorana, and get a taste of how to live longer, better.
We will highlight immune-boosting foods that may help you during this flu season.
Thursday, October 29
4 - 5 p.m.
Virtual Families Connected Parent Chat
A free parent support group led by a licensed professional from the Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment at Torrance Memorial Medical Center held in partnership with South Bay Families Connected. Open to all parents.
Mondays
10 – 11 a.m.
Virtual Happiness Chat
This is a casual discussion group with light-hearted activities to spark conversation. Share ideas, tips, resources, jokes, quotes – anything that supports our happiness!
Tuesdays
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
#LiveWellAtHome
Get unlimited access to all Center for Health & Fitness live virtual exercise classes for a monthly fee of $32. Small Group Training is also available virtually for $12 per class. Learn more.
Donate to the Beach Cities COVID-19 Fund
Donations will provide assistance to Beach Cities residents who are income qualified with essentials like groceries and household and cleaning supplies.
COVID-19 Testing at BCHD Campus 514 N. Prospect
Los Angeles County's testing criteria includes:
  • Those who have COVID-19 symptoms: Fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea
  • Those who have had a known exposure to COVID-19, including those who were in close contact with someone with COVID-19 
  • Those who live or work in a high-risk setting (such as skilled nursing facilities, group homes, residential care facilities and persons experiencing homelessness) 
  • In accordance with California Department of Health Testing Guidance, testing is also available when there is additional testing capacity if you do not have symptoms and you are an essential worker with frequent contacts with the public in these sectors: health care, emergency services, food and grocery, retail or manufacturing, public transportation, and education. To view a complete list of essential worker groups from the California Department of Public Health, click here.
If you're unsure if you need a test, check with your health care provider. If you don’t have a health care provider, call 211 to get a referral.

If you are unable to receive testing through your provider, please continue to check the site for availability at Los Angeles County sites, or make an appointment at a Los Angeles City, state-operated or community testing site such as CVS by visiting covid19.lacounty.gov/testing. Tests are free of charge and are by appointment only. 
What to expect after you've been tested for COVID-19
If you are awaiting testing results, you should stay home and act as if you are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 24 hours after fever subsides and symptoms improve. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a contact tracer to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious. If you are positive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public health specialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at 1-833-540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

If a person tests negative, they must continue to take every precaution to avoid contracting the virus or spreading the virus to others.
Need help?
If you or someone you know in the Beach Cities needs help with health-related information and referrals, or errand assistance and meal delivery, please call our Assistance, Information & Referral line at 310-374-3426, ext. 256, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. or visit us online at bchd.org/resources.