The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2020-02-25; Coronavirus Preparedness Update 4; Calderwood, MichaelTo the members of the : pTYCOUNCIL Date 2 /'2.'5/2f£A l<. cc 'l. CM ....:&. COO .2:.., DCM (3) i--: Feb. 25, 2020 To: From: Via: Re: Council Memorandum Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief David Harrison, Assistant Director of Emergency Services Scott Chadwick, City Manager Coronavirus Preparedness Update 4 {cityof Carlsbad Memo ID# 2020018 This memorandum updates the Coronavirus Preparedness Council Memorandum dated Feb. 14 and summarizes major coronavirus developments for the period ending Feb. 25, 2020. Background The outbreak of the respiratory disease known as COVID-19 has continued to spread globally. Nevertheless, on Feb. 24, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General stated the coronavirus is not a pandemic, noting it is not spreading in an uncontained way. Locally, the 14-day quarantine period for American citizens (AMCITS) repatriated from China to MCAS Miramar has ended. They have all been released, and UC San Diego Health is no longer caring for anyone with confirmed or possible cases of the virus. Health officials state that those released pose no threat to the community. Highlights: • Local and California: o Feb. 19, San Diego County Supervisors approved the 30-day COVID-19 local health and emergency proclamations. o County News Center story: How San Diego County Monitors Potential COVID-19 Cases can be viewed at: https://www.countynewscenter.com/how-san-diego- county-monitors-poteritial-covid-19-cases/ o The number of people under San Diego County Public Healt h Supervision (https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/coronavirus/) is updated weekly and summarized below: Fire Department · Safety Center 2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-2141 t CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS Feb.25,2020 Page 2 Number of People Under Public Health Supervision4 in San Diego County Updated February 21, 2020 Persons monitored (cumulative) Persons actively being monitored Persons who completed t,heir monitoring 338 204 134 4The number of people under public health supervision includes those at risk of having been exposed to novel coronavirus who are monitoring their health under the supervision of public health officials. This number includes close contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, as well as people who have returned from China in the past 14 days. o Feb. 21, The City of Costa Mesa (https://www.costamesaca.gov/hot- topics/coronavirus) filed legal action against the State of California after it learned federal officials were planning to use the state-owned Fairview Development Center to house and quarantine individuals who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. o Feb. 21, media reports (https://fox40.com/news/coronavirus/california-tells-7k- people-to-stay-home-because-of-coronavirus/) that California health officials said that 7,600 people who returned to the state after visiting China have been asked to quarantine themselves at home this month. · • National and Global: o Feb. 11, World Health Organization officially named coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as COVID-19. o Feb. 19, according to Kaiser Health News (https://khn.org/morning- breakout/covid~19-is-more-contagious-than-its-coronavirus-brethren-but-its- not-as-fatal-on-a-case-by-case-basis/) the mortality rate for COVID-19 is about 2.3%. For earlier global pandemics/outbreaks, SARS (2003) and MERS (2012), it was 9.6% and 35% respectively. Citing China. CDC sources, the report states given COVID-19's greater spread, it has already led to more deaths than its related coronaviruses. o Feb. 21, CDC held its first coronavirus telebriefing since February 14, highlights include: • On Feb. 20, the State Department advised all U.S. citizens to reconsider travel by cruise ship to or within Asia and encourage all U.S. citizens traveling overseas to enroll their travel plans in the smart traveler enrollment program, https://step.state.gov/. CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS Feb.25,2020 Page 3 • The Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases {NCIRD), a CDC Center, announced that federal agencies would be dividing those who test positive for coronavirus in two categories: one "case count" only tracks people who were repatriated by the State Department (AMCITS), and the second tracks all "other cases" picked up through U.S. Public Health network (in San Diego these have often been referred to as medium risk, or "travelers", and are shown in the table above). It is believed the latter case more accurately represents the picture of what is happening in the community, i.e., "community spread" and could prompt possible changes in mitigation strategies, possibly including "social distancing", such as event cancellations and facility closures. The CDC will continue to update these numbers every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. • Categorized this way, as of Feb. 21, the U.S. has 21 repatriated positive cases and 13 other positive cases. The repatriated cases include 18 passengers from the "Diamond Princess" and three from the previous Wu~ai, repatriation flights. • Regarding the "Diamond Princess," 329 U.S. citizens returned to the United States aboard two State Department chartered flights. They are receiving care at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, near Sacramento, and Lackland AFB, Texas. All from Diamond Princess are considered at high risk and NCIRD expects to see additional confirmed cases among the passengers, some serious, given the passengers' ages. • Some countries are beginning to experience "community spread". This is when cases are detected in a community and the source of the infection is not known. This has occurred in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy and Iran. • NCIRD Statement regarding possible community spread in the U.S.: "We're not seeing spread here in the United States yet, but it is possible, even likely, that it may eventually happen. Our goal continues to be slowing the introduction of the virus into the U.S. This buys us more time to prepare our communities for more cases and possibly sustained spread. This new virus represents a tremendous public health threat. We don't yet have a vaccine for this novel virus, nor do we have a medicine to treat it specifically." • NCIRD (and federal agencies) are working with businesses, hospitals, pharmacies, clinicians, manufacturers, and distributors to communicate about what they can do to get ready. • NCIRD stated this outbreak could become a pandemic, which could result in closures in U.S. communities. • CDC has moved quickly to stand up community surveillance. CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS Feb.25,2020 Page 4 ■ What can be expected in coming weeks if the virus starts spreading in U.S. communities, is summarized in a CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) report titled "Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza, United States-2017." CDC is updating this report for COVID-19. The report provides more detail on personal protective measures reserved for pandemics, social distancing and environmental measures. ■ Feb. 24, CDC reaffirmed practices identified in the MMWR report, stating the time is now for businesses, schools and others to start preparing. While there are currently no instances of community spread in the U.S., community spread U.S. is not a matter of "if", but "when". • In the U.S., given delays in testing kit delivery and quality control, testing confirmation is being done at CDC. There is no testing delay at CDC. • Additional information on CDC COVID-19 can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html ■ As of Feb. 25, fourteen "other" cases have been diagnosed in the United States, and an additional 40 cases have occurred among repatriated American citizens for a total of 54 cases. Actions and Next Steps, as appropriate City of Carlsbad Emergency Services continues to coordinate with regional and local stakeholders and monitor Presidential Task Force, HHS, CDC and local County Health telebriefings and teleconferences. This has included opportunities to meet with and discuss COVID-19 with regional Public Health and Health Care professionals. In addition to updating the city's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), Carlsbad Emergency Management Administrative Team (CEMAT) is reviewing the CDC MMWR report noted above. This report has been shared with Carlsbad Unified School District and the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. A COVID-19 update will be provided to city leadership at the Feb. 26 Docket Meeting. Carlsbad Communications Department has coordinated and disseminated updated guidance for city staff on how to remain healthy during flu season. CC: Celia Brewer, City Attorney Elaine Lu key, Chief Operations Officer Neil Gallucci, Chief of Police