The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2020-03-19; Coronavirus Response Update 7; Harrison, David Fire Department Safety Center 2560 Orion Way  Carlsbad, CA 92010  760-931-2141 t Memo ID# 2020033 Council Memorandum March 19, 2020 To: Honorable Mayor Hall and members of the City Council From: David Harrison, Assistant Director of Emergency Services Via: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Re: Coronavirus Response Update 7 The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the City Council with an update on city response actions related to COVID-19. Please note this memo focuses on actions and information that are new since the last update. Emergency Operations Center • Emergency Operations Center remains activated to support COVID-19 mitigation operations and information sharing. Regional status of outbreak California (as of Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at 6 p.m.) 675 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 77 more than yesterday o 97 were travel-related o 92 acquired from person-to-person o 181 acquired in community o 281 cases remain under investigation o 24 cases from federal quarantine • 16 deaths (three more than yesterday) San Diego County (as of Wednesday, March 18, 2020, around 4 p.m.) 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (20 more than yesterday) • 67 San Diego County residents, 8 from elsewhere • 5 cases from the federal quarantine • 11 people hospitalized • 0 deaths Carlsbad • No confirmed cases CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 19, 2020 Page 2 San Diego County • County medical authorities amended their public health order Wednesday to ban gatherings of 10 or more people in one room. The previous limit had been 50. The order also requires people in smaller groups to remain six feet apart from one another to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the region. The new guidance also requires: o All gyms and fitness centers to close. o Day care businesses to limit children to no more than 10 children in the same room and to keep those children in the same group each day, with the same caregiver. Fire Department • Transported 98 patients with flu-like symptoms since Feb. 14, 2020, the date the county declared a public health emergency. o The department is averaging three such calls each day. o This is consistent with previous years during flu season. o These patients had symptoms that could indicate COVID-19; these symptoms could also be influenza or other diseases. • Informed staff of temporary modifications San Diego County made to its protocols and procedures for paramedics to limit the spread of the coronavirus by airborne droplets. • Public use of the beaches patrolled by the city has been higher than normal (when whether has permitted). Lifeguard supervisors have been briefed on COVID-19 protocols and provided with personal protection gear. • Sending daily updates to the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services on the status of the department’s cache of personal protective equipment. All fire departments in the county are providing this information. Police Department • Finished notifying all affected bars and restaurants of the county’s public health order yesterday, March 18. • Began staffing the Emergency Operations Center with a law enforcement branch director. We are receiving updates from the law enforcement branch at San Diego County’s Emergency Operations Center. • Department leaders are preparing specific action plans to provide essential police services should the department be faced with a substantial staffing shortage or additional COVID-19-related demands. Those demands could include providing security detail for quarantine locations and providing assistance to an allied law enforcement agency. CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 19, 2020 Page 3 City Clerk’s Office • Staff from the City Clerk’s Office, City Attorney’s Office and Information Technology are developing options for future City Council meetings in light of the governor’s March 17 Executive Order N-29-20. This order states that cities are no longer required to provide a physical location where the public can observe and provide comments. • Making preparations to hold the March 24 City Council meeting with social distancing and other preventive measures required by the guidance from public health authorities. Public Works • The Carlsbad Desalination Plant’s management has decided to have its operations crews “shelter in place” for the next 21 days to ensure continuing operations. The employees will work two 12-hour shifts and stay in trailers onsite when they are off-duty. A possible replacement crew will be in home isolation, ready to come in if needed. • EAL Green, a distributing company, has donated two pallets of various supplies such as wipes, disinfectant, gloves and masks to the city for use. Human Resources • Updated the city’s Employee Telecommuting Guidelines. They now: o Require telecommuting for all employees 65 and older o Clarify risks of exposure for pregnant employees and their spouses and partners • Continuing to track and research the situations of any employees who may have been exposed. So far, o Five employees have been cleared to return to work (two in Public Works, one in City Hall, two in the Fire Department) o Two employees have self-quarantined after visiting a foreign country (one in Public Works, one in Community Development) o Five employees have self-quarantined after indirect contact with someone who tested positive (one in IT, two in Community Development, one in Fire, one in Public Works) o 1 employee self-quarantined after showing symptoms (Public Works) • Continue to respond to a high volume of employee inquiries • Researching pertinent information on COVID-19 Finance • Distributed guidance to city departments that we will now accept electronic authorizations to pay invoices. • Developed payroll tracking and expense mechanisms to support potential reimbursements for city expenses on dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak from the California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 19, 2020 Page 4 Parks & Recreation • Closed the pickleball courts at Poinsettia Community Park. The number of players using the courts had increased, preventing people from following social distancing guidelines. • Continued to work with the Fire Department to potentially set up one or more COVID- 19 testing stations. Received consent from Brookfield Properties for use of The Shoppes at Carlsbad’s parking lot as site. • Limited the number of golfers permitted on the Crossings golf course driving range to nine at a time, consistent with social distancing and group limit guidelines • Analyzed whether community centers could be used as quarantine sites. • Determined that the city’s senior nutrition meal program participation and reservations have increased since promoting availability. The pre-COVID average total participants was 140, with most of them dining at the Senior Center. o 107 total participants for Wednesday, March 18, 45 for pick-up and 62 for delivery o 140 total reservations for Thursday, March. 19, 70 for pick-up and 70 for delivery • Continued working with the American Red Cross on possible locations in community parks for placement of a mobile Blood Drive unit. • Cancelled events: o All remaining weddings, meetings and other events scheduled for the Crossings and Canyons Restaurant through the end of March. o Special event permit for North Coast Calvary Chapel’s traffic control plan for their Easter sunrise service, scheduled for April 12, 2020. Canceled at the request of California State Parks. o Special event permit for Walk MS 2020, scheduled for April 26, 2020. Canceled at request of organizer. • Determined State Parks Department will not be accepting any special event permit applications for 30 days, retroactive to Mar. 12, 2020. Library & Cultural Arts • Launched employee art break stations at all three library locations to offer employees an opportunity to relax and enjoy a new activity during their lunch or breaks • Discussing possible curb-side pickup of library materials and other service delivery options with San Diego County library staff to better inform city library decisions on how to most effectively provide library services. Communication & Engagement • Continued to share health and safety messaging. Reinforced and clarified all directives and shared new ones. • Created and posted new daily City Manager’s Report on COVID-19 response for public and employees • Shared the following information with the public on all city communication channels: CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 19, 2020 Page 5 o “Wipes clog pipes” public service announcement o Support for local businesses message o Latest amendments to San Diego County’s public health order o New state website providing COVID-19 information o New county text line for COVID-19 updates o San Diego Blood Bank needs o State order to protect ongoing safety net services o Extended learning opportunities from the Carlsbad Unified School District • Live-tweeted County of San Diego news conference on COVID-19 situation and new restrictions • Responded to numerous comments and questions on city’s social media platforms and department main email address. cc: Celia Brewer, City Attorney Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Neil Gallucci, Police Chief Maria Callander, IT Director Judy von Kalinowski, HR Director Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director