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Home My WebLink About2020-03-20; Coronavirus Response Update 8; Harrison, David Fire Department Safety Center 2560 Orion Way  Carlsbad, CA 92010  760-931-2141 Memo ID# 2020034 Council Memorandum March 20, 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 8 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 is activated to support COVID-19 mitigation and response operations and information sharing. Regional status of outbreak California (as of Thursday March 19, 2020, at 6 p.m.) • 1,006 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 331 more than was reported yesterday o 86 were travel-related o 108 acquired from person-to-person o 266 acquired in community o 522 cases remain under investigation o 24 cases from federal quarantine • 19 deaths (three more than yesterday) San Diego County (as of Thursday, March 19, 2020, around 4 p.m.) 105 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (25 more than yesterday) • 89 San Diego County residents, 8 from elsewhere • 8 cases from the federal quarantine • 13 people hospitalized • 0 deaths Carlsbad • Three confirmed cases CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 20, 2020 Page 2 State of California State officials late Thursday ordered all state residents to stay in their homes, except as needed to obtain such necessities as food – such as groceries and farmers’ markets – medication and health care, until further notice. The order exempts critical infrastructure services, including local government services such as those provided by the City of Carlsbad, as well as schools, childcare, and construction. Fire Department • Secured access to hotel rooms in case public safety employees with job-related exposure to COVID-19 need to be quarantined. • The fire service dispatchers for the North County have begun asking patients to meet personnel at their front doors if they can to minimize potential COVID-19 exposure to firefighters and emergency medical service workers. • County health authorities updated their isolation order for healthcare workers. People with the virus can now be released from quarantine on the eighth day if: o At least 72 hours have passed since they have recovered from their fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and they have shown improvement in respiratory symptoms o At least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared City Clerk’s Office • Worked with City Attorney to formulate language to address the state’s Executive Order N-29-20 on public participation in City Council meetings during the crisis. The following is the information that will be part of the City Council agenda for the foreseeable future: o Per State of California Executive Order N-29-20, and in the interest of public health and safety, we are temporarily taking actions to prevent and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by holding City Council and other public meetings electronically or by teleconferencing. o All public meetings will comply with public noticing requirements in the Brown Act and will be made accessible electronically to all members of the public seeking to observe and address the City Council. o City Council meetings can be watched via livestream or replayed on the city website at www.carlsbadca.gov. The City Council meetings can also be watched live or replayed on Charter Spectrum Channel 24 and AT&T U-verse channel 99. o You can participate in the meeting by e-mailing your comments to the City Clerk at clerk@carlsbadca.gov prior to commencement of the agenda item. Your comment will be transmitted to the City Council at the start of the agenda item. o If you desire to have your comment read into the record at the City Council meeting, please indicate so in the first line of your e-mail and limit your e-mail to 500 words or less. o These procedures shall remain in place during the period in which state or local health officials have imposed or recommended social distancing measures. CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 20, 2020 Page 3 • Scheduled Zoom meeting training with all City Council members in preparation for March 24, 2020, City Council meeting. Police Department • Implemented self-screening for symptoms of illness for all employees arriving at work before beginning their shifts. o This is intended to prevent employees with symptoms of COVID-19 from contaminating the work space or spreading illness. o The self-screening process was the result of a collaboration between the Police Department and the CPOA Board of Directors, after consultation with the Fire Department. Human Resources • Drafted memos on: o Protocols for dealing with a possible COVID-19 cluster o Protocols for COVID-19 screening • Continuing to evaluate telecommuting accommodation requests from employees • Informed directors of employees 65 or older in their departments and provided instructions on how to accommodate stay-at-home guidelines. • Employee COVID-19 exposure update: 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 self-quarantined after visiting a foreign country (one in in Public Works, one in Community Development) o Five employees self-quarantined after indirect contact with someone who tested positive (one in Information Technology, two in Community Development, one in Fire, one in Public Works) o Two employees self-quarantined after showing symptoms (one in Public Works, one in Fire) o One employee went on a cruise ship. No symptoms displayed but in self- quarantine for 14 days (in Library & Cultural Arts) • Continue to respond to employee questions and concerns • Coordinated shut down of all city-run gyms Finance • Implemented a relief plan to help local businesses and residents with their utility bills, business licenses, Transient Occupancy Tax payments and other city receivables • Submitted estimate of city expenses (the initial damage estimate) related to COVID-19 to date to the California Office of Emergency Services CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 20, 2020 Page 4 Parks & Recreation • Closed The Crossings Golf Course and driving range as of Friday, Mar. 20, in keeping with the governor’s stay-at-home public health order of Mar. 19. • Postponed special event permit for the Hazardous Household Waste Drop-Off event scheduled for April 11 at the request of event organizer. Will evaluate setting a new date in mid-May. • Cancelled special event permit for Earth Day Celebration scheduled for April 18 at the request of organizers. • Demand for senior meal service continues and is being met, using the pick-up and delivery options Library & Cultural Arts • Cultural Arts staff delivered student art kits to Jefferson Elementary to coordinate with Carlsbad Unified School District’s free lunch distribution program. The art kits contain an activity tied to the current Cannon Art Gallery exhibit “Edges Frayed.” Calavera Hills Elementary staff have also requested kits. They will be available next week. • Ancestry.com genealogy research database is now available to every Carlsbad Library cardholder remotely. This database was previously restricted to on-site access only. Public Works • The pallets of various cleaning and disinfecting supplies that EAL Green, a distributing company with liquidated stock, generously offered was delivered today. Communication & Engagement • Shared the following information with the public on all city communication channels: o California Governor “stay at home” order o Status of parks and beaches o How to access city services during COVID-19 emergency o NCTD adjusted operations and hours o Avoiding COVID-19 related scams o Resources for seniors o Guidance on child care centers o Importance of not flushing “flushable” wipes o Ongoing health guidance o Small business support available o Restaurants open for pick-up and delivery o Efforts to support homeless community members o Latest case information • Produced and distributed the following videos: o Public service announcement about how to find information about COVID-19 in English and Spanish o Message for Innovate 78 partners CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 20, 2020 Page 5 o Maintenance of core city services such as Public Works “storm watch” • Live-tweeted: o County of San Diego news conference on COVID-19 update o Governor’s news conference on new statewide stay at home order • Launched #Care4Carlsbad hashtag on social platforms to help reinforce sense of community and model recommended behaviors • Prepared and distributed nine Instagram stories reinforcing key messages about health orders • Responded to numerous comments and questions on city’s social media platforms and communication email address • Posted new daily City Manager’s Report on COVID-19 response for public and employees. • Sent the following information to city employees: o Clarification of disaster worker service expectations o Additional guidance on telework options and social distancing guidelines o How to access IT services o New guidance on coding time for COVID-19 so the city is eligible for reimbursement o New state “stay and home” order o Community praise for city employee efforts • Participated in regional public information officer conference call to coordinate consistent messages. CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 20, 2020 Page 6 CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS March 20, 2020 Page 7 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