Manhattan Beach COVID-19 Cases Jump By 10
Oct 23, 2020 07:48PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Manhattan Beach's cumulative COVID-19 case count has jumped by 10 over the previous day, reaching a total of 402 cases since the pandemic began.
In the past several weeks, the case count has held somewhat steady, increasing by only one or two per day, making this increase particularly jarring.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, county-wide, the relatively high number of new cases include backlog cases due to technical
issues with data reporting systems this week.
LADPH anticipates
receiving additional backlog test results over the next few days.
The case count is significant because it is a factor in when the county can move from the Purple Tier to the less-restrictive Red Tier. To move to the Red Tier, the county must stay below
7.0
cases per 100,000 people for at least two weeks.
When the county has been in the Red Tier for at least two weeks, the
county will be allowed to open up elementary schools for hybrid in-person learning, in addition to other openings.
School
officials had been guardedly optimistic that Los Angeles County might
meet the Red Tier milestone at some point in early November. Yet while
the number had been at 7.3 cases per 100,000, it crept back up to 7.6
over the last two weeks.
In a statement after releasing today's numbers, LADPH director
Barbara Ferrer called for renewed caution, particularly in
sports-related gatherings.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to everyone who has lost a loved
one or friend to COVID-19,” said Ferrer. “As we root for our teams this weekend, let's do our
best to not transmit or become infected with COVID-19. The safest way to
celebrate your team is to do so in the comfort of your home with your
household or participating in a virtual watch party. If you do decide to
leave your home, remember to avoid indoor gatherings, confined spaces,
and crowds, as each of these situations carries high risk for the spread
of COVID-19. Players and staff have taken extraordinary measures to
avoid virus transmission; we can follow their examples as we cheer them
on to victory.”
Protocols Continue to Be Revised
LADPH, in consultation with L.A. County's Board of Supervisors, is also revising
the Health Officer Order to allow for the re-openings of additional
personal care services indoors with modifications (in addition to hair
salons and nail salons), as well as outdoor operations at go-carts,
mini-golf and batting cages.
In addition, the percentage of high-needs
students permitted at a school campus for on-site learning has been
increased from 10% to 25%, allowing more students to return for
in-person instruction and services.
LAPDH will also modify the
Health Officer Order for breweries and wineries; reservations will no
longer be required at these establishments, though they are strongly
recommended. In addition, wine tastings for retail sales will no longer
require a meal to be served.
