24/7 Friendship Line Offered by the California Department of Aging
Health Advisory
You Could Have COVID-19 and Not Know It
Protect Yourself from Contact Tracing Scams
Plastic Bag Ban is Back in Place
COVID-19 Testing
You Are Not Alone
1. Update to Public Order
The City Manager issued the Twentieth Supplement to Public Order on July 7th. The order conditionally waives outstanding penalties and interest for Culver City hotels and motels subject to a transient occupancy tax (TOT), provided the past due TOT is paid within 30 days. The order also reiterates the required closure of the following types of businesses, which were already required to close based on the Los Angeles Department of Public Health Orders from June 28 and July 1, due to the increase in hospitalizations and testing positivity rate:
Indoor museums, indoor children’s museums, and indoor operations at zoos and aquariums
Cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities
2. Places of Worship Updated Protocols
Over the weekend, Public Health updated the Protocol for Places of Worship in the Health Officer Order to align with Governor Newsom's recent directives. These modifications prohibit singing and chanting for indoor services. Read latest Protocol for Places of Worship.
3. Public Health Updates COVID-19 Data Portal
LA County's Department of Public Health has updated its online data portal to make it easier for you to get accurate and timely data about what we’re seeing in LA County.
The portal's updates have been designed to display key data points, including the important 7-day averages for:
The Municipal Plunge Pool is scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 13th with new safety protocols in place. Check out the updated pool schedule and register for Lap Swim, Family Swim, Swim Lessons, and Water Fitness Classes on the Culver City Plunge webpage.
Tennis Lessons Resume at Veterans Memorial and Fox Hills Parks with safety protocols in place. For more information, call (310) 253-6650 or visit the PRCS online registration system.
5. Paycheck Protection Program
The Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program is accepting new loan applications in response to the Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act. The deadline to apply is now August 8, 2020.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory warning everyone to not use any hand sanitizer manufactured by “Eskbiochem SA de CV” in Mexico, due to the potential presence of methanol, a "toxic alcohol”, as an active ingredient, which can cause blindness and/or death when absorbed through the skin or when swallowed.
Most commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizers or rubs contain either ethanol or isopropanol as active ingredients and are safe to use.
8. You Could Have COVID-19 and Not Know It
You can be infected with COVID-19, show no symptoms, and infect others. Stay home if you are elderly or have serious underlying health conditions. Everyone else should stay home as much as possible, and limit activities outside of your home to what is essential – work, getting groceries and medicine, and medical visits. Always wear a face covering, keep physical distance when you are outside your home, and wash your hands frequently.
9. Protect Yourself from Contact Tracing Scams
Contact tracing is an important step in slowing the spread of COVID-19. It’s when health workers notify you that you’ve been in contact with an infected person, and you should also get tested. The process is confidential. Please be aware that public health workers will never ask for your Social Security number, immigration status, or financial information. Learn more about contact tracing.
10. Plastic Bag Ban is Back in Place
Governor Newsom’s temporary suspension of the bag ban has expired and stores are now allowed to charge a fee for reusable plastic bags or recycled paper bags provided at time of checkout. The amount of ten cents per bag is the same amount charged prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please be aware that the California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) recommends that customers who bring in their own reusable bags ensure the following:
Bags are not placed on conveyor belts or any other area outside of shopping carts.
Bags make no contact with employees.
Customers bag their own groceries.
Customers do not bag groceries in the checkout area if they cannot maintain physical distancing. Groceries can be placed in a cart and bagged elsewhere by the customer.
LA County strongly encourages all LA County residents who are interested in being tested to first contact their Primary Care Provider or Healthcare Center about receiving a test at their facility. If you do not have access to this care or are unable to contact them, dial 2-1-1 for a referral to a provider.
LA County's Department of Health Services (DHS) Director, Dr. Ghaly, indicates it is likely that testing access will not be sufficient to accommodate all those who want to be tested in the coming weeks. Currently, community-based testing sites are not experiencing any supply chain shortages. However, as testing volumes increase across the United States, that may change.
That is why LA County is preparing by turning to its knowledge of COVID-19 to offer guidance to County, including Culver City, residents. Please, carefully consider (in consultation with your provider) whether you actually need a COVID-19 test. If you're not sure, learn LA County's Criteria for Testing:
Symptoms: if you have symptoms, you CAN sign up for a test but it doesn’t mean you need to. You need to talk to your provider first. Symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea or vomiting.
High-risk congregant settings: testing is key in settings where transmission can spread rapidly.
Known exposure: know your exposure, so that contacts can be traced if you are positive for COVID-19. This type of testing is key for tracing infection and for public health purposes.
And whether or not you get tested for COVID-19, remember:
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, you need to isolate. Keep your physician informed on your symptoms and, especially if you are elderly or have an underlying health condition, seek medical care if your symptoms worsen. If you don’t have a physician, call 211 to get connected to one. And if you are having trouble breathing or have other severe symptoms, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
If you were exposed to someone with a known infection, you need to quarantine for the full 14 days. A COVID-19 test should never be used as a way to end quarantine early. It will never do that.
The health officer orders are there to keep you and others safe, while still allowing society to reopen. A negative test cannot reassure you that you haven’t been exposed and won’t turn positive tomorrow. Don’t use a negative test as a “free pass” that allows others outside of your household to safely interact with you. It is not safe.
If you or someone you know has a non-emergency, non-medical need or question related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and you would like assistance, please email the City or call the City’s Coronavirus Hotline at (310) 253-6890 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM). If you email or leave a message at the Hotline after hours, please include your name, address, phone number, email address, and your need or question. In an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.
We want you to know that we are here for you. If you or another Culver City resident would like a check-in call for a quick chat, let us know. Our friendly City staff are making weekly phone calls to any residents 18 and older just to say “hi," see how you are doing, or offer information and resources. You don’t need a reason—we’ll call you. If you would like to sign-up for the weekly phone call program, give us a ring at (310) 253-6890 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM).
