Today, our community, like others across the country, is facing unprecedented challenges. As we navigate through this time together, I wanted to express my thanks to Aliso Viejo residents and businesses for following state and county health orders. Our community is working together, united in partnership, to minimize the health impacts of the COVID-19 virus. I am extremely proud of this community partnership and its effectiveness in protecting Aliso Viejo residents.
As many of you are aware, Governor Newsom has not confirmed a precise timeline for modifying his stay-at-home order. According to the Governor, the State continues to evaluate and assess the situation and any decision on State ordered restrictions will be science-based and data-driven. Although, his recent closure of Orange County beaches does not appear to be science-based nor data-driven. Orange County, at the time of his closure, had 1/3
rd
the total number of COVID cases per capita compared to two other coastal counties with beaches not closed by the Governor. In fact, beaches in four other coastal counties, each with significantly higher numbers of COVID cases per capita, remained open to the public.
Orange County being singled out by the Governor in this manner causes me concern, especially as the State begins to assess lifting restrictions on businesses and re-starting the economy. Recently Governor Newsom introduced a four-stage framework for gradually reopening all businesses and public places. The Governor identified specific milestones each county would need to meet to further relax business restrictions. More information about California’s four stages of re-opening and associated milestones can be found at
covid19.ca.gov
. To voice your opinion on the recovery plan and the associated milestones, contact the Governor’s Office at 916-445-2841.
Despite today’s public health orders requiring modified operations, many of our local businesses are still open and available to serve you. Please continue to support these local businesses, as they are an integral part of what makes up our community and drives the success of our local economy. I encourage you to use curbside pickup from our local retailers, order takeout from your favorite restaurant, or have a special treat delivered straight to your door. By shopping locally and supporting Aliso Viejo businesses, we can all help re-establish our local economy.
The City Council and I are committed to protecting all aspects of the health, safety, and welfare of the community. We understand that many of our residents and businesses have experienced significant financial issues due to COVID-19, which is why I am announcing the launch of the City’s economic recovery resource “Aliso Viejo Thrives”. Visit
avcity.org/thrives
for concise and informative summaries to help connect you with available resources, including federal and state stimulus packages such as the CARES Act. You will also find a wide variety of supporting information, ranging from free webinars, links to job resources, food pantries and more. This information will be updated regularly to help our community withstand the economic impacts of the pandemic.
City council, city staff, and I, as your mayor, will continue to provide the support and foundation needed to ensure our community remains safe. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time at 949-425-2500, email us at
[email protected]
, or visit
avcity.org
for more information.
I look forward to personally connecting with you very soon!
Mayor Mike Munzing
