June 25, 2021
Beach Cities Health District COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Site Successes
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What You Should Know About Masking

When are masks required for everyone?
Masks will not be required for fully vaccinated people, except in the following settings where masks are required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status:
  • On public transit (examples: airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares) and in transportation hubs (examples: airport, bus terminal, marina, train station, seaport or other port, subway station, or any other area that provides transportation)
  • Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare and other youth settings
  • Healthcare settings (including long term care facilities)
  • State and local correctional facilities and detention centers
  • Homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers
  • Indoors at mega-events with more than 5,000 attendees

When are masks required for unvaccinated people?
Masks will be required for unvaccinated people, including all children between the ages of 2 and 12, in indoor public settings and businesses. This includes:
  • Retail, restaurants, theatres, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public.

If you are unvaccinated and in a setting where you are in close contact with other people who may not be fully vaccinated, consider wearing a higher level of protection, such as wearing two masks (double masking) or a respirator (e.g., N95 or KN95). This is especially important if you are in an indoor setting.

Everyone can remove their masks outdoors, except people who are not fully vaccinated attending large outdoor events – they should stay masked. 

Requirements at Workplaces
On June 17, the Cal/OSHA standards board voted to pass a modified set of emergency temporary standards for COVID-19 prevention in workplaces. The Governor immediately issued an executive order to make these standards effective on June 18.
Cal/OSHA standards now require face masks only in specific situations for specific employees.
  • Masks are required for all unvaccinated employees when indoors or in shared vehicles, except when:
  • Alone in a room or vehicle
  • Eating or drinking
  • Using a respirator required by employer
  • Medical condition or hearing impairment prevents mask-wearing
  • Mask interferes with work tasks (in which case distancing and testing strategy must be implemented)
  • Employees who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks at most indoor workplaces. 
  • To permit this at the workplace, employers must document the vaccination status of those employees.
Delta Variant in Los Angeles County
While the County’s transmission rates remain reassuringly low, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health continues to track the proliferation of variants of concern, because where there are pockets of unvaccinated individuals, these variants can proliferate. Of particular interest is the Delta variants, formerly known as Indian variants. These and their related Kappa variants are the ones involved in the massive outbreaks in India, in the recent surge of cases in the U.K. and in ongoing outbreaks elsewhere worldwide. It appears the Delta variant is highly transmissible, and more contagious even than other highly contagious COVID variants.

Nearly All Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths in Los Angeles County Occurring in those Unvaccinated
From December 7, 2020, when vaccinations first became available, to June 7, 2021, 99.6% of the County’s nearly 437,000 COVID-19 cases were individuals who were unvaccinated. There were nearly 12,900 COVID-19 hospitalizations over this time period, 98.7% occurred among people who were unvaccinated. Among the 12,234 COVID-19 deaths across L.A. County during this period, 99.8% were among unvaccinated people.

After a period of persistent declines in many metrics, L.A. County is starting to see small increases in cases, hospitalizations, and daily test positivity. This is a signal that the virus is still here and that even now everyone needs to be careful to mask and maintain a distance from people outside your households, if not yet vaccinated. The County’s recovery is best supported by continuing to take sensible safety precautions that prevent increases in community transmission.
Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19
Stay home if you are sick
Get tested: Visit the County's website covid19.lacounty.gov/testing for a list of locations.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends testing for:
  • Anyone with signs or symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status or recent infection.
  • Unvaccinated people who have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed COVID-19 infection or who has had a potential exposure. 
  • Unvaccinated people who spend time indoors around a lot of people not wearing masks, whether they’ve had symptoms or not.  
Get vaccinated. Everyone 12+ is eligible.
Note: People under age 12 cannot get vaccinated at this time because there are no vaccines authorized for use in this age group.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, visit bchd.org/covidvaccine.
77%
80%
77%
Percent (%) of population 16+ vaccinated with at least 1 dose
As of June 18, 2021
FAQ: What is the official vaccination record?
There are now three types of official vaccination record:
  1. CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card (white paper card)
  2. California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 vaccination digital record
  3. California Immunization Registry (CAIR) vaccination record

Learn more from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health here.
Los Angeles County Travel Guidance
On June 15, the County modified their travel guidance to align with State and CDC guidance on travel.
Please do not travel if:
  • You are sick,
  • You have a recent positive COVID-19 test result or
  • You are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test after being exposed to the virus. 
Virtual Families Connected Parent Chat
A free parent support group led by a licensed professional from the Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment at Torrance Memorial Medical Center held in partnership with South Bay Families Connected. Open to all parents.
June 28, July 26 and August 30
10 – 11 a.m.
Virtual Happiness Chat
This is a casual discussion group with light-hearted activities to spark conversation. Share ideas, tips, resources, jokes, quotes – anything that supports our happiness!
Tuesdays
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Virtual Mindfulness Drop-In
Take 30 minutes to downshift and practice mindfulness techniques. The guided session will be led by a trained Beach Cities Health District instructor. First Wednesday of every month.
Wednesday, July 7
4 – 4:30 p.m.
Virtual Social Hour w/ BCHD Care Manager
With many senior centers closed and many older adults unable to socialize, we want to provide a space for people to talk, ask questions and share their experience during COVID-19. Join us if you want to learn more about community resources or BCHD, or if you just want to connect! Open to all.
First and Third Tuesday of the month
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Need Help?
If you or someone you know in the Beach Cities needs help with health-related information and referrals, please call our Assistance, Information & Referral line at 310-374-3426, ext. 256, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit us online at bchd.org/resources.
Looking to get back into exercise? The Center for Health & Fitness is now open for:
  • Indoor Workout Equipment Reservations 
  • Outdoor Group Exercise Classes
  • Personal Training
  • Small Group Training
  • Massage
  • Private Pilates
  • Virtual Classes
AdventurePlex reopened for summer camp on June 21. At this time, summer camp is the only program AdventurePlex will be offering, with daily and weekly camps June 21 through August 20.

Please provide your feedback for the future reopening of all our programs in our reopening survey.
Healthy Minds Initiative Update
On June 23, the BCHD Board of Directors reviewed and approved the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget, which included the recommendation to discontinue funding for the research study of the Healthy Minds Initiative. The Board concurred with the recommendation and directed staff to end the research study effective July 31, 2021.

BCHD has retained some funding in the budget for continued programming and the Board directed staff to explore a cognitive health program. As part of this exploration, BCHD will be talking with Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai.
National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, June 20-26
Warm summer weather and standing water can create ideal conditions for mosquito breeding. Follow these tips to keep mosquitoes away:
  • Drain: empty standing water and eliminate sources where mosquitoes may develop
  • Dress: wear long sleeves and pants while outdoors
  • Defend: apply insect repellents containing EPA-registered active ingredients, including DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 

For more information, visit www.bchd.org/mosquito.
Did you know?
During the COVID-19 emergency, BCHD staff and volunteers administered 155,684 tests for Los Angeles County residents.
Healthy Living Campus
The 90-day comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Healthy Living Campus on Beach Cities Health District's property at 514 N. Prospect Ave. has now closed. The deadline to submit comments on the document was June 10 at 5 p.m. PT. The EIR team is now working on responding to comments and a public meeting will be scheduled in the coming months.
For more information, visit bchdcampus.org/eir.
CEQA Process Overview
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires state and local agencies within California to analyze proposed construction projects and provide an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) detailing potential environmental impacts and outlining measures to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible. Below is BCHD'S tentative CEQA timeline.