Within hours of opening restaurants last week, the county had to shut down one where people crowded together, without face coverings or any of the other required precautions. The county’s swift action came with a warning: if people are not following the rules, COVID-19 cases could very likely spike, which would cause the county health officer to tighten restrictions once again.
Busy weekend
Memorial Day weekend put Carlsbad to the test. With people able to finally get out following two months of near total lockdown, combined with what is traditionally one of the busiest weekends in Carlsbad, we saw a lot of activity, especially along our coastline.
I would like to thank our dedicated community emergency response team volunteers who helped staff a booth to hand out face coverings along the Sea Wall. They also assisted law enforcement with handing out face coverings to local businesses and restaurants. In all, we distributed 8,400 face coverings over the weekend!
Parking update
Our Police Department issued 51 COVID-19 related parking citations over the long weekend, bringing the total to date to 150. The areas along the coast where we have restricted parking saw far fewer crowds. From about Oak Avenue north to the Oceanside border is residential, making prohibiting parking more difficult. Not surprisingly, this is where we saw the greatest crowds over Memorial Day weekend.
Enforcement
I have mentioned before that we prefer to take an education-first stance when it comes to the health orders, understanding that they are changing often. Starting today, we are shifting to more a rigorous enforcement approach of beach rules, specifically around gathering and sitting on the sand. Remember, the county has allowed beaches to open for walking, running, swimming and surfing, but not other “passive” uses.
Health order update
As promised, the state Department of Public Health issued
new guidance for places of worship
Monday. This includes allowing in person religious services and funerals that limit attendance to 25% of a building’s capacity – or up to 100 attendees, whichever is lower – upon approval by the county department of public health. Earlier today, the governor announced that counties that have qualified for a variance (this includes our county) can reopen barbershops and hair salons.
Remember, we must follow the county’s health order, regardless of whether the state puts out guidance that is more lenient. We expect the county to provide an update this afternoon on what this means for us locally. I’ll report out tomorrow, but if you’d like to watch these live or after the fact, there are links on the County of San Diego
Facebook
and
Twitter
pages.
Everyday precautions
The fact that more and more of the health restrictions are easing doesn’t mean the basics are no longer important. It’s the opposite. They are more important than ever. These include:
- Staying home except for essential needs/activities.
- Bring a face covering with you when you leave home and putting it on when you can’t maintain a 6-foot distance from others.
- Practicing social distancing.
- Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
- Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward.
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
- Staying away from other people if they have symptoms.
- Following guidance from public health officials.
COVID-19 testing comes to CVS in Carlsbad
In a little over two months, we have gone from testing being available in just a handful of locations to, now, literally at your neighborhood drugstore. CVS announced its “Minute Clinic” on Rancho Santa Fe Road (near Stagecoach Park) is offering drive up
COVID-19 tests
by appointment. California is one of several states where CVS is offering this service.
If you think you may have COVID-19, the recommendation is still to contact your personal health care provider as a first step. If you don’t have one, you can call 2-1-1 to talk to a nurse. Remember, this is a new coronavirus, and as more is learned, guidance has changed. The current list of symptoms includes:
- 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
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Thanks, again, for everything you are doing to keep our community safe. As more and more health restrictions are eased, our individual actions will make the difference in how cases spread. Your actions really do save lives.
Scott Chadwick
City Manager
