As expected, a new county health order went into effect at midnight barring indoor activities for the next three weeks at:
- Dine-in restaurants (outdoor, pick up or drive-through can occur)
- Wineries and tasting rooms
- Movie theaters, family entertainment centers and cardrooms
- Museums and zoos
In addition, all restaurants must close at 10 p.m.
We have an updated list of what’s open and what’s closed in Carlsbad
here
.
You can view the updated county public health order
here
.
New outdoor options
To help support our local businesses, the city is allowing the temporary expansion of operations onto sidewalks and private parking lots. So far, we have about a dozen in some stage of doing this, and we hope it helps offset some of the business impacts caused by COVID-19.
Triggers for increasing health restrictions
On Thursday I went over the 13 county triggers and the eight state triggers, some of which overlap. For the county triggers, we are exceeding three: number of cases per 100,000 population, number of community outbreaks and the ability to initiate investigations into new cases within 24 hours. Over the past two weeks our overall positivity rate has been increasing toward the 8% trigger. It’s now at 6% (as a refresher, this refers to the number of positive cases as a percentage of the total number of tests completed).
|
|
Outbreaks
Outbreaks are tracked on a rolling seven day period. We currently have 21 recorded in the past seven days (the trigger established by the county is seven in seven days). About two-thirds were traced back to restaurants and bars.
|
|
Health officials have speculated that the combination of an indoor location, people socializing, and the inability to wear face coverings when eating and drinking has contributed to the number of outbreaks. In closing bars recently, officials cited the fact that alcohol impairs judgement as another contributing factor.
Case numbers
Now that I’m providing these updates just twice a week, the increase in case activity is more noticeable. Since my report last Thursday:
- Carlsbad’s cases increased by 64 to a new total of 246. We estimate 135 are active at this time.
- County cases increased by 1,304
- Thankfully, no new deaths have been reported since last Thursday.
Case investigations
The ability to quickly investigate and track new cases is critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19, especially among those who may not know they have been exposed. The goal is to start an investigation within 24 hours of a new case being reported at least 70% of the time. With the sharp increase in cases, the county has started the investigation within 24 hours 67% of the time. County officials are lining up more investigators to keep pace with the increased number of cases.
County offices closed to in-person services
Due to the increase in cases, the county has closed its in-person services temporarily, but will still provide service online and by phone.
Marriage license and ceremony service appointments already booked will be honored, but the county is not scheduling new appointments through July. Here’s a run-down of other commonly requested services:
- Document recording services (only by mail and through E-Recording)
- Vital records request: birth, death, and marriage records (by mail or online)
- Fictitious business name statements (by mail)
- Official records copies (by mail or online)
- Notary public registrations (by mail)
- Authentications (by mail)
There will be no interruption to Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk phone and email information services. Many customer services are available online at
www.SDARCC.com
:
Assessor services: 619-236-3771
Recorder services: 619-238-8158
Marriage/birth/death records and fictitious business names: 619-237-0502
Hand sanitizer warning
Washing hands with soap and water is one of the best ways to avoid infection, but health experts acknowledge that it’s not always possible. In these cases, hand sanitizer is recommended.
Based on a health warning issued yesterday by the CDC, be sure to check the ingredients of your hand sanitizer. Most commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain either ethanol or isopropanol as active ingredients.
Methanol, a “toxic alcohol,” has been used as an active ingredient in some brands made in Mexico, prompting recalls. Methanol can cause blindness and death when absorbed through the skin or when swallowed. You can see the list of manufacturers and brands on
this FDA website
.
No City Council meeting this week
The City Council’s next meeting is Tuesday, July 14, 3 p.m. We will continue with the virtual meetings for now, but you can still participate by signing up to make a live comment or by emailing your comments. If you don’t already subscribe, I encourage you to
sign up
for email notifications about City Council meetings and agendas. There is a blue button on the city’s home page called email notifications right above the news headlines:
|
|
Other meetings
Our boards, commissions and other public committees also continue to meet online. This week we have the Housing Element Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday at 3 p.m. This group was appointed by the City Council to help ensure the city’s updated housing plan reflects the community’s needs, values and priorities. We’re on a tight deadline to get our housing plan updated to reflect the latest population projections.
All cities are required to demonstrate to the state how they will accommodate housing needs for all income levels, based on a formula that takes into account local jobs, community demographics and other factors. In the coming weeks, we’ll be seeking public input on the criteria for selected sites where this new housing should go. I will send you a link to the site to give input once it’s ready.
Fun things to do
Playwright Project
Through a lesson and materials created by professional writers from the
Playwrights Project
, families can learn how to write short monologues and scenes from interviews with their loved ones. Submit your family script and it could be selected to be read by professional actors and posted on our website. What a great way to capture family history.
Streaming Services
New
free video streaming services
and digital comics are now available to Carlsbad City Library cardholders. Watch a British sitcom or mystery, study art, science or history, access top digital comics and graphic novels. Available 24/7 from any personal computer, mobile device or tablet with internet connectivity and through the RBdigital app. Made possible by the Friends of the Carlsbad Library.
Culinary Lab (adults 50+)
Learn how to cook delicious and nutritious meals
each week in Culinary Lab Lunch Hour. Instructor Kyle Dixon will host a free weekly lunch hour cooking lesson through Zoom. Students will receive the recipe in advance, to have all ingredients on hand to cook along with Kyle! Thursdays from noon – 1 p.m.
Lecture series (adults 50+)
The Senior Center will be offering
free Zoom lectures
from UCSD Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. With topics such as arts, medicine, law and international relations there is something for everyone. Join us every Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. There will be a short discussion after the recorded lecture.
Thank you
You might have seen that the City of Carlsbad did end up closing our beach parking lot for the July 4 weekend, following a request from the state Office of Emergency Services late Thursday. We also had extra patrols plus volunteers out along the beaches handing out masks and reminding people to keep a 6-foot distance from others. By and large the crowds were thinner than usual, and those we talked to were respectful and cooperative.
I’m not going to sugar coat it – things are not headed in the right direction when it comes to COVID-19. I understand it’s been hard – all of us have had our routines disrupted. Many have lost jobs. Kids are getting antsy at home. Older family members and friends are lonely.
The quickest way to get things back to some semblance of normal is to reduce the number of new cases, and the best way to do that is to follow the same health precautions we’ve been promoting all along. If each of us does our part, we can slow the spread. We’ve done it before. We know what works. Please recommit today. Your actions really do save lives.
The county health officer will give an update during today’s Board of Supervisors meeting. If you’d like to watch or listen online,
here is a link
.
Scott Chadwick
City Manager
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
