Study Session | May 3, 2022
• March 10, 2020
• First three cases of travel associated
COVID-19 in Long Beach
• March 14, 2020
• First community spread COVID-19
case in Long Beach
In the 784 days since that day...
A Look Back on the COVID-19 Response
2 COVID-19 Impacts
• As of May 2nd, we've experienced:
• 126,435 Cases
• 3,614 Hospitalizations
• Lost 1,265 people
• In 2021, COVID-19 was the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease and all cancers
• The year 2021 saw the highest death rate since 2003
• In Long Beach, life expectancy in 2021 was 75.2, a reduction of 3 years compared with 2019. Life expectancy decreases were even higher for our Black and Latinx communities. 3 COVID-19 Accomplishments
• Began limited testing at Main Health with the ability to test approximately 30 people per day. We now have capacity to test 10,000 people per day. • Implemented fixed and mobile vaccine access, including a mega site with the ability to vaccinate 6,000 people per day.
• Provided 942,245 tests and 88,514 vaccines through sites, citywide. • Provided guidance and assisted in outbreak management and control in over 170 businesses, 150 Long-Term Care facilities, and 80 Schools/Daycares. • Established data dashboards and provided real-time data for cases, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccinations, and indicators.
• Monitored and detected emerging variants.
• Published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality weekly Report (MMWR) titled "Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years-Long Beach, California, April 1-December 10, 2020“.
4 5
COVID-19 Accomplishments
• Engaged employees from across the City in
response and shifted practices to meet the need
and safety protocols
o Declared City employees disaster services
workers
o Reassigned 230 City staff
o Flexed and expanded hours
o Provided regular testing
o Ensured front line workers were vaccinated
early to ensure safety
o Implemented office safety protocols including
plexiglass, sanitization, distancing and masks
o Enacted Emergency Teleworking/Hybrid Work
Policy
to reduce density across City departments.
o Provided technology and supports to allow
for large-scale telecommuting
6 COVID-19 Accomplishments
• Managed Surge Staffing
o 40 LBFD Lifeguards
o 50 All Hazards Incident Management Team
o 100 Travel Nurses
o 110 California National Guard personnel
o 230 Reassigned City staff
• Managed a volunteer workforce
o 1,300 Medical Reserve Corp (MRC)
o 60 CERT
o 345 Nursing students (CSULB & LBCC)
o West Coast University nursing students provided a total of 12,240 hours, worth nearly $1 million in service
• 125 HEROs (Healthcare & Emergency Response Opportunities) Work Experience Participants were employed since the beginning of pandemic (more than 18,000 hours of service)
COVID-19 Accomplishments
• Established
o 75,000 square foot Local Distribution site
o 5 temporary and permanent shelters for people experiencing homelessness serving hundreds of people
o 2 isolation and quarantine sites
• Provided surge support to local hospitals
o 6 mobile hospital modules deployed to hospitals
o 5 mass fatality trailers deployed to hospitals
o Distributed 300,000 pieces of PPE to all healthcare entities • Provided resources specific to older adults and homebound individuals o Supported more than 1,300 through the LB Resource Line and Older Adult Warm Line o Delivered nearly 4,000 meals
o Provided supports to more than 21,000 households through the CARES Act o Initiated Neighbor to Neighbor program to support older adults 7 COVID-19 Accomplishments
• Provided resources to families with young children
o Nearly 70,000 packs of diapers
o More than 42,000 packs of wipes
o Nearly 16,000 cans of formula
o 18,400 books and educational supplies
o Funding to early childhood providers to help them stay open • Provided resources and supports to businesses
o Provided PPE to more than 1,200 businesses
o Provided education on health orders and safety protocols to nearly 10,000 businesses o Implemented four small business grant programs:
• Small Business Transition & Technology Small Grant Programs • Outdoor Dining Grant
• Commercial Rental Assistance Grant
• Business License Tax and Fee Grant for Full-Service Restaurants ▪ Total grant funding issued: $5,042,428
▪ Total grants issued: 1,053
▪ Total unique businesses supported: 1,006
• Overall, provided 4,755,000 pieces of PPE citywide.
8 COVID-19 Accomplishments
9 Implemented citywide temporary parklets with a focus on safety. • Citywide effort to support the economic recovery for businesses amid social-distancing Health Order
• First temporary parklets were installed in May 2020
• Many were installed just prior to July 4, 2020
• At the program’s peak:
o 124 temporary parklet locations citywide
o 136 participating business citywide
• Currently:
o 86 temporary parklet locations citywide
o 98 business supported citywide (some sharing)
o 10 parklets removed since the start of 2022
• Ensured proper installation of barricades and safe pedestrian passage, reviewed structural and stormwater drainage elements and utility conflicts
• Current program is set to expire on June 30, 2022, unless extended by the City Council
COVID-19 Accomplishments
The City's COVID-19 response was at the forefront in:
• Vaccinating first responders
• Identifying and messaging residents eligible for vaccine and expanding vaccine eligibility o Established VaxLB which registered 140,000 total community members • Mass testing and vaccination
• Mobile and in-home vaccination and testing for high-risk populations • Vaccine verification and testing mandate for City employees • Vaccine verification and testing mandate for school district, community college and university employees
• Implementation of the indoor masking requirement and masking at outdoor mega events 10 11
11 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach
• As of May 2, 2022
o 126,435 Cases
o 3,614 Hospitalized
o 1,265 Deaths
▪ January 2021 was the
deadliest month to
date, with more than
320 deaths compared
to 116 deaths in January
2022
Year Cases Hospitalizations Deaths
2020 36,207 1,577 439
2021 44,516 1,426 641
2022 45,712 611 185
12 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach: Testing
• To date, total specimens collected through the city test sites: 940,243 o Most tests conducted in a day: 9,685
o Daily average, currently: 697
13 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach
2020-2021 Winter Surge 2021 Summer Surge
(Delta)
2021-2022 Winter Surge
(Omicron)
Case Rate (per 100,000) 163.3 37.9 475.4
Positivity Rate 17.4% 8.7% 29.5%
Area hospitalizations 598 143 367
Hospitalization Rate
(per 100,000) 35.6 11.4 25.1
Weekly Deaths 84 11 40
Indictors during the peak of each surge
14 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach
For comparison, for every 61 cases during the 2020-2021 winter surge there was 1 death reported, and for every 396 cases during the Omicron surge there was 1 death reported. 15 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach
Post Omicron surge (Data as of 5/2/22)
• Case Rate: 7.7/100,000
• Positivity Rate: 4.9%
• Current Hospitalizations: 14 Long Beach
residents
• Area hospitals: 11
• Weekly Deaths: 0
COVID-19 levels in Long Beach remain low but are
increasing due to the BA.2 subvariant, which now
makes up about 80 percent of cases in Long Beach
16 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach
Number of outbreaks have significantly decreased since the Omicron surge and continue to remain low
• Workplace Outbreaks
o Omicron Surge: 77
o Post-Omicron: 3
• School Outbreaks (K-12 & ECE)
o Omicron Surge: 231
o Post-Omicron: 6
• Long Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities Outbreaks o Omicron Surge: 65
o Post-Omicron: 6
17 Status of COVID-19 in Long Beach
• As of March 2022, the City of Long
Beach Employee Occupational
Health Clinic has:
o Contact traced (screened) -
4,424 employees for COVID
symptoms or exposures
▪ 1,528 isolation
▪ 1,529 quarantine
• The City Safety and Risk
Management team developed
and implemented an employee
COVID-19 contact tracing intake
portal to streamline case
management during the Omicron
surge.
18 19
19 COVID-19 Vaccination Status Overall
*Data as of May 2, 2022
20 COVID-19 Vaccination Status by Age
*Data as of May 2, 2022
21 COVID-19 Vaccination Status by Race/Ethnicity
*Data as of May 2, 2022
Black and Latinx residents in Long Beach have the lowest vaccination rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups, and Black and Latinx males have lower rates than females.
22 COVID-19 Vaccination Status in Long Beach by Zip Code Zip codes 90813 and 90805 have the lowest rates of fully vaccinated and boosted individuals. 23 *Data as of May 2, 2022
Overall Effectiveness of COVID-9 Vaccination in California Case rate comparison by
vaccination status
Hospitalization rate comparison by
vaccination status
Death rate comparison by vaccination
status
Although breakthrough infections occur with Omicron, state-level data from March 28 to April 3, 2022, display the stark contrast for unvaccinated people compared with their vaccinated and boosted counterparts.
Data support vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death. 24 Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths by Vaccination Status in Long Beach During the Omicron surge, people in Long Beach who were not fully vaccinated or unvaccinated had:
• 2x higher case rates
• 4x higher hospitalization rates
• 5x higher death rates
25 Human Resources – Vaccination of City Employees
Phase 1: Implemented Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Attestation Form – Effective June 28, 2021 As part of our efforts to provide a safe workplace, and in accordance with the implementation of Cal/OSHA COVID Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), all employees were required to complete the City’s COVID- 19 Vaccine Attestation form. Effective upon submission of the City of Long Beach Employee Attestation of COVID-19 Vaccination form, employees who were fully vaccinated would no longer be required to wear a face covering while in the workplace (unless a specific location or current Health Order required face coverings at all times).
Phase 2: City of Long Beach Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Verification or Mandatory Weekly Testing – Effective August 30, 2021
All City employees who are not fully vaccinated or have not disclosed proof of vaccination status are required to test weekly for COVID-19 at a designated test site.
Phase 3: Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for City Employees - Pending Final Implementation Date The City working on the implementation of a Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for the health and safety of City employees and the public they serve. The policy would require all employees who are required to test weekly for COVID-19 to become vaccinated against COVID-19 or request an exemption.
26 Human Resources – Vaccination of City Employees
As of April 28, 2022, 86% of eligible City of
Long Beach employees have submitted proof
of COVID-19 vaccination status.
27 Addressing
COVID-19
Disparities
Efforts to Address COVID-19 Disparities
• To address the digital divide, set up a robust COVID-19 Information Line in January 2021 o Staffed with people equipped to handle calls in multiple languages o Assisted older adults, monolingual individuals and those with limited access to technology with making appointments for testing and vaccine
• Provided accommodations to families and those with disabilities, access and functional needs at the mass vaccination clinics
o Designated a sensory-friendly space
o Implemented a Vaccine Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for individuals with access and functional needs
Whole Community Planning
29 Efforts to Address COVID-19 Disparities
• Convened a vaccine equity workgroup with various stakeholders, including community-based organizations, healthcare providers and City departments o Used data to develop outreach and communication strategies for areas with high case rates and low vaccination rates
o Used census tract-level data to bring pop-up vaccination events to areas with high case rates and low vaccination rates, providing nearly 7,900 vaccines • Built out a mobile vaccination team to provide in-home vaccinations for those with disabilities, access and functional needs, mobility issues and those at high risk, providing nearly 5,000 in home vaccinations
• Conducted nearly 21,000 COVID-19 tests through the mobile testing team o More than 500 of these were in-home testing appointments for those with disabilities, access and functional needs, mobility issues and those at high risk o Pop-up events in partnership with community-based organizations, pop- ups in areas with high case rates, businesses, congregate living facilities and at special events Whole Community Planning
30 Communicating
with
City Residents
General
COVID-19 Line
Total Calls:
70,553
English, Khmer, Spanish, Tagalog
COVID-19
Vaccine Line
Total Calls: 16,966
COVID-19 Communications
From March 2020 to present:
32 Made available in English, Khmer, Spanish, Tagalog
COVID-19 Communications
From March 2020 to present:
33 Livestreamed Press
Conferences
COVID-19 Press
Releases & Updates
COVID-19
Internal Updates
35090+ Over 700
Data Dashboard Updates
Over 700
Health Order
Update
Health Order
Revised on April 29, 2022
• Aligned with Los Angeles Department of Public Health and the CDC’s assessment that at this time, requiring masking for indoor public transit is necessary to protect the public’s health • Masks in all public transit within Long Beach, such as commuter trains, buses, taxis and ride-shares, and indoor transportation hubs such as airport terminals, bus, train, marina or port stations are required for all people 2 years and older
35 Looking
Forward
Upcoming Developments
Therapeutics to Treat COVID-19 Infection
• Working with the state to expand local access to therapeutics • Identifying and enrolling additional providers to offer therapeutics • Identifying and enrolling additional providers to expand the test to treat locations Vaccines
• Monitoring development, expansion of eligibility, Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and full biologic license approval
• Pfizer
• EUA for 5-11 booster expected to be reviewed by FDA
• EUA for 6 months to under 5 expected to be reviewed by FDA in June • Moderna
• EUA for 6 months to under 17 years expected to be reviewed by FDA in June • Novovax
• EUA for 18 and older is expected to be reviewed by FDA in June 37 Post-Surge Planning
Health Department developed a post-surge plan informed by:
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels monitoring measures
• The California SMARTER plan
• The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Post-Surge Response Plan To ensure a data-driven, equitable response, the Health Department will focus on:
• Educating those at higher risk of experiencing elevated rates of illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19
• Mitigating the unconstrained spread of illness
• Protecting the functioning of the healthcare system
• Preparing for future potential challenges presented by the evolving conditions of the virus Additional considerations for post surge planning:
• HRSA funding to reimburse COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic providers has ended • FEMA reimbursement rate decreases on July 1 from 100% to 90% reimbursement • Federal public health emergency funding grants end on June 30, 2023, reducing staffing by 50 full-time positions and 100 part-time positions
38 Post-Surge Plan – CDC Community Level Metric
• CDC COVID-19 community levels look at the combination of three metrics:
o Hospital admissions per 100,000 in the past seven days o Percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients o Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 in the past seven days • These metrics act as early warning indicators and help determine the current potential strain on the health care system
• The Health Department is using these metrics as one way to track trends and make decisions post Omicron surge COVID-19 Community Levels for Long Beach
New COVID-19 Cases per 100,000 people in the
past 7 days Indicators Low Medium High Long Beach/LA
County Current Values
105.8
New COVID-19 admissions per
100,000 population (7-day total) <10.0 10.0-19.9 ≥ 20.0 0.64 Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by
COVID-19 patients (7-day average) <10.0% 10.0-14.9% ≥ 15.0% 1.3% 39 Local Post-Surge Plan Indicators
Indicator Low Medium High Long Beach (as of
5/2)
Percentage of specimens
sequenced that are identified as
a new variant of concern
< 5% 5-10% > 10% NA
Average number of specimens
collected at test sites
< 2,000 in past 7
days
2,000-6,000 in past
7 days
> 6,000 in past 7
days 697
Seven-day cumulative case rate
per 100,000 for the lowest
income census tracts (30-100%
below area poverty)
<100 per 100,000 100-200 per
100,000 > 200 per 100, 000 79.3
Number of new outbreaks in
skilled nursing facilities/assisted
living facilities
≤ 2 new outbreaks
in past 7 days
3-6 new outbreaks
in past 7 days
≥ 7 new outbreaks
in past 7 days 0
Number of new outbreaks in
educational sector, including
early childhood education
centers, TK-12 and colleges and
universities
≤ 3 new outbreaks
in past 7 days 4-6 new outbreaks
in past 7 days
≥ 7 new outbreaks
in past 7 days 4
Number of new outbreaks at
workplaces (non-healthcare)
< 5 new outbreaks
in past 7 days
5-15 new
outbreaks in past
7 days
>15 new outbreaks
in past 7 days 2
40 Local Post-Surge Plan Strategies: Medium
• Increase the appointment capacity at fixed test sites and for mobile testing and communicate the options to public
• Distribute PPE to health and medical settings to ensure responder safety • Increase:
o Surveillance to monitor incidence of COVID-19 cases associated with new emerging variants of concern
o Contact tracing and case investigations, including utilization of virtual assistant surveys o Outbreak management to respond to sector outbreaks
• Utilize data to make recommendations for those at high-risk and to the different sectors • Continue communications to the public on the severity and transmissibility of new variants of concern
• Consider implementing requirement for masking in indoor public spaces 41 Local Post-Surge Plan Strategies: High
In addition to the strategies outlined in Medium Category:
• Request PPE and personnel from the state
• Facilitate resources requests for the hospitals and skilled nursing facilities • Activate surge personnel to increase surveillance capacity to monitor and report the incidence of COVID-19 cases
• Consider requiring vaccine verification for mega events and other high-risk public spaces
42 Anissa Davis, City Health Officer
Health and Human Services Dept.
[email protected]
Kelly Colopy, Director
Health and Human Services Dept.