PROCLAMATION NO. P-2020-01
A PROCLAMATION BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PLACENTIA, CALIFORNIA,
ACTING AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DISASTER COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PLACENTIA, DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY WHEREAS, Placentia Municipal Code Section 11.12.020(a)(1) empowers the City Administrator to request the Mayor, Acting as Chairman of the Disaster Council of the City of Placentia, to declare the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the City is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity; and WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), authorize the City Administrator and Chairman of the Disaster Council to proclaim a local emergency when the City is threatened by conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City that are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City; and WHEREAS, a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, causes infectious disease and was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath; outcomes have ranged from mild to severe illness, and, in some cases, death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated the virus is a tremendous public health threat; and WHEREAS, Chinese health officials have reported tens of thousands of cases of COVID-19 in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person. COVID- 19 illnesses, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, are also being reported in 117 countries, with over 44,000 cases, including the United States; and WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" and on March 11, 2020, the WHO has elevated the public health emergency to the status of a pandemic. On January 31, 2020, United States Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation's healthcare community in responding to COVID-19. On February 26, 2020 the County of Orange declared a local emergency and a local health emergency. On March 4, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency in California; and Proclamation P-2020-01
WHEREAS, on February 2, 2020, the federal government initiated the suspension of entry of foreign nationals who were in China during the 14 -day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. United States citizens, residents, and their immediate family members who were in China during the 14 -day period preceding their entry into the United States are permitted entry but are redirected to one of 11 airports where the CDC has quarantine stations to undergo health screening. Depending on their health and travel history, they will have some level of restrictions on their movements for 14 days from the time they left China. On February 29, 2020, the President expanded restrictions to include all aliens who were physically present within the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 14 -day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, with additional restrictions being imposed on travel from Europe as of March 11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, as of March 12, 2020, the WHO reported that, to date, 125,048 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 4,613 of which resulted in death, across 117 countries; and
WHEREAS, in declaring a State of Emergency, the Governor indicated that, as of March 4, 2020, there were 129 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, including 53 in California, and more than 9,400 Californians across 49 counties in home monitoring based on possible travel -based exposure to the virus, with officials expecting the number of cases in California, the United States, and worldwide to increase; and WHEREAS, the Governor and the California Department of Health on March 11, 2020 issued a statement entitled "California Public Health Experts: Mass Gatherings Should be Postponed or Canceled Statewide to Slow the Spread of COVID-19," determining that gatherings should be postponed or canceled across the state until at least the end of March. Non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people, while smaller events can proceed only if the organizers can implement social distancing of 6 feet per person. Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people, while also following social distancing guidelines. Furthermore, essential gatherings should only be conducted if the essential activity could not be postponed or achieved without gathering, meaning Proclamation P-2020-01
that some other means of communication could not be used to conduct the essential function; and
WHEREAS, the Governor on March 12, 2020 issued Executive Order N-25-20, ordering, inter alia, that all residents are to heed the orders and guidance of state and local public health officials; and
WHEREAS; on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States issued a proclamation declaring the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States as a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the City of Placentia has the power to impose measures to promote social distancing including but not limited to limitations on public events; and WHEREAS, Placentia is a densely populated city within Orange County, which is the sixth largest county in the United States, with one of the highest population densities; and
WHEREAS, conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen due to the potential introduction of COVID-19 to Placentia and Orange County; and
WHEREAS, such conditions are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative to prepare for and respond to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, to implement measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and to prepare to respond to an increasing number of individuals requiring medical care and hospitalization; and
WHEREAS, if COVID-19 spreads in California at a rate comparable to the rate of spread in other countries, the number of persons requiring medical care may exceed locally available resources, and controlling outbreaks minimizes the risk to the public, maintains the health and safety of the community, and limits the spread of infection in the community and within the healthcare delivery system; and WHEREAS, the mobilization of local resources, ability to coordinate interagency response, accelerate procurement of vital supplies, use mutual aid, and allow for future Proclamation P-2020-01
reimbursement by the state and federal governments will be critical to successfully responding to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the City Administrator, as the City's Director of Emergency Services, has the power to request the Mayor, acting as Chairman of the City's Disaster Council, to declare a local emergency as authorized by Government Code section 8630 and Placentia Municipal Code section 11.12.020(a)(1).
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the Mayor, acting as Chairman of the Disaster Council of the City of Placentia as follows:
A. As contemplated in the Emergency Services Act contained in Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), and Section
11.12.020 of the Placentia Municipal Code, a local emergency exists based on the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property caused by an epidemic, as detailed in the recitals set forth above.
B. The area of the City which is endangered/imperiled is the entire City.
C. During the existence of this local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by state law and by ordinances, resolutions, and orders of this City, including but not limited to the City of Placentia Emergency Plan in Title 11 of the Placentia Municipal Code.
D. The City Council shall review and ratify this proclamation within 7 days as required by state law, and if ratified, shall continue to exist until the City Council proclaims the termination of this local emergency. The City Council shall review the need for continuing the local emergency as required by state law until it terminates the local emergency and shall terminate the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant.
E. That the City of Placentia orders that, within the boundaries of the City of Placentia, the Public Health Experts' recommendations shall be deemed mandatory.
F. That a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find Proclamation P-2020-01
it acceptable in accordance with State Law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in the City of Placentia; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs.
PROCLAIMED this 16th day of March 2020.
Ward Smith, Mayor
Da ien--R- ula, City A -a ninistrator
Chairman of Disaster Council, Placentia Director of Emergency Services ( -rt
Christian Bettenhausen, City Attorney
ATTEST:
Robert McKinnell, City Clerk
Proclamation P-2020-01