Good morning, Carlsbad. As we enter week four of the COVID-19 public health emergency, I want to thank our Carlsbad community for your diligence in following the health orders, staying at home except for essential needs, staying away from beaches, trails and parks, and maintaining the 6-foot distance between each other. These are what will make the difference in how Carlsbad fares in the coming weeks.
Enforcement
The vast majority of our patrols over the weekend found exemplary compliance, but we are still getting reports of some problem areas. Please know that we understand it’s frustrating to see this, especially if you are doing all the right things. We will continue to have a presence where people are gathering or otherwise not following the rules. So far, we are getting good compliance once people are informed about the rules and their importance. Rest assured, we will monitor this very closely throughout the week and adjust our approach as needed.
Beaches
The beaches continue to be an area of some confusion, I know. That’s because beaches in California have different rules depending on who controls and manages them. In Carlsbad, the city controls just about three-quarters of a mile at the far north end. The rest are run by California State Parks. Over the weekend, the state did expand its closures of all state park parking lots, but has not yet closed the beaches in Carlsbad. We have made this official request and continue to work with our state contacts to convey our concerns.
Sea Wall
I know the Sea Wall is one of the most popular places in our city to walk, jog and take in the ocean air. Some have asked why the lower Sea Wall is closed. The city manages the upper and lower parts, the little grassy area by the Ocean Street parking lot and other gathering spots between Tamarack and Cherry Street. Our goal is to make sure people maintain a safe distance from each other and not gather. To do this, we need to monitor compliance. That’s why we are limiting walking and jogging to the upper part. Even though the state beach remains open, our message is this: Now is not the time for a beach outing; it’s a time to stay close to home. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
Staying up to date
We are keeping our website and social media up to date, seven days a week, with new developments. I encourage you to follow along and encourage that your friends and neighbors do the same. Here are those links:
carlsbadca.gov/COVID19
Public health order extended “indefinitely”
On Saturday the County of San Diego put out a new public health order that extends all the current rules indefinitely. There are no changes to what is and isn’t allowed. We have a summary of the rules on our website as well as the actual order.
The county continues to emphasize that we are still in the early phase of this public health emergency. Cases are going up and will continue to increase. The goal right now is to slow the spread of new cases while increasing the capacity of our local health care system so those two lines don’t cross. If you’ve seen the tragic coverage from Italy and more recently New York City, you’ll understand the urgency of this goal.
Latest numbers
When we share the latest case numbers on social media, it always gets more engagement than anything else we post that day. People understandably want data, and we will continue to share what we have. Just keep in mind the county’s caveats:
•The data only tell a very small part of the story, the “tip of the iceberg”
•Until testing is more readily available, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.
•The majority of COVID-19 cases – 80% – are mild to moderate and don’t require medical care. These numbers aren’t captured in the data, but these cases can still spread the disease to others.
•The amount of cases in a city is not an indication of the risk of infection from that city. The city numbers document where the person with COVID-19 lives, not necessarily where they came into contact with the virus.
•In the coming weeks, more meaningful information will be available, including recovery numbers.
County’s role
Before I get into the specifics of the numbers, I do want to acknowledge the tremendous work by the County of San Diego in managing our region’s response to this public health emergency. Different local agencies have different responsibilities. Public health falls to the county. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given the City of Carlsbad, but you should know that much of the information we are sharing is coming directly from the county. They are holding media briefings seven days a week to keep everyone informed and coordinating with all the cities in the region, plus numerous other state and federal agencies, nonprofits and more. It’s truly a Herculean effort, and one the City of Carlsbad appreciates immensely.
Now, the numbers
Yesterday’s case numbers from the county show Carlsbad has 20 confirmed cases. Countywide, there are now over 500. Here’s where you can get the details:
• County breakdown by age, gender, need for hospitalization
• Bar chart showing changes in number of cases over time
• Cases by city and a map
• Detailed look at cases requiring hospitalization
Food safety
The County of San Diego also oversees food safety. At Sunday’s news conference officials answered questions about the safety of food from grocery stores and restaurant take out and delivery. The main message is that COVID-19 is not known to spread through food. It spreads by inhaling droplets of fluid when people who have it cough or sneeze around you, and it spreads when you get the virus on your hands and touch your face. It needs to enter your respiratory system to infect you. It won’t survive in your stomach. Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat any surface you touch as potentially being contaminated with the virus. Wipe down surfaces and wash your hands frequently. Wash your fruit and vegetables. Wipe down the outsides of containers and put boxes and bags in the trash or recycling. Keep at least 6 feet from others when you go out.
That’s it for this Monday morning. Please stay safe, stay home and continue to #Care4Carlsbad.
City of Carlsbad | Website
