Dear Friend --

Starting this Friday, Long Beach and cities in our region will begin transitioning into the next phase of our "Safer at Home" order. We will do this slowly, gradually, and closely monitor data along the way.

The Governor has outlined four stages of reopening:

• Stage 1: Safety and Preparedness
• Stage 2: Lower Risk Workplaces
• Stage 3: Higher Risk Workplaces
• Stage 4: End of Stay-At Home Order

Long Beach has been at Stage 1 for the last few weeks. During this stage, we have:

• Seen our hospitalization numbers stabilize and have a 50% bed capacity rate.
• We have a total of 1500 hospital beds citywide.
• Increased our supply of PPE (personal protective equipment) to the point where we have been able to distribute 1.5 million PPE. 
• Increased our testing capacity more than 1,000 daily tests.
• Track below Los Angeles County for both positive cases and deaths per 100,000 in population.

Because of this progress, we are moving into Stage 2. 

Beginning Friday, May 8, Long Beach and Los Angeles County will open:

• Florists, toy stores, bookstores, clothing stores, music stores, sporting goods stores, and small retailers with curbside pickup only. 
• Car dealership showrooms will also be able to open with physical distancing guidelines in place.
• And for recreation we will open hiking trails and golf courses. 

Beginning Monday, May 11, Long Beach will open:

• Parking lots adjacent to our parks so folks can visit them and be able to walk through our parks. 
• Tennis centers will be reopened throughout the city.
• The beach bike and walking paths will also be reopened on May 11.

Please note gatherings at our beaches and parks are still not allowed. 

This is just the beginning of a process. With each step forward, we will need to evaluate at least a few weeks of data to make sure hospitalizations remain stable, vulnerable populations remain protected, and we continue to have an adequate amount of PPE.

Long Beach is prepared to meet these challenges and just as we’ve managed to succeed in Stage 1, we will be equally diligent and careful in moving to and working our way into Stage 2. Thank you for your help and your patience.

Over the next couple of days, we will be putting out more information for small business owners, or you can also call 562-570-4BIZ (4249) daily between 8:00AM – 5:00PM.