Dear Friend --

Long Beach began easing into another phase of our "Safer at Home" order two weeks ago. And today, I gave an update on where we are with the data. As I have said many times, the data is what will be driving our decisions and timelines.

To recap, the Governor outlined four stages of reopening, and you can learn more about them here.

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

We are currently in Stage 2. This means that we have reopened all non-essential retail for curbside pickup, and allowed more outdoor recreation. Two weeks ago, we reopened golf courses, tennis courts, beach bike paths and park parking lots.

We have been able to do this because we have:

• Seen our hospitalization and ICU trends stabilize. We are currently around 60% bed capacity in our hospitals.
• Increased hospital surge capacity by opening a field hospital at the Long Beach Arena with 100 beds. We now 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
  • 1.6 million PPE
  • 59,230 N-95 masks
  • 28,531 gowns
  • 12,943 face coverings
• Increased our testing capacity to meet demand by setting up six testing locations throughout Long Beach, where in partnership with hospitals and private labs, 27,000 tests have been completed to date
• Plugged into the statewide contact tracing system through the Long Beach Health Department

As we enter the third week of Stage 2, the data looks to be holding.

We continue to track below Los Angeles County for both positive cases and deaths per 100,000 in population. 

The number of hospitalizations as a result of COVID-19 has remained somewhat stable.

Long Beach continues to be prepared. We remain coordinated, and we will continue reopening based on the data and science. We are not rushing, but are encouraging the community to think and plan about what reengaging with one another in the community will look like in the coming weeks and months.

Earlier this week, we moved forward on an Open Streets Initiative that will make it possible to give our local small businesses more support while giving residents more space to physically distance.  I look forward to seeing this program citywide.

The community has been amazing and I have faith that together, we can do this.