By Newport Beach City Manager Grace Leung | Special to the NB Indy
This was a milestone week in the COVID-19 pandemic, as the first vaccines were administered to Orange County hospital staff.
On Wednesday, several nurses and front-line workers from Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange received the Pfizer vaccine. Coming just nine months after the first reported deaths from the virus, the vaccine is a considerable achievement for science and public health.
The vaccine rollout will start with those at the highest risk of exposure — healthcare workers and first responders — followed by people high-risk categories such as assisted living facilities, then essential workers, and eventually the general public. County public health officials expect that the vaccines may be available to the general public by March.
In the meantime, however, the current surge of coronavirus cases continues to challenge the region’s hospitals. All hospitals are facing severe constraints on ICU capacity, and some have begun treating patients in temporary surge facilities and field hospitals.
As our partners at Hoag Hospital are reminding us, please stay vigilant. Continue to wear face coverings and wash hands frequently, and limit contact with those outside your household during the holiday season.
Also, please continue to shop local through the holidays and beyond. The current stay-at-home order presents serious hardships for many of our local, small businesses, and your support will be critical to their survival during these next few months.
COVID-19 Cases in Newport Beach
As of December 17, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Newport Beach was 1,803 and the total cases in Orange County was 113,783. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients countywide as of December 17 was 70,006. These figures are provided to Orange County by the California Department of Public Health.
Homelessness Update
Addressing homelessness continues to be a priority in the City’s ongoing COVID-19 response, working closely with contractor City Net and regional partners throughout the county and state. The City Net hotline number is (714) 451-6198. Those who call the hotline may leave a detailed voicemail message for themselves or others in need and City Net staff will respond within 48 hours. For immediate assistance call the County’s Crisis Prevention Hotline at (877) 7-CRISIS or (877) 727-4747.
Success Stories
- The City’s Homeless Liaison Officer helped a man experiencing homelessness enter a sober living program.
- City Net staff helped a person in the Balboa Pier area access the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) service, which provides up to $125 a person a month to purchase food.
- City Net completed three housing assessments for people enrolled in their services.
- City Net staff continues to provide food gift cards, support, and case management to several people sheltering in motels while they await placement into permanent, supportive housing.
Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park public survey
The City of Newport Beach is seeking up to ten artworks to display for two years in Civic Center Park, in the heart of Newport Beach, as part of its ongoing Invitational Sculpture Exhibition. Submissions are now complete, and the jury has begun its review of over 50 sculptural works by artists from all over the country.
A survey is now open that allows members of the community and any other art lovers in the United States the opportunity to endorse the pieces they would most like to see exhibited.
How it works:
- Voting is online only.
- Voting is for U.S. Residents only.
- The period for voting ends January 10, 2021.
- Members of the public may vote for up to three favorite works among those submitted.
- Individuals may only cast their votes once. Voters must provide an e-mail address, city and state of residence, and a ZIP code.
- The result of the public vote will be taken into consideration by the judging panel, and the vote is advisory in nature and non-binding.
Vote here: https://www.sparkoc.com/nb_sculpture_poll.
The selection and installation process for the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park is managed under contract with the City of Newport Beach by Arts Orange County, the nonprofit countywide arts council. http://artsoc.org/
The City Arts Commission is comprised of seven members, appointed by the Newport Beach City Council to act in an advisory capacity on matters pertaining to artistic, aesthetic, cultural and historical aspects of Newport Beach. The City Arts Commission provides various arts programs and events throughout the year, for the cultural enrichment of our community, including visual, educational and performing arts.
For more information about the City Arts Commission, visit the City of Newport Beach website: www.newportbeachca.gov/culturalarts. For questions, please call (949) 717-3802, or send an email to arts@newportbeachca.gov.
Concrete Street Pavement Reconstruction Project Update
The Public Works Department resumed construction for the Concrete Street Pavement Reconstruction Project on November 30, 2020. The City’s new contractor, S&H Civilworks, has been diligently completing the proposed improvements on Montero Avenue.
After only three weeks since the restart of construction, S&H Civilworks has substantially completed the street reconstruction on Montero Avenue. The work completed includes removing and reconstructing the concrete street pavement and sections of deteriorated concrete sidewalk, curb, gutter, and alley/driveway approaches, constructing new parkways, and installing a new storm drain system.
Additionally, the contractor will be landscaping the newly constructed parkways upon completion of all concrete improvements. S&H Civilworks is scheduled to complete similar improvements on Alvarado Place in January 2021.
The Public Works Department is pleased that residents on Montero Avenue will be able to enjoy their newly reconstructed street pavement and sidewalks in time for the holidays!
Happy Holidays
The Week in Review will not be published for the next two weeks, returning on January 8, 2021. We wish you safe and enjoyable holidays and a happy new year!
