By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
This was a milestone week in the pandemic recovery, as California reopened all business sectors and activities on Tuesday, June 15.
This means that there are no longer State-mandated capacity restrictions and social distancing requirements for business sectors, gatherings and activities. Face covering requirements are mostly dropped for vaccinated people, with some exceptions.
Face coverings are still required (for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people) on public transportation, in healthcare and child-care settings, K-12 schools and in homeless shelters. Masks are required for unvaccinated people in indoor public areas, and individual businesses may choose to continue requiring masks regardless of vaccination status.
Some public health measures remain in place for “mega events,” and domestic travel adheres to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Vaccinated workers can also forgo face coverings if they wish. On Thursday, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to expedite revised Cal/OSHA rules that align workplace standards with the general public health order.
For more information, please see an overview from the State at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/What-Will-June-15-Look-Like.pdf, and the updated guidance on face coverings from the California Department of Public Health at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx#June15guidance.
COVID-19 Cases in Newport Beach
As of June 17, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Newport Beach was 3,943 and the total cases in Orange County was 255,771. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients countywide as of June 17 was 249,753. These figures are provided to Orange County by the California Department of Public Health.
Vaccination Clinic June 23 at Newport Beach Civic Center
The Newport Beach Fire Department is hosting a COVID vaccination clinic Wednesday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Civic Center Community Room, 100 Civic Center Drive
Two vaccines will be available: Moderna, which requires two doses approximately 28 days apart, or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Both are approved for anyone 18 and over. No appointments are necessary. Allow 20-30 minutes, including check- in and 15-minute evaluation period. For any questions, call (949) 644-3355.
Community Invited to June 21 Online Housing Element Workshop
The City continues to invite and encourage the community to provide input on the future of housing in Newport Beach with respect to the State mandate to plan for 4,845 new housing units of varying affordability levels.
An interactive, virtual workshop will be hosted on Monday, June 21, 2021, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. This workshop will focus on updates to the initial draft Housing Element update, as well as discussions on inclusionary housing, housing overlays, and more.
To register please visit www.NewportTogether.com. There will be many opportunities to provide input moving forward. The City Council will also be reviewing housing scenarios in a study session Tuesday, June 22 and will review an updated draft document on Tuesday, July 13.
Balboa Peninsula Trolley Returns Saturday, June 26
Back for its fourth year, the Balboa Peninsula Trolley will provide free rides to residents and visitors along the popular Balboa Peninsula. Trolleys will run on weekends and holidays beginning Saturday, June 26, and ending on Labor Day, September 6. Free parking is available at the Avon Parking Lot off Tustin Avenue and West Coast Highway. Information about the Balboa Peninsula Trolley, including times of operation and stop location,s can be found at: www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/balboa-peninsula-trolley.
Homelessness Update
- The City’s Homeless Liaison Officer and City Net staff placed an honorably discharged Army veteran into permanent, supportive housing in Potter’s Lane, a Midway City facility for veterans. The man has been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach for more than four years after leaving the military. The effort to place him in a permanent home involved more than a year of coordinated activities, preparation and assistance from the City. Potter’s Lane is operated by American Family Housing, which provides on-site services such as Veterans Administration benefits and medical care through the Illumination Foundation. The City of Newport Beach may place qualified people into Potter’s Lane housing through the County’s system of care.
- 12 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the new Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter, as they work with case managers to transition into permanent housing.
- City Net staff worked with a 62-year-old woman experiencing homelessness by the Balboa Pier to obtain a new photo ID, schedule a medical appointment and enroll her into a disability benefit program and Social Security.
- Two people experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach were enrolled into City Net services following a Vulnerability Index Intake Assessment. The assessment is used to screen clients to determine proper placement in the County’s Continuum of Care system.
- 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.
