- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Cities of Clearlake, Lakeport issue COVID-19 emergency declarations; no local cases detected so far
Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora and Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira took the actions about an hour apart late Friday afternoon.
Both cities made the declarations citing the existence of “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” due to the potential for COVID-19’s introduction into their respective communities.
The actions by the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport followed by a few hours Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin’s proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to existing conditions that could introduce COVID-19 into Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.
Local officials all emphasized that no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed within Lake County yet, but that the actions are meant to position them to receive state and federal assistance should it become necessary.
“This declaration will allow us to effectively respond to an outbreak, request mutual aid and possibly obtain reimbursement for expenses,” the city of Lakeport said in a statement about its emergency declaration.
While COVID-19 has not been detected in Lake County so far, counties in the North Coast region including Humboldt and Sonoma have reported confirmed cases of the virus.
Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide emergency. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic earlier this week and on Friday President Donald Trump declared a national emergency.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors ratified Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace’s proclamation of a local health emergency. The board also must consider ratifying Sheriff Martin’s proclamation at its meeting next week.
Similarly, the city councils of Clearlake and Lakeport will consider ratification at their meetings next week. The Lakeport City Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17; the Clearlake City Council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19.
The city of Lakeport’s statement on the emergency declaration said its mission is to work with county agencies and the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We ask that the public monitor information released by the Lake County Public Health Department, the California Department of Public Health and the United States Centers for Disease Control,” the city of Lakeport’s statement said.
The city of Clearlake’s full proclamation is published below.
PROCLAMATION BY THE
CITY OF CLEARLAKE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY
WHEREAS, City of Clearlake Municipal Code Section 2-11.6 empowers the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the city is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the City Council is not in session; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), authorize the City Manager to proclaim a local emergency when the City is threatened by conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City that are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City; and
WHEREAS, a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, causes infectious disease and was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. Symptoms of COVID19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath; outcomes have ranged from mild to severe illness, and, in some cases, death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated the virus is a tremendous public health threat; and
WHEREAS, Chinese health officials have reported tens of thousands of cases of COVID-19 in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person. COVID-19 illnesses, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, are also being reported in 117 countries, with over 44,000 cases, including the United States; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” and on March 11, 2020, the WHO has elevated the public health emergency to the status of a pandemic. On January 31, 2020, United States Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19. On February 26, 2020 the County of Orange declared a local emergency and a local health emergency. On March 4, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency in California; and
WHEREAS, on February 2, 2020, the federal government initiated the suspension of entry of foreign nationals who were in China during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. United States citizens, residents, and their immediate family members who were in China during the 14-day period preceding their entry into the United States are permitted entry, but are redirected to one of 11 airports where the CDC has quarantine stations to undergo health screening. Depending on their health and travel history, they will have some level of restrictions on their movements for 14 days from the time they left China. On February 29, 2020, the President expanded restrictions to include all aliens who were physically present within the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, with additional restrictions being imposed on travel from Europe as of March 11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, as of March 12, 2020, the WHO reported that, to date, 125,048 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 4,613 of which resulted in death, across 117 countries; and
WHEREAS, in declaring a State of Emergency, the Governor indicated that, as of March 4, 2020, there were 129 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, including 53 in California, and more than 9,400 Californians across 49 counties in home monitoring based on possible travel-based exposure to the virus, with officials expecting the number of cases in California, the United States, and worldwide to increase; and
WHEREAS, the Governor and the California Department of Health on March 11, 2020 issued a statement entitled “California Public Health Experts: Mass Gatherings Should be Postponed or Canceled Statewide to Slow the Spread of COVID-19,” determining that gatherings should be postponed or canceled across the state until at least the end of March. Non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people, while smaller events can proceed only if the organizers can implement social distancing of 6 feet per person. Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people, while also following social distancing guidelines. Furthermore, essential gatherings should only be conducted if the essential activity could not be postponed or achieved without gathering, meaning that some other means of communication could not be used to conduct the essential function; and
WHEREAS, the Governor on March 12, 2020 issued Executive Order N-25-20, ordering, inter alia, that all residents are to heed the orders and guidance of state and local public health officials; and
WHEREAS, the President on March 13, 2020 declared a state of emergency in the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, the City of Clearlake has the power to impose measures to promote social distancing including but not limited to limitations on public events; and
WHEREAS, conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen due to the potential introduction of COVID-19 to Clearlake and Lake County; and
WHEREAS, such conditions are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative to prepare for and respond to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, to implement measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and to prepare to respond to an increasing number of individuals requiring medical care and hospitalization; and
WHEREAS, if COVID-19 spreads in California at a rate comparable to the rate of spread in other countries, the number of persons requiring medical care may exceed locally available resources, and controlling outbreaks minimizes the risk to the public, maintains the health and safety of the community, and limits the spread of infection in the community and within the healthcare delivery system; and
WHEREAS, the mobilization of local resources, ability to coordinate interagency response, accelerate procurement of vital supplies, use mutual aid, and allow for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments will be critical to successfully responding to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager, as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, has the power to declare a local emergency as authorized by Government Code section 8630 and Clearlake Municipal Code section 2-11.6.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the City Manager of the City of Clearlake as follows:
A. A local emergency exists based on the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property caused by an epidemic, as detailed in the recitals set forth above.
B. The area of the City which is endangered/imperiled is the entire City.
C. During the existence of this local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by state law and by ordinances, resolutions, and orders of this City, including but not limited to the City of Clearlake Emergency Operations Plan.
D. The City Council shall review and ratify this proclamation within seven (7) days as required by state law, and if ratified, shall continue to exist until the City Council proclaims the termination of this local emergency. The City Council shall review the need for continuing the local emergency as required by state law until it terminates the local emergency, and shall terminate the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant.
E. That the City of Clearlake orders that, within the boundaries of the City of Clearlake, the Public Health Experts’ recommendations shall be deemed mandatory.
F. That a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State Law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in the City of Clearlake; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs.
DATED: March 13, 2020
_______________________________________
Alan D. Flora
Director of Emergency Services
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