Manhattan Beach COVID-19 Numbers Rising; 4 Deaths In The City

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — As the number of COVID-19 cases increases in Los Angeles County, so, too, do the numbers in Manhattan Beach. A fourth Manhattan Beach resident has died from the disease and the total number of cases moved from 157 on Sunday, July 5 to 169 as of today (Tuesday, July 6). And as the numbers increase statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to issue new orders, most recently shutting down indoor dining in restaurants and food establishments, sending Manhattan Beach restaurateurs scrambling.

"We have to learn how to adapt to the presence of [COVID-19], how to work with it, how to live and how to remain safe in the community," said Kelly Stroman, president and CEO of the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce. "COVID-19 is here to stay for longer than any of us expected. We need to beat it, not fight it. The faster we take control of safety, the better off we'll be." To that end, the MB chamber is offering a free webinar called "Public Health: The Facts, The Options, And A Plan of Action" on Wednesday, July 7 from 9-10:30 a.m. It is open to all who register in advance.

RELATED: Free Webinar Addresses COVID-19 Health Protocols For Businesses

For its part, in late June, City Council directed city staff to create a campaign and get signs and banners up. The city's campaign is "Our Community, Our Health, Our Responsibility. Wear A Face Covering." Campaign banners are now up throughout the city, according to George Gabriel, senior management analyst. Additional metal signs created for The Strand are being positioned by the city's Public Works Department.

As a contrast to education, the cities of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood have taken things a step further and are fining people who do not wear a face covering. Violators in Beverly Hills face a first-offense fine of $100 to $500 for the third and subsequent offenses. Santa Monica is fining violators $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second violation and $500 for a third. For businesses in Santa Monica, the fines start at $500, increasing to $750 for a second violation and $1,000 for a third. Said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Capt. Edward Ramirez, whose department provides policing in West Hollywood, in a statement, "The citation, which is administrative and not criminal, is $250 plus a fee of $50 for a total of $300 for the first offense. Our very least option is to conduct enforcement by issuing a citation, but the risk to community health is too great."

Notably, Beverly Hills has 311 cases of COVID-19 and 7 deaths. Santa Monica 457 cases to date and 33 deaths. West Hollywood has 300 cases and 4 deaths. Cities closer to Manhattan Beach have a wide range of data. El Segundo has 69 cases and no deaths; Hermosa Beach has 97 cases and two deaths. Hawthorne, another city that borders Manhattan Beach, has 853 cases and 23 deaths. Certainly, the populations vary greatly for each city, so any comparison would skim the surface.

Health officials have said that wearing a mask does not necessarily protect the person wearing it, but will help prevent that person from spreading the disease to others. Without a vaccine or cure, social distancing, handwashing, and protective gear offer the best chance of slowing the outbreak.

Manhattan Beach continues to grapple with how to address COVID-19, face coverings and slowing the spread. Is it solely personal responsibility to wear a face covering when in public and within six feet of someone not living in your household? Is it common courtesy? Is it an intrusion on the rights of Americans to ask you to wear a face covering? Or, do you just "self-select" and stay at home if you have any of the identified "underlying" risk factors for COVID-19? Then, ultimately, should Manhattan Beach enforce wearing a face covering with citations and fines?

Those questions still arise among neighbors, across town, across social media, across Nextdoor. And the debate rages on. Said Manhattan Beach Mayor Richard Montgomery, who supports orders issued by Los Angeles County and the state, "I believe in education over citations for anyone not wearing a facial covering when in public and within six feet of anyone not in their household. [Manhattan Beach Police] Chief [Derrick] Abell can address the viability of creating an ordinance that creates additional stress on a limited department. While some cities are reportedly issuing citations instead of education regarding facial coverings, I have not heard or seen any evidence that 'wearing of facial coverings' has increased as a result in those cities."

What do you say, Manhattan Beach?

Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.