City Urges Attendees to Monitor Symptoms and Follow LA Public Health Guidelines
By Dolores Quintana
According to a press statement released today by The City of Santa Monica, officials were notified of a positive COVID-19 case related to an individual who attended the City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Upon learning of their positive test result, the individual immediately self-isolated and has not been on-site since the meeting. The individual will not return until medically cleared to do so.
In response to the situation, the common areas at the individual’s work location have been thoroughly disinfected in adherence to the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Los Angeles County Department of Health.
If you were present in person at the City Council meeting on the specified date, health authorities consider you to have had a “close contact” interaction with the individual in question. As a precautionary measure, the LA County Department of Public Health recommends following the LA DPH Guidelines for Close Contact:
- Monitor symptoms closely; immediately quarantine and get tested if any symptoms arise.
- Wear a high-quality mask when indoors or around others for ten days from the last contact with the affected individual.
- Get tested 3-5 days from the last contact.
The City of Santa Monica remains committed to upholding a healthy and safe working environment for all its residents and visitors. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this notice, please reach out to Don Cocozza, City of Santa Monica Safety Administrator, at Don.Cocozza@santamonica.gov.
The press release also clarified what close contact means. It stated, “Close contact exposure, as defined by the LA County Department of Public Health, pertains to individuals who share the same indoor space (400,000 cubic ft or less) with someone who has a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. The infectious period starts two days before the individual first exhibits symptoms associated with COVID-19 (for symptomatic individuals) or two days before the positive test result (for asymptomatic individuals). The infectious period concludes following the CDC guidance on discontinuing home isolation for persons with COVID-19, not in healthcare settings.”
