Updates | Page 3 of 17 | West Orange County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team for Western Orange County California)

COVID-19 Update

Orange County and State have made available a number of resources to keep us and the public updated on both best practices and current statistics related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will be adding resources to this page as they become available.

Stay Safe. Stay Home.

Update: Face Coverings & Masks

Both the CDC and State of California have said that face coverings can help slow the spread of COVID-19

Governor Gavin Newsom has repeatedly said face coverings can supplement but not replace such behaviors such as staying at home, maintaining physical distance and hand washing. State health officials have expressed concern the masks could lull people into a false sense of security and cause them to avoid more critical distancing behaviors. They also remain worried that residents may try to obtain N95 or surgical masks as hospitals struggle to find enough for their workers.

Newsom has repeated:

We have been very clear that if you are going into an environment where physical distancing is all but impossible — for example, into a grocery store with small aisles and a long queue — that we do believe it would be additive and beneficial to have a face cover”

A significant portion of individuals with Coronavirus lack symptoms (they are “asymptomatic”). Even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.

This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.

Therefore, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing is not feasible.

Face Coverings

Face Coverings are loose-fitting, disposable devices and can be home-made. Face coverings should be used in public settings where social distancing is not feasible.

N-95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators

A standard (non-surgical) N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator (FFR) will filter out at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron) airborne particles, including bacteria and viruses. (N means that the mask is not oil resistant). Photo below.

N95 Respirators are for first responders and health care providers who are caring for or contacting actual or suspected COVID-19 patients.

Additionally, the CDC has a page dedicated to question about PPE or Personal Protective Equipment

March CERT Basic Academy Postponed

Coronavirus Postpones March 2020 CERT Basic Academy — **Coronavirus Outbreak Postpones March 2020 CERT Basic Academy**

The Cities of Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Westminster had scheduled a 20-hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training academy at JFTB-Los Alamitos on March 20-28, 2020. Out of an abundance of caution, we are postponing this academy to a future date, which is to be determined.

The CDC recommends that older adults and other high risk individuals “limit close contact” and “avoid crowds as much as possible” during the COVID-19 outbreak. By postponing this non-essential gathering, we can reduce the risk to CERT participants and allow cities and emergency agencies to focus on their primary response missions.

We sincerely thank the Joint Forces Training Base, along with all who had expressed interest in this course. We could not conduct this high quality training academy and exercise without the help of our sponsoring cities, response agencies, instructors, and the volunteer members and leaders of our CERT Team.

You can read the full notice from the Team Coordinators here.

We do not yet have new Academy dates but will keep you advised here and via emails to our members.

Additionally, the Seal Beach Run on 3/28, the City of Anaheim Police & Fire Departments event on 4/2, and the Westminster Spring Festival on 4/4 have also been canceled.