GOVERNOR NEWSOM ORDERS SPAS, GYMS, NON-ESSENTIAL OFFICES AND MORE CLOSED. SCHOOL REOPENINGS SEVERALY RESTRICTED, LIKELY NOT ALLOWED IN LA COUNTY.
TOURNAMENT OF ROSES CANCELS 2021 ROSE PARADE; ROSE BOWL GAME STATUS TO BE DETERMINED
RISING NUMBER OF CASES CITED AS REASON FOR RETURN TO MODIFIED STAGE 2 CLOSURES
Over the last two weeks 8 percent of people who have been tested in California have been positive. The World Health Organization says that number should be at 5 percent or below for at least two weeks before a place can start reopening. California is not there yet.
As of Saturday, July 18th, the US had reported 3,630,587 total cases of novel coronavirus and 74,710 death. There were 918 confirmed new deaths from coronavirus for a total of 138,782. (According to the CDC.)
Earlier this month, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that daily new cases could reach 100,000 if outbreaks weren’t contained, and that certainly seems in the realm of possibility from here.
Thirty-eight states have recorded more new cases this week than last. Ten states have also experienced record deaths from the virus over the past week: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
As of Tuesday, California was averaging 8,334 new cases per day over the past week, compared with 3,041 new cases per day on average just a month ago. Over the past two weeks, the state reported 107,600 tests per day on average — a huge increase over the past couple of months. But the state’s percentage of tests that have come back positive for the virus has inched upward, as well, to 7.1 percent on average over the past two weeks. As of Thursday, California had reported 374,522 cases and 7,613 deaths.
As of July 18th, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that LA County had seen 4084 deaths and 2770 new cases in the previous 24 hours for a total of 153,041 cases.
Pasadena saw 183 new cases in the week from July 11 to July 18 and one new death. Pasadena has reported 1700 total cases and 102 death associated with COVID-19.
On Monday, Governor Newsom issued new closure orders, followed by similar orders from LA County and the Pasadena Public Health Department.
The new orders allow for outdoor service, but have closed indoor facilities for gyms, personal service businesses (nail and hair salons, body waxing, tattoo parlors), non-essential offices, worship services, malls and any indoor protests. Restaurants may continue take-out service and outdoor dining. (The City of Pasadena, following Sierra Madre and others locally, has allowed dining on sidewalks with a quick-issued permit: (https://www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/permit-center/covid-19-reopening/)
In addition, all Californians must maintain safety protocols when outside the home: cloth face coverings over nose and mouth, frequent hand washing and social distancing. These measures protect each of us and each other. Please take care to follow all safety precautions to keep yourself and others free of COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the Tournament of Roses Association announced the cancellation of the 2021 Rose Parade. Decisions on staging other New Year related events in Pasadena are forthcoming.
Pasadena Unified School District is considering a recommendation from the superintendent to continue with distance learning this fall.
The first round of applications for the Pasadena COVID-19 Emergency Small Business Relief Fund have been received. Applications will be reviewed and awards of up to $10,000 made to qualifying small businesses in Pasadena. There may be a second round of applications and grants. Watch for information on the next steps.
The federal government extended the application period for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) forgivable loans. If you qualify and haven't applied yet, please contact your lender for information and an application. If you need to find a qualified SBA approved lender, you can find a list of Pasadena Chamber member financial institutions by clicking here. (Not all financial institutions are approved SBA lenders.) For questions regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and/or the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), please feel free to contact the Office of Congressmember Judy Chu at (626) 304-0110. Thank you!”
The Pasadena Chamber is one of the founders of the California Coalition for Safe 
Re-Opening. We are asking the State of California to do three things:
1. Create a safe reopening task force that would help formulate a long-term, clear (simple to follow) roadmap to reopening so that businesses in California can rely on for guidance, clarity and the ability to reasonably plan for the future.
2. Provide funds to county and local health departments to facilitate enforcement of health requirements for those who do not follow protocols for safe operations.
3. Provide a relief fund to support those businesses who invested in safety and sanitary practice protocols and who have been negatively impacted by the revised closure orders in California.
You can find more information here: http://www.pasadena-chamber.org/business/take-action-now
Learn more about the Chamber's proposal for a Three Point
Click here to Take Action Now and add your name and/or organization to those calling for safe, reasonable, reliable and supportable future for California.
AND
Have you seen the comet? Neowise, discovered by a JPL led project has passed the sun and is visible for the next couple of weeks in the night sky just after dark. Look toward the northwest under the Big Dipper. if you have binoculars or a telescope, you'll find it if the clouds permit.
It's actually in the photo, but blurry and tiny.
Even with all the weirdness, apprehension, fright and dread, some wonderful things happen.
Be safe, be well and wear a mask over your mouth and nose when you are in public, please