Laguna Beach's Response to Covid-19

The Impact of Coronavirus Travel Restrictions on California Tourism

For the most recent information on COVID-19 please visit this page.

TRAVEL RESOURCES AND UPDATES

Travel Industry COVID-19 Response and Tracking

Health Institution Resources

Update as of March 11, 2020:

While California has issued a state of emergency, there is no travel implications tied to the declaration. Currently, the health risk for a majority of people in the United States is thought to be low, but we always encourage healthy travel habits when traveling and to follow guidance issued by official sources of public health information. We encourage you to visit the Travel Alerts page from Visit California as the situation is continuously evolving.

Update as of March 3, 2020:

There are still no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Laguna Beach. We are continuing to monitor the situation in conjunction with Visit California, US Travel and the CDC. Below find important information from the Orange County Health Care Agency, the CDC and Johns Hopkins University for both travelers and residents of our region.

February 28, 2020:

Orange County Health Care Agency

Orange County has one confirmed case of novel coronavirus, fully recovered
No cases of person-to-person transmission has occurred in Orange County at this time
Risk of infection to public in Orange County is believed to be low
At this time, there is no recommendation to cancel business or social events
All residents should practice good health hygiene which includes washing your hands, staying home if you are sick, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve (not hands).
More Information

CDC Recommends

While the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat:
- For everyone: It’s currently flu and respiratory disease season and CDC recommends getting vaccinated, taking everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, and taking flu antivirals if prescribed.
- For healthcare professionals: Be on the look-out for people with travel history to Wuhan, China and fever and respiratory symptoms. If you are a healthcare professional caring a 2109-nCoV patient, please take care of yourself and follow recommended infection control procedures.
- For people who may have 2019-nCoV infection: Please follow CDC guidance on how to reduce the risk of spreading your illness to others.
- For travelers: Stay up to date with CDC’s travel health notices related to this outbreak.

Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering created a map that provides the most accurate international tracking of the outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Live updates of Coronavirus virus by location – as of 3/2 at 6 pm
-Total confirmed cases – 90,428
-United States – 102
-Total deaths – 3,117 (six in the U.S.)

Source: Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta today issued the following statement on the impact of Coronavirus travel restrictions on California tourism:

“Visit California and its travel industry partners in California and abroad extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones or are battling illness because of the coronavirus outbreak. We respect your courage at this time of fear and uncertainty in your nation.

“China is a significant international source of visitation to California. Chinese visitors spent more than $4 billion in the Golden State last year, and there is no doubt that travel restrictions because of coronavirus will have a noticeable impact on California’s tourism industry.
Travelers in California – both domestic and international – spent more than $145 billion in the state in 2019. Even with a significant temporary decline in travel from China, Visit California is projecting that total travel spending in California in 2020 will increase from last year.

“Visit California continues to monitor the situation daily to get a clearer picture of the impacts on the travel economy. Chinese consumers love California and have visited in increasing numbers for years. Experience with other outbreaks shows that demand to travel will accelerate rapidly when the event ends. Visit California is positioning its marketing efforts to direct that demand toward California and prepare to once again welcome Chinese tourists to California.”

Laguna Beach continues to be free from any Coronavirus cases. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press conference provided a comprehensive overview of California’s coronavirus preparedness efforts. While the situation remains fluid, the risk to the general public in California remains low, according to the California Department of Public Health. We, along with Visit California, will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.