REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Adopt a Resolution Extending the City's Declaration of Local Emergency for COVID-19
Report
DISCUSSION
On March 12, 2020, City Manager Kent Steffens declared a local health emergency pursuant to the authority granted to him as the Emergency Services Director in Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 2.16 (Emergency Organization and Functions) and applicable state law. The City Council adopted a resolution ratifying that declaration (Resolution No. 979-20) on March 17, 2020, and resolutions extending the declaration on April 7, 2020, (Resolution No. 981-20), May 26, 2020, (Resolution No. 994-20), July 14, 2020, (Resolution No. 1010-20), August 25, 2020, (Resolution No. 1016-20), October 13, 2020 (Resolution No. 1025-20), December 8, 2020 (Resolution No. 1036-20) and February 2, 2021 (Resolution No. 1042-21).
Although COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have improved significantly since the Council's last emergency extension, the emergency conditions related to COVID-19 continue. On March 3, 2021, Santa Clara County moved from the state's purple tier into the less restrictive red tier. It has also intensified vaccine distribution efforts. However, as of March 8, 2021, just 10% of the population in Santa Clara County had been fully vaccinated, and although the list of those eligible for vaccination has recently expanded, the vaccine is not yet available to the general public.
Staff anticipates that the COVID-19 emergency conditions will continue for some time before vaccination levels are sufficient for the public health orders to be reduced or rescinded. Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution extending the City's declaration of a local emergency, to be reviewed again within 60 days pursuant to Government Code section 8630 (California Emergency Services Act). Extending the local health emergency empowers the City to continue to effectively respond to COVID-19, including staffing the EOC, coordinating with partner ...
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