An economic advisory panel convened by the city says parts of Long Beach’s coastline should reopen almost immediately and a return to in-person service at restaurants could be just weeks away.

Whether the city follows any of those recommendations, however, remains to be seen. Some of the suggestions could put Long Beach outside of the California’s statewide stay-at-home order, which is in the early stages of being rolled back.

In a sweeping five-page letter of suggestions, the advisory panel’s leader, former Mayor Bob Foster, wrote that Long Beach “could be ready almost immediately for a phased reopening of certain low-risk activities that provide enough physical distancing.”

That includes things like golf, hiking, tennis, yoga, swimming and other types of recreation at low-density beaches, parks and facilities like the two historic Ranchos. Higher-density parks and beaches, such as Mother’s Beach or Alamitos Bay, which draw crowds from outside the city, should stay closed, according to Foster’s letter. Some sports such as soccer, softball and games using balls should only be allowed later with Health Department approval, he wrote.

Foster’s group, dubbed Restart Long Beach, is made up of more than 20 well-known local leaders from the medical, hospitality, business, education and other sectors. When the city convened the group in late April, Mayor Robert Garcia said Long Beach needed them to come up with “innovative ideas and a smart approach to restarting the local economy.”

In their letter, the group urged the city to start reopening low-density shops, libraries and medical services like dentistry and physical therapy by the end of this week.

In the group’s view, it could be as little as two weeks after that when higher-risk businesses like restaurants and coffee shops start to welcome customers inside with proper physical distancing.

Some of Restart Long Beach’s recommendations could overtake Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pace for lifting statewide stay-at-home orders. Foster acknowledged this in his letter, but wrote that the city should pursue the openings he listed as soon as legally and practically possible.

In a response to the group, City Manager Tom Modica re-emphasized that Long Beach is legally bound by the statewide rules.

“While decisions on reopening must be consistent with the Governor’s order and implemented through orders from the Health Officer, input into this reopening process by community leaders with business expertise is both helpful and welcome, and adds to the voices we are hearing from throughout the community on ideas to reopen safely and restore our economy,” Modica wrote.

The City Council is set to discuss Restart Long Beach’s letter tonight.

Suggested precautions

Foster’s letter also laid out some precautions the group suggested for higher-risk businesses like restaurants, barbershops, nail salons and other personal grooming services.

They floated the idea of protocols such as:

• Operation by appointment only for personal services
• Disposable capes/coverings, or sanitization after use
• Face masks/shields, gloves, capes, and gowns for operators and customers
• Use of disposable menus, napkins, etc. for food service
• Strict compliance with CDC cleaning guidelines
• Remote infrared temperature readings of customers
• All customers must be recorded (name, address, and contact information) either digitally or in a log

Once restaurants, coffee shops and bars are allowed to reopen, the group advised against a limitation on occupancy, but suggested relying on distancing, protective equipment and sanitation requirements instead.

“Any occupancy number would be arbitrary, and we would rather let requirements dictate the number of customers,” the group stated in its letter to council.

Most states that have been allowing restaurants to re-open, have established occupancy limits of 25% or 50%.

The group didn’t weigh in on the possibility of a return for the most risky activities—large gatherings and conventions—beyond saying they’re still a ways off and safety requirements would have to be hammered out in the future.

More testing

Foster’s group also weighed in on some benchmarks they think the city needs to strive for to meet a safe reopening.

It recommended the city continue to ramp up its testing capacities.

“While comprehensive testing does not need to be available day one, the goal should be approximately 2,000 tests a day,” Foster said.

Last week, the mayor said Long Beach has the capacity to test about 1,000 people a day.

Foster’s group said the testing should be expanded beyond the current diagnostic screenings to include antibody testing, which could help track the number of those who have contracted the virus in the past, but were never tested while the infection was active.

Those who test positive for antibodies should receive a dated confirmation, Foster wrote.

So-called “immunity passports,” following a positive antibody test or a documented infection, have garnered attention around the world. According to the World Health Organization, there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.

In Germany plans for such documents were swiftly abandoned following widespread protest over ethical concerns.

The group further recommended the collection and sharing of real-time data from hospital and medical support facilities to ensure that there’s sufficient capacity for COVID-19 treatment.

Monitoring of cases and the rate of new infections should continue, according to the group, to check for signs of significant increases in COVID-19.

“We must be prepared to resume quarantine in the event of a large COVID-19 second wave,” Foster said.