Inland Edition, July 10, 2020

Page 1

The Coast News INLAND EDITION

.com ESCONDIDO, SAN MARCOS, VISTA

VOL. 5, N0. 14

JULY 10, 2020

Virus death toll passes 400 in S.D.

Escondido city manager to stay during transition

By City News Service

as the order technically doesn’t apply to them. “We try to look at every option. If we have to close again, well then it happens, we’ll be ready,” Schwartz said. “As a citizen of this state and this country, we can look around us and recognize that what was happening last week is different than this week, and to try and assume we don’t need

ESCONDIDO — Escondido City Manager Jeffrey Epp will officially retire on July 11 after 35 years of serving Escondido’s city government, but he will stay on temporarily to help the city transition to a new city manager. Epp has served as both city manager and city attorney of Escondido and is eligible for retirement this summer. However, Epp has agreed to stay on as a retired annuitant, citing unprecedented times due to an ongoing pandemic and recent increased social unrest in the community. “ W i t h COVID-19 still JEFFREY EPP being a big prob- is retiring after 35 years with lem nationwide, the city of Esas well as the re- condido, but he cent protests, it will stay on to seemed wise to help find his wait,” Epp said. replacement. “I just want sta- Courtesy photo bility for the city, and I want to do what I can to help create a smooth transition.” The City Council unanimously approved the decision at its June 24 meeting, agreeing that Epp’s temporary position will go into effect on July 12. Epp said that the search for a new city manager will be conducted in a national open search with the help of a recruitment firm. Council will then interview top candidates and make the ultimate appointment. The recruitment process is expected to take at least a few months, but Epp assured the

TURN TO ZOOS ON 5

TURN TO CITY MANAGER ON 11

REGION — San Diego County health officials reported 264 new COVID-19 cases and seven additional deaths on July 8, raising the county’s totals to 17,842 cases and 406 deaths. Of the 7,607 tests reported Wednesday, 3% returned positive. A total of 402,494 tests have been completed in the county, along with 20,691 contact tracing investigations. Wednesday’s results come a day after a record-high 578 cases, a 10% positive test rate and 12 deaths were reported Tuesday. Despite the lower numbers, other signs show the pandemic is far from easing. A new daily high of 38 COVID-19 positive patients were hospitalized in Wednesday’s data, and about 136 of every 100,000 San Diegans are testing positive for the illness, well above the state’s preferred target of 100 per 100,000. Total COVID-19 hospitalizations have inched up over the last several weeks, said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer. “The pandemic is not over,” she said. “The disease is still widespread in our community, as evidenced by the rising cases.” Additionally, five new community-based outbreaks were reported TURN TO VIRUS ON 3

By Tigist Layne

HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, ECHIDNA

For the first time in San Diego Zoo Global’s history, a baby echidna (ih-KID-na) — or puggle, as they are called ­— has hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido. Echidnas are one of only two mammals that lay eggs; the other is the platypus.The echidna is native to Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. The new puggle is 4 months old, weighs just over a pound and is about 6 inches long. It’s starting to develop its protective spines. Courtesy photo

Zoos staying open amid new closures Being outdoors, Safari Park in Escondido not affected by health order By Tigist Layne

REGION — San Diego County officials ordered the shutdown of indoor operations for a number of businesses starting Tuesday, including restaurants, bars, movie theaters, museums and zoos. The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park will remain open, however, saying that the order applies to indoor zoos, not outdoor ones.

The move comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that San Diego County was officially added to California’s “monitoring list,” joining 22 other counties in the state who are on the list. Newsom said at his Monday news conference that he expected local health officials in each of the newly added counties to issue an order enacting the measures, which

are expected to remain in effect for at least three weeks. San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido reopened to the public on June 20 after a three-month shutdown due to COVID-19. Rick Schwartz, spokesperson and ambassador for the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, told The Coast News that they will remain open

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