Plus, small outdoor gatherings, childcare and camps for all children, and libraries with curbside pickup; protests of up to 100 people with social distancing and masks also allowed (LOL – no, seriously. They’re “allowed” now)

By Kim McCarl, Communications Assistant, Contra Costa Health Services

Thanks to substantial progress being made in the fight against COVID-19, Contra Costa County residents can go back to work, shop at local retail stores, get childcare and hang out with small groups of loved ones starting June 3.

Indoor retail shopping, business offices, outdoor museums and pet grooming are among the businesses that will reopen in Contra Costa County under the latest shelter-in-place order released today. The order also permits services that don’t require close customer contact, such as housekeeping, car washes, plumbing and pet grooming.

The new health order also allows small outdoor social gatherings, as well as childcare and camps for all children, not just children of essential and allowed workers. Those childcare services and camps still can only have up to 12 children in stable cohorts.

Libraries can reopen for curbside pickup service and protests of up to 100 people will also be permitted. Religious services will be able to resume on June 15, although with some limitations. In the coming days, the County will be consulting with the state about reopening swimming pools and outdoor dining.

“This latest step toward reopening our county is a reflection of our successful collective effort as a community to limit the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, the county’s health officer. “I know there’s a lot of frustration out there, but it’s important to keep in mind that interventions like social distancing have saved lives.”

To date, 37 people have died from COVID-19 in Contra Costa, a county with a population of 1.15 million people. Dr. Farnitano said had the county had not acted early and aggressively, enacting the initial shelter-in-place order on mid-March, ten times as many people would have died from the virus.

Contra Costa has made significant headway in meeting its five indicators for reopening. Aside from new cases and hospitalizations not increasing, all eight hospitals have attested they now have a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment, one of the five reopening indictors. Hospitals also have sufficient capacity to handle more patients. While progress has been made in testing, the county still needs to triple the amount of tests being done to reach its goal.

The latest health order follows previous relaxations of the shelter in place that allowed construction, real estate transactions, curbside retail and manufacturing, recreational activities like golf and tennis and reopening of outdoor businesses like nurseries.

This Order supersedes the May 18, 2020, Order of the Health Officer directing all individuals to shelter in place (“Prior Order”). This Order continues to restrict most activity, travel, and governmental and business functions to essential needs and to the Outdoor Activities and Outdoor Businesses that the prior Order allowed to resume.  But in light of progress achieved in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the County of Contra Costa (the “County”), the Order allows a limited number of Additional Businesses (as described in Section 15.n…and in Appendix C-1) and Additional Activities (as described in Section 15.o…and in Appendix C-2) to resume operating, subject to specified conditions and safety precautions to reduce associated risk of COVID-19 transmission.

What’s Allowed Now

Businesses include indoor retail, shopping malls, shopping centers and swap meets, manufacturing and logistics and warehouse facilities.

The additional activities now allowed include social gatherings of persons in a Social Bubble, as defined below, may take place if: the gathering takes place outside only, and the participants comply with all other applicable requirements under this Order. In addition, persons in social bubbles over 12 years of age are strongly encouraged to maintain social distancing from each other w ear face coverings

Finally, protests are also allowed now. Subject to requirements and restrictions of the local jurisdiction in which the protest takes place, persons may participate in protests if they wear Face Coverings and comply with Social Distancing Requirements, and attendance does not exceed 25 percent of the area’s maximum capacity or 100 persons, whichever is lower. (Editor’s Note: Seriously, that’s what the order includes. We will see if that part of the order is enforced).

As a condition of operating under this Order, the operators of all businesses must prepare or update, post, implement, and distribute to their personnel a Social Distancing Protocol for each of their facilities in the County frequented by personnel or members of the public.

An email asking if churches can reopen their administrative offices was sent to the spokesperson for the county health services. No response was received prior to publication. Please check back later for updates to this report.

To see the full order, click here. To see additional details on orders from the county health officer visit https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/health-orders. For more details about COVID-19 in Contra Costa County, visit cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

But no churches until June 15 and only outdoor events

By Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer & Anna Roth, Contra Costa County Health Director

May 30, 2020 – If we continue to make progress in our fight to contain COVID-19, Contra Costa County will be relaxing more restrictions on businesses and social activities in the coming days and weeks. Details will be announced on June 2. Below are some of the most significant changes being considered:   Effective Wednesday, June 3

Businesses

• Office-based businesses (telework remains strongly encouraged)
• Services that don’t require close customer contact, such as housekeeping, car washes, pet grooming and plumbing
• Outdoor museums, and open gallery spaces and other public spaces with modifications
• Indoor retail stores, including shopping malls and swap meets

Activities

• Childcare, including child and youth educational activities and camps for all children, not just essential and allowed workers
• Small outdoor social gatherings with social distancing (household support bubbles and child extracurricular activities)

Effective Monday, June 15

These are higher risk activities and thus restrictions would be relaxed at a later date.

• Limited-capacity religious services and cultural ceremonies up to 100 people. These would be limited to outdoor events only.
• Protests up to 100 people; limited to outdoor events only

The state has a timeline for opening higher risk activities like swimming and salons, which can be found at covid19.ca.gov.

Luxury residential lofts will soon be available in Rivertown – Antioch’s historic downtown on W. 2nd Street from Sean McCauley Investments.

“Here is a sneak peek into the progress of Antioch’s new Luxury Lofts on W. Second Street,” said McCauley. “Good things happening in downtown Antioch!”

City recognizes economic pressures faced by Antioch businesses as a result of COVID-19

By Rolando Bonilla, Public Information Officer, City of Antioch

The City of Antioch will be seeking to establish a COVID-19 Economic Support Package specifically targeting small businesses within the City.

As the City begins moving towards re-opening, it recognizes the financial hardship that COVID-19 has created for Antioch’s business community.

“The City must do everything we can to help our small businesses recover as fast as possible, said Mayor Sean Wright. “We must ensure that Antioch continues to be a place for opportunity.”

As part of the City’s financial recovery strategy, city staff is exploring the following options:

• Business license relief
• Grants
• Shared marketing
• Expediting the business application process

The incentives and funding sources that could be included for the COVID-19 Economic Support Package will be discussed at a future meeting of the city council.

“It’s encouraging. We’re wanting it to continue going down. It certainly isn’t going up.” – County Health Officer, Dr. Chris Farnitano regarding COVID-19 statistics curve in Contra Costa.

By Allen Payton

Due to the positive results over the past few weeks with the COVID-19 statistics in Contra Costa County, Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano issued a new order, yesterday, Monday, May 18, 2020 that went into effect, today allowing certain retail and other businesses to reopen, within certain guidelines.

But, concerns from the representative of a major retail property management company in the county, asking how it’s supposed to work raised questions.

Asked if he or his staff spoke with retail store owners or shopping center property managers about the order before issuing it and how it’s supposed to work, Dr. Farnitano replied, “We’ve been getting feedback from different stores and businesses. We haven’t specifically asked them to review this particular language. This comes from state guidelines. So, our guidelines are in line with the state’s Phase 2. They allowed it on the 8th of May, 11 days ago.”

“It may be more helpful for small retail stores that don’t have an online presence, not a larger store that does,” he added. “Like craft breweries that weren’t allowed prior, or other products that folks that people were used to going to the retail store for.”

“The other big changes are the associated manufacturing and logistics, which pretty much covers any manufacturing that wasn’t already allowed, like refineries, or agricultural product manufacturing,” Farnitano continued. “The Tesla plant in Alameda County is one example.”

“We might be going in a slightly slower pace than the state,” he shared. “But there’s less variability from one county to the next for the particular rules for a business to reopen.”

When asked if the shelter-in-place order still ends on May 31st, Dr. Farnitano answered, “the new order that was issued yesterday and went into effect, today doesn’t have an end date. That’s really not practical or the intent, which was to reevaluate the situation before that date.” (See related article)

“What we’re really doing is to make a change, give it some time to see the affects of that change, and see the impact on our matrix,” he continued. “We did that the last time two weeks ago on May 4 and because of the positive results from that we’re able to open up more.”

So, the reopening will be through a gradual, step by step process “driven by the data,” Dr. Farnitano added.

“It’s been pretty flat,” he said about the curve. “We’ve been looking at seven-day averages. We’ve been running at 10 to 15 new cases a day for the past two weeks, and 15 to 20 in the hospital, each day”

“It’s encouraging. We’re wanting it to continue going down. It certainly isn’t going up,” Dr. Farnitano stated.

Asked when will the next order for more reopening be issued,” We don’t really have a time or particular day,” he said. “We give it a couple weeks which is the incubation period for someone to be exposed and then experience symptoms.” Then they reevaluate the situation at that time.

So, we can expect another update and hopefully more reopening of businesses and activities the first week of June.

See the list of businesses authorized to reopen, here.

By Kwame Reed, Economic Development Director, City of Antioch

If your business is authorized to reopen based on today’s revision of the Contra Costa County Shelter-in-Place order and Appendix C, you may find the State of California’s statewide industry guidance to reduce risk helpful as you seek to reopen safely (see industry links below).

View the Facebook Live briefing from Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano regarding the latest update on Phase 2 and curbside pickups HERE

If your business was not yet authorized to reopen, these documents can still serve as guidance on what to expect when your business is authorized to reopen and will enable you to better prepare in advance:

Automobile Dealerships and Rentals

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-auto-dealerships.pdf

Child Care Licensees and Providers

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CCLD/PINs/2020/CCP/PIN_20-06-CCP.pdf

Construction

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-construction.pdf

Delivery Services

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-delivery-services.pdf

Dine-In Restaurants

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-dine-in-restaurants.pdf

Hotels and Lodging

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-hotels.pdf

Life Sciences

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-life-sciences.pdf

Limited Services (including, but not limited to, laundromats, auto repair, landscaping, pet services, in-home maintenance and repair services, general contractors)

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-life-sciences.pdf

Logistics and Warehousing Facilities

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-logistics-warehousing.pdf

Manufacturing

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-manufacturing.pdf

Office Workspaces

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-office-workspaces.pdf

Real Estate Transactions

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-real-estate.pdf

Retail

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-retail.pdf

Shopping Malls, Destination Shopping Centers, Strip and Outlet Malls, and Swap Meets

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-shopping-centers.pdf

In addition to the above information, the City of Antioch has resumed full-service business inspection services with limited hours.  Information can be found here https://www.antiochca.gov/community-development-department/building-division/.

Please continue to do your part in keeping yourself, your staff, and your customers safe.

Thanks to progress made in containing the spread of COVID-19, Contra Costa County will relax restrictions in its shelter-in-place order to allow retail stores and their suppliers to reopen on Tuesday.

On May 19 at 6 a.m., retail stores in Contra Costa County may offer curbside sales or other outdoor pickups of orders as long as they abide by certain safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Stores may not display merchandise for sale on tables or otherwise outside the stores. Customers may not enter the store or interior of any indoor shopping mall. Stores must also employ reasonable measures to require customers to comply with social distancing requirements at the pickup areas, including marking locations at six-foot intervals for customers to stand while waiting in line.

“While this is not a return to normal, it is one step in that direction” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County’s health officer. “We will be closely monitoring the effects of allowing curbside retail on the spread of COVID-19 in the community.”

Contra Costa will also allow businesses that manufacture retail goods and provide warehousing or logistical support to retail stores to operate, but they must limit the number of staff in enclosed areas so that personnel can comply with social distancing requirements.

The changes mark a shift from allowing people only to shop at essential businesses, such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Dr. Farnitano said encouraging progress has been made in the two weeks since the most recent shelter-in-place order in reaching five goals or “indicators” went into effect:

• The number of new cases of COVID-19 has been stable or decreasing, even with increased testing
• The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is stable, and we have adequate hospital capacity. As of May 17, there were 19 COVID-positive patients in Contra Costa hospitals – down from a high of 44 in mid-April.
• More COVID-19 tests are being performed in our region each day
• Hospitals are reporting improved supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), though shortages continue in other healthcare settings
• There is increased capacity for case investigation and contact tracing.

Residents are still required by health order to stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings when they leave home, and to follow the precautions that have helped Contra Costa make progress to slow the spread of COVID-19, such as regular handwashing and social distancing. COVID-19 continues to pose a very significant risk to our communities, and continued vigilance is necessary to ensure that we do not see an increase in spread as more activities resume.

“I do not believe it’s in the city’s best interest to open it up for cannabis operations.” – Antioch Police Chief Brooks

By Allen Payton

During their meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 the Antioch City Council approved amendments to the City’s cannabis business ordinance. But the council was divided on considering allowing them to locate in other parts of the city, right now.

Chief Tammany Brooks was asked to comment on the issue by City Attorney Thomas Smith.

“As the police chief, I would ask you to consider a very measured and thoughtful approach,” Brooks said. “I do not believe it’s in the city’s best interest to open it up for cannabis operations. It might lower the bar of some unscrupulous businesses to negatively impact the surrounding areas.”

“I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all approach,” he continued. “Those businesses that don’t have a store-front retail aspect to their business might be treated differently.”

“From what I’ve heard from different cannabis businesses, some of them have said quite frankly they’d like to be in areas that are safe for their parents to go to and not some back ally or industrial area,” said Kwame Reed, the City’s Director of Economic Development. “If there’s a consideration for them to go in an upscale shopping center that would be something to consider.”

“If you’d like to expand in some kind of measured fashion, we can form an ad hoc committee,” said Smith.

“Chief, I was hoping to get some feedback, I guess our hope, maybe my hope, having retail cannabis locations that were licensed, and regulated and watched over would diminish street sales,” said Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts. “Do you have any feedback on that? There’s a lot of people that believe cannabis can lead to more crime.”

“I’ll start by saying that the black market for marijuana is extremely strong,” Chief Brooks responded. “I’m speaking on behalf of my counterparts throughout the state.”

“I know price point, availability…we have not seen a reduction in illegal drug sales, due to the two dispensaries,” he continued. “Since they’ve opened, one of the dispensaries has had 25 calls for service, the other on W. 10th Street has had five calls for service. A lot of those calls have been from security personnel on site.”

Brooks also mentioned “a lot of traffic related complaints and disturbances, as well.”

The council then took up the matter.

“Items 1-3, by all means push forward. Item 4, I’m kind of a wait and see. That’s not a ‘no’ forever,” said Mayor Sean Wright. “We have unused space, correct?”

“We have entitled dispensaries that have not been opened,” said Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs. “Right now, I don’t see a rush to open up a wider district. That doesn’t say I won’t hear additional information about another area that we might open up and expand. But I don’t see an urgency in widening.”

“I think we need to look at opening up the overlay district,” said Councilman Lamar Thorpe. “The council is still in control of the process. Why did we do the overlay in northern Antioch which his home to some of the poorest.”

“I’m all for expanding the cannabis overlay,” he continued. “At some point we have to decide how many dispensaries are too many for our city.”

Reed spoke of a boutique-type cannabis business locating in an upscale shopping center.

“We’ve been very hard on these first four (cannabis businesses) that have come in,” said Councilwoman Monica Wilson. “I want to at least be open minded. I just don’t want to keep us so confined that we close ourself off to the market.”

“We just started these overlay districts, so I’m surprised we’re already talking about expanding it to the rest of the city,” said Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock. “What I’ve heard from the dispensary on 10th Street is that they don’t want more as that would affect their business. I don’t want to expand this.”

Motts responded, “I would not be opposed to what Councilwoman Wilson or what Attorney Smith said, about a sub-committee and a measured approach of other places in the community where they could locate. I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing back from the subcommittee. I wouldn’t support expanding it to the entire community.”

Thorpe then said, “What is before you, today is somewhat the recommendations of the ad hoc. The same people that painted doom and gloom keep painting that this is the wrong direction. The doom and gloom scenario that everyone painted did not happen. Continuing to move forward is kind of the appropriate…we are trying it. It hasn’t created the things that people said they aren’t going to do. It is them (the cannabis businesses) who are proactive in reaching out to the police. I’m pleased in the way the dispensaries are working, especially the one on Wilbur.”

“Everyone else is catching on and we need to maintain our competitive advantage,” he added.

Tabled Cannabis Business Tax

The council chose not to approve either a cannabis tax which would require a majority vote of the people. Both Ogorchock and Wright said the current operating agreements give the council more flexibility in dealing with the cannabis businesses in generating revenue for the city from them.

The meeting will be rebroadcast on Comcast local cable channel 24 on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. or can be viewed on the City’s website.