In the midst of contract negotiations

“a physician vacancy does not mean that there is a clinical vacancy, nor that care is compromised.” – Kim McCarl, CCHS

“A bigger medical and dental staff would help alleviate some of the load that our current employed members are carrying.” – Dr. David MacDonald, President, PDOCC

By Allen D. Payton

Last month the Physicians’ and Dentists Organization of Contra Costa (PDOCC) released data showing a high number of doctor vacancies in Contra Costa County Health Services.

According to a Feb. 16, 2023, PDOCC press release, based on county data, there are currently 83 out of 285 employed positions listed as vacant in Contra Costa Health Services, a 29 percent vacancy rate in the system. That includes 27 vacant positions in family medicine and primary care adult medicine, 5 vacant dentist positions and 5 vacant OB/GYN positions. With 19 vacant psychiatrist positions, only 27 percent of employed psychiatry positions are currently filled. 11 vacant employed positions in the emergency department – half of the department’s employed positions – means the county is unable to safely staff the emergency room.

Since November, 5 emergency department doctors have left county employment. The county interviewed and offered positions to 21 new emergency department applicants, but the offer was declined by every applicant.

The problem is expected to get a lot worse in 2024 when Contra Costa County will need an additional 40 primary care providers to care for 30,000 new Medi-Cal patients being added to the county’s health services due to an agreement between the county and California’s Department of Health Services.

The problem continues to worsen. Contra Costa County Health Services added 12,200 patients in the last two months, while only adding 1 new primary care physician. The result is that the average primary care physician employed by the county now has almost 200 more patients on their panel than at the end of 2022. There are no new primary care physicians anticipated to join county employment before July 2023.

On average, the county has only been able to fill three primary care doctor vacancies annually over the last three years.

In response, CCHS Communications Officer Kim McCarl, said doctor shortages are a nationwide challenge, are not compromising care, and confirmed that negotiations between the union and county “are underway”.

She wrote, “We value the medical staff who work across our department.

Health systems across the country are struggling to recruit and retain medical staff at all levels. Contra Costa Health is no different.

It’s important to note that a physician vacancy does not mean that there is a clinical vacancy, nor that care is compromised. We are confident that the right provider is caring for the right patient in the right way at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers every day.

We provide flexibility in work schedule, an emphasis on proactive care, and mission-oriented work that helps us recruit and retain physicians who want to practice in an integrated environment. It’s not uncommon for our physicians to be expert in many areas of clinical medicine which our system values.

We value physicians who embrace our mission and choose to work for Contra Costa Health on a full-time, permanent basis but we also welcome doctors who take a less traditional approach to their careers by working part time or in partnership with other health care entities. These approaches help to alleviate the burnout that has been so costly to hospitals and healthcare systems since the height of the pandemic.

We are proud to be home to one of the most highly rated family medicine training programs in the country. We recruit well-trained physicians who are familiar with our system from each graduating class.

Recruitment and retention of physicians is a top priority at Contra Costa Health. We will continue to explore ways to fill every vacancy across our healthcare system.”

Doctors, Dentists Disagree

That opinion, however, is not shared by the county’s doctors and dentists or by best practice standards for patient care.

The severe shortages most certainly impact patient care, including the time a physician can devote to each patient along with the availability of appointments, according to county doctors.

Contra Costa County’s own policies recommend no more than 1,500 patients to a primary care physician’s panel (the number of patients assigned to a physician). Currently the average panel size for Contra Costa’s employed primary care physicians is 1,879.

“County leaders may be willing to turn a blind eye to severe staffing shortages, but doctors care too much about our patients to let the problem go unaddressed any longer,” said Dr. David MacDonald, PDOCC President. “We hear from patients all the time about how difficult it is for them to schedule appointments in our system. When they finally get an appointment, it is rarely for the amount of time they need because doctors are overstretched and taking on more patients because of all the vacancies. The patients who rely on Contra Costa County Health Services for care should not have to settle for less time and attention than patients in other systems or ones with private healthcare.”

In addition to the primary care vacancies, there are 5 vacant dentist positions and 5 vacant OB/GYN positions. With 19 vacant psychiatrist positions, only 27 percent of employed psychiatry positions are currently filled. 11 vacant employed positions in the emergency department – half of the department’s employed positions – means the county is unable to safely staff the emergency room.

The problem is expected to get exponentially worse in 2024 when Contra Costa County will need an additional 40 primary care providers to care for 30,000 new Medi-Cal patients being added to the county’s health services due to an agreement between the county and California’s Department of Health Services.

PDOCC is calling on county leaders to be proactive by filling the position vacancies which will improve patient care and support county revenues. “It’s hard to believe that Contra Costa County is not working more closely with our union to help it become more attractive and competitive in retaining and recruiting medical and dental talent. I believe the county is moving in the wrong direction and I’m concerned that patients are being put at risk,” MacDonald said.

PDOCC members are currently in negotiations with county management towards a new contract. Issues raised in negotiations by PDOCC members include high patient caseloads, insufficient time for administrative tasks, long waits for primary care appointments and specialty referrals, chronic short staffing and high turnover – all of which combine to negatively impact patient care and health impacts. PDOCC members also state that burnout is at an all-time high.

County Health, PDOCC Respond to Questions

Questions were sent to both McCarl and the union’s spokesman asking if the PDOCC is in the midst of contract negotiations with the county and if so, is this an effort to obtain an increase in compensation for its members.

While McCarl responded, “Yes, negotiations are underway” she did not respond to the additional question about their criticism.

The questions were also sent Tuesday afternoon to PDOCC president, Dr. MacDonald with the .

He responded, “PDOCC is engaged with Contra Costa County in negotiations at the level of state mediation. We have one more session to go.

We are focused on improving patient care and making the workplace in Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) more sustainable.

We have to be able to hire new medical and dental talent, so compensation has to be more market competitive. This would also help with retention. A bigger medical and dental staff would help alleviate some of the load that our current employed members are carrying. The situation at this time is untenable. And, per an agreement between CCHS and the state’s Department of Health Services, CCHS will become the single system to provide care for MediCal patients in the county (aside from small fraction of MediCal patients covered by Kaiser). This will mean for an additional 30,000 new patients into our system as of January 1, 2024. We’re not ready for that. We will need an additional 40 new primary care providers to handle the influx of new patients. The County is nowhere close to hiring that many (I believe the County has 3 new providers scheduled to start after July of this year).

In addition, half of our emergency department employed positions are vacant. This means that the County partially fills the gap with very expensive temp doctors. We think it would be smarter for the County to take the funds doled out to temps and invest that money in committed, dedicated and County career minded docs who will be here for the long term.

Another issue is that our primary care providers need more protected time to manage their patient panels. The in-basket work – lab follow up, med refills, answering patient calls & emails, etc., has been escalating. Our physicians take this work home with them and it takes away time from their families and individual restorative activities.

All of this after the three-year pandemic onslaught has left our physicians and dentists suffering more from burnout than ever before. The County must step up, be proactive, and work with our union on how to achieve meaningful improvements that will enhance patient care and move our system in the right direction.”

By Kristi Jourdan, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

(Martinez, CA) – Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are now open for Contra Costa County residents impacted by the December and January winter storms to connect with federal recovery resources in person.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will open the mobile center on Sunday, Feb. 26, making it the second and third locations in the County. The mobile center will be available at these dates and times, depending on need:

Locations:
Richmond Civic Center Parking Lot
Between 24th and 25th streets in Richmond
Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Dates: Feb. 26 to March 1

Community Presbyterian Church
200 E. Leland Road in Pittsburg
Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Dates: March 2 to March 4

 The mobile centers will only be able to help residents with FEMA individual assistance. For assistance from state agencies or the Small Business Administration please visit the Recovery Center in Danville.

The Danville Center remains open* for residents and available at these dates and times, depending on need:

Location: 510 La Gonda Way, Danville
Time/Dates: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through March 1
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through March 16
*Please note: This site will be closed Sunday, March 5 and Sunday, March 12

The Center can help residents:

• Apply directly for assistance. Residents can still apply online or check the status of their application at disasterassistance.govor call 1-800-621-3362;
• Learn more about disaster assistance programs;
• Learn the status of a FEMA application;
• Ask questions regarding eligibility;
• Find housing and rental assistance information;
• Get answers to questions or resolve issues; or
• Get referrals to agencies that might offer other assistance.

Other resources through the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) will also be available.

For those who have experienced personal property damage, please contact your insurance company first to determine available resources. FEMA provides assistance to applicants for uninsured or underinsured disaster-caused expenses and serious needs.

County Approved for Public Assistance Program:

On Feb. 24, Contra Costa County submitted its request for Public Assistance for the unincorporated areas. Each city within the county will have to submit a request to be eligible for federal reimbursement. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides supplemental grants to local governments so communities can respond and recover from major disasters or emergencies. After an event like severe storms, government organizations need help to cover their costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoring public infrastructure.

The County, including unincorporated and incorporated areas, reported an estimated $43 million in damage to public infrastructure from the storms, including bridges, roads and culverts.

To prepare for future storms, sign up for emergency alerts through the Community Warning System at www.CWSAlerts.com.  Visit www.contracosta.ca.gov to find information about County services.

 

New webpage offers tips, insights to help people understand when to reach out to doctors, hospitals

By Antonia Ehlers, PR & Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Battling the triple threat of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) people of all ages are finding themselves sick as this “Tridemic” rages on. With emergency rooms and hospital beds filling up, Contra Costa Health and Kaiser Permanente have partnered to launch a public health education campaign to inform the community about simple self-care recovery tips and virtual treatment options for common illnesses.

“By partnering with Contra Costa Health, we bolster our efforts to disseminate critical health tips to our members and many others throughout the community,” said Dr. Sharon Mowat, pediatrician and physician-in-chief for the Kaiser Permanente Diablo Service Area. “If we can help people safely recover from the comfort of their homes, we can also lessen the extremely long wait times that people are seeing in the overcrowded doctors’ offices and emergency rooms throughout our community.”

The two organizations created a webpage in English (www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-care) and Spanish (www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-care-es), with information and resources about how people can recover from illnesses and access care from the comfort of their homes. If people have urgent or immediate concerns, they are encouraged to call an advice nurse or doctor’s office for guidance and virtual appointments by phone or video. Contra Costa Health Plan members and people who don’t have health coverage can call the advice nurse at (877) 661-6230. Kaiser Permanente members can call the advice nurse at (866) 454-8855.

Hospitals and ambulances are especially impacted during the winter virus season, so Contra Costa Health and Kaiser Permanente caution people to only call 911 or go to the hospital if their need for care is truly an emergency.

“The good news is most people who get sick can safely recover from home,” said Dr. Sofe’ Mekuria, deputy health officer for Contra Costa Health. “We want people to know the home care options available to them and know how to prepare themselves so they can recover quickly and safely if they get sick.”

Health recommendations include staying home when sick, getting lots of rest, drinking plenty of fluids and separating from others to avoid spreading illnesses. For peace of mind, people are encouraged to stock their medicine cabinets with items including over-the-counter cold/flu medicines to reduce fever and pain, saline spray or drops, cough syrups and lozenges, and COVID-19 home tests.

In addition to the webpage, a communications toolkit with digital graphics and handouts is also available for local schools, businesses and community organizations to share with their members.

To learn more about getting better when you’re sick, visit www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-care.

(Martinez, CA) – Contra Costa County offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Emergency services and law enforcement will remain available. Visit www.contracosta.ca.gov to find information about County services.

Las oficinas del condado de Contra Costa estarán cerradas el lunes 16 de Enero en conmemoración del Día de Martin Luther King Jr. Los servicios de emergencia y las fuerzas del orden seguirán disponibles. Visite www.contracosta.ca.gov para encontrar información sobre los servicios del condado.

 

 

Make “Health and Equity for All” their priority for 2023

Carlson sworn in as Contra Costa’s first LGBTQIA+ Supervisor

By Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

(Martinez, CA) – Two of California’s longest serving Supervisors, John Gioia and Federal D. Glover, take on leadership of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, and Ken Carlson is sworn in as Contra Costa’s newest Supervisor.

At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Superior Court Judge Joni T. Hiramoto administered the oath of office to District 1 Supervisor John Gioia for his seventh term as County Supervisor. History was made when Judge Hiramoto also administered the ceremonial oath of office to former Pleasant Hill Councilmember Ken Carlson. District 4 Supervisor Carlson, who was elected to the Board on November 8, 2022, replaces retired Supervisor Karen Mitchoff.

Supervisor Gioia was also sworn in, Tuesday as Board Chair for 2023 and Supervisor Federal D. Glover was sworn in as Vice Chair.

District 1 Supervisor John Gioia represents Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Pinole, Kensington, El Sobrante, North Richmond, Rollingwood, Montalvin Manor and Tara Hills.  John was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1998 and was re-elected last year with 85% of the vote (the highest vote percent of any Supervisor in California who faced an opponent).  He is currently the third longest serving Supervisor in California and at the end of his current term of office will be tied as Contra Costa’s second longest serving County Supervisor.  He served five previous terms as Board Chair and takes the leadership role from outgoing Chair Karen Mitchoff, who retired at the end of her term.

“I’m proud and excited to continue my work representing the diverse communities of District 1 and fighting to achieve health and equity for all county residents,” said Gioia.

Carlson was officially sworn in on Monday, January 2 inside the Pleasant Hill City Council Chambers. In a post on his official Facebook page that day, Carlson wrote, “On Monday, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier administered my oath of office, which officially starts my term on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. I am proud and humbled to have been elected to represent the communities of Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Concord, and Walnut Creek.”

District 4 includes Pleasant Hill, Concord, Clayton, and parts of Walnut Creek and Morgan Territory. In taking on his new role, Carlson said, “I am proud to represent the residents of District 4, to be the first Contra Costa LGBTQIA+ Supervisor and to continue my family’s legacy set by my grandfather. I look forward to improving our mental health crisis response, expanding our homeless services capacity, and ensuring all have equitable access to our County services.”

District 5 Supervisor Federal D. Glover, who represents Hercules, Rodeo, Crockett, Martinez, Bay Point, Pacheco, Clyde, Pittsburg and parts of Antioch and Marsh Creek, is the Board’s first and only African-American Supervisor.  He was elected to the Board in 2000, served four previous terms as Chair and is the fourth longest serving Supervisor in California.

Gioia and Glover will lead the five-member elected body that sets the direction of County government and oversees its $4.4 billion budget to serve the 1.2 million residents of this diverse East Bay county with a “AAA” bond rating.

Board Chair Gioia and Vice Chair Glover intend to make “Health and Equity for All” their priority for 2023 as they lead the establishment of a new County Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice and continue their work to reduce health disparities across race and ethnicity.

For more information about Contra Costa County and its Board of Supervisors, visit the County’s website at www.contracosta.ca.gov or the webpage: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/7283/Board-of-Supervisors.  For more information about Supervisor John Gioia, visit his County webpage at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5216/District-1-Supervisor-John-M-Gioia, for more about Supervisor Federal D. Glover, visit his County webpage at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/781/District-5-Supervisor-Federal-D-Glover and for information about Supervisor Ken Carlson, visit his County webpage at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/6291/District-4-Supervisor-Ken-Carlson.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Nonpartisan program supports and celebrates excellence in U.S. election administration

By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

The Contra Costa County Elections Division has been selected by the nonpartisan U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence as a Center for Election Excellence.  This is recognition that Contra Costa County Elections is committed to leadership in election administration and focused on developing even more resilient, trustworthy, and voter-centric election administration practices.

As a Center for Election Excellence, the Contra Costa County Elections Division will have an opportunity to work together with a bipartisan group of election officials to support each other and improve their skills. The diverse inaugural 2023 cohort of Centers for Election Excellence include:

• Contra Costa County, CA
• Shasta County, CA
• Greenwich, CT
• Kane County, IL
• Macoupin County, IL
• Ottawa County, MI
• Clark County, NV
• Brunswick County, NC
• Forsyth County, NC
• Madison, WI

According to a recent study from MIT, public spending on election services ranks near the bottom, about the same as what local governments spend on parking facilities. This means professional development opportunities for election department staff can be extremely limited. The Alliance will provide Contra Costa Elections staff opportunities to collaborate with and share best practices with their colleagues from around the country, creating a national community of learning and support.

“I am thrilled we have chosen the Contra Costa County Elections Division as a Center for Election Excellence,” said Tiana Epps-Johnson, executive director of the Center for Tech and Civic Life. “Contra Costa Elections is a leader in safe, secure, and inclusive elections that put voters first. This program will take their election administration work to the next level.”

“While I have always known that staff at the Contra Costa County Elections Division are expert at what they do, incredibly innovative, and provide an exceptionally high level of service to the Contra Costa Community, I am excited and proud that this department and our staff are being recognized nationally for the hard work we do.” said Debi Cooper, Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Contra Costa County.

The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence launched in 2022 and is a five-year, $80 million nonpartisan program that brings together election officials, designers, technologists, and other experts to envision, support, and celebrate excellence in U.S. election administration. Launch partners include:

• Center for Tech and Civic Life:  connects Americans with the information to become and remain civically engaged and ensure that elections are inclusive and secure.
• Center for Civic Design: works with elections offices and advocates across the country, using research, design, accessibility, and plain language to remove barriers and invite participation in democracy.
• The Elections Group: partners with state and local election officials to implement new programs or improve processes for voters and stakeholders by providing guidance, resources, and management support.
• U.S. Digital Response: is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization provides election officials with simple, effective digital tools and rapid response.
• Institute for Responsive Government & Center for Secure and Modern Elections: aligns bipartisan, pro-voter campaigns, making elections more efficient and secure.
• Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d.school) at Stanford University: referred to as the d.school, the institute brings students and faculty from radically different backgrounds together to develop innovative, human-centered solutions to real world challenges.
• Prototyping Systems Lab: utilizes elements of design thinking, participatory design, and critical making to create change within complex systems.

Butler, Maxwell win, Lewis leading in county school board races

170,000 ballots to be counted as of Wed., more ballots arriving through Tues., Nov. 15 could affect results

By Allen D. Payton

As of the latest update on the Contra Costa County Elections Division website on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 12:03 a.m., with all precincts reporting, Acalanes School Board Trustee Kristin Connelly appears to be winning the race for County Clerk-Recorder and Pleasant Hill City Councilman Ken Carlson is ahead in the race for District 4 County Supervisor. The district includes Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill and portions of Walnut Creek.

County Clerk-Recorder

With 100,938 votes or 53.55% of the vote Connelly has a commanding lead over former Contra Costa College Board Trustee Vicki Gordon who had 87,567 votes or 46.45% of the vote. Carlson is leading BART Board Member Debora Allen by 4,122 votes. He had 26,110 votes or 54.17% to her 22,088 votes or 42.83% of the vote.

According to county elections personnel, after receiving Wednesday’s mail there were an estimated 170,000 unprocessed ballots. The latest figures on the website don’t include all the vote-by-mail ballots submitted on Election Day including at the polls.

As a result, Connelly is not declaring victory, just yet. When reached for comment Thursday afternoon she responded, “I am very excited about how the results are shaping up in my race and look forward to the timely count continuing.”

Carlson Declares Victory in District 4 Supervisor’s Race

In a post on his campaign Facebook page on Wednesday Carlson was more confident in the results declaring victory. He wrote, “It has been a long, hard fought campaign, but WE GOT IT DONE, and I am proud to claim #VICTORY! I am humbled to have had your support, and I am grateful to now have the opportunity to serve all of District 4 as your next Supervisor! Countless groups and individuals made this win possible. I share the credit for this victory with a great many folks in our community. I want to say thank you to my opponent, Debora Allen for helping keep this campaign about the issues that matter to each and every one of us. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. THANK YOU.”

On Wednesday, Allen conceded on her campaign Facebook page writing, “The results are in, and it is clear I fell short of the votes needed by 4100, to win the District 4 seat on the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors. We came close, but as my dad used to say, close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and ballroom dancing.

To my family, friends, supporters, donors, and colleagues, I extend a big THANK YOU for your support, contributions, love and encouragement. I am forever grateful for your faith in me.

To the voters of Contra Costa, thank you for the 22K votes of support and the great conversations at your doors, in your businesses, and at public events over the last year. I learned a lot about the people of our county.

To the public employees’ and construction labor unions who provided $300K of funding to oppose me and support Carlson in this general election, congratulations, you won! You just bought yourselves a supervisor. Your nasty disinformation tactics are what continue to win elections for unions and keep you in control of our government.

To Contra Costa Supervisor-elect Ken Carlson for County Supervisor 2022, I wish you all the best as the next Contra Costa Supervisor in District 4. I hope you will find the courage to stand up to all that union money that elected you, especially when voting on their labor contracts, or on construction project labor agreements to shut out all local non-union construction businesses from the work in this county.

Until we run again!”

However, on Thursday Allen posted, “UPDATE 11/10/22: We should have better tallies of votes by 5pm today. Will update then.”

Assuming a fifth of the remaining 170,000 unprocessed ballots are for the District 4 race, Allen would need 62% of them or 21,123 votes of the estimated 34,000 ballots that were remaining to be counted in order to eke out a win.

County Board of Education

In the races for county Board of Education, incumbents Sarah Butler in Area 2 and Mike Maxwell in Area 4 have defeated their challengers by wide margins, and Annette Lewis in Area 5 is leading her closest challenger, Justin Brown by 2,556 votes or by 7.35% a margin that could prove insurmountable.

Butler had 24,621 votes or 50.69% of the vote defeating Lisa Disbrow with 13,450 votes or 27.69%, and Rupy Krishnan with 10,501 or 21.62% of the vote.

The race for Area 4 was closer as Maxwell had 19,127 votes or 43.44% of the vote defeating challengers Cheri Calgano with 13,672 votes or 31.05%, and Anaité Letona with 11,229 votes or 25.5% of the vote.

Finally, in the Area 5 race, Lewis had 15,250 votes or 45.83% to Brown’s 12,694 votes or 36.48% followed by challenger Derek Carson II with 6,582 votes or 19.69% of the vote.

Thursday afternoon Lewis shared, “Waiting to see what tonight’s numbers will show. This morning’s returns by district show roughly 22,000 more ballots turned in my area.”

Next Update Thursday Afternoon

The next update for results in all elections in the county is expected later today, Thursday, Nov. 10 before 5:00 p.m.

Please check this website later for that update.

It is over!

By Allen D. Payton

In the words of Howard Cosell after Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier during the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match, “It is over! It is over! It is over! It is over!” Last month, President Biden said the COVID-19 “pandemic wis over” and on Oct. 17, Governor Newsom announced the COVID-19 State of Emergency in California would end on February 28, 2023. Then, as of Thursday, Oct. 21 the government-imposed restrictions from COVID-19 have completely ended in Contra Costa County.

Without fanfare or even a press release to the media, Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli issued an order, that day, “rescinding any and all active orders pertaining to COVID-19”.

The new order states, “Orders that (1) prohibited or otherwise restricted the activities of any person in Contra Costa County, either directly or indirectly, or (2) imposed any affirmative obligations on any person in the County, and (3) are or may be interpreted to be operative (collectively, the “Active Orders”), be rescinded.”

Following is Ortiz’ official order:

ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA

RESCINDING ANY AND ALL ACTIVE ORDERS PERTAINING TO COVID-19

ORDER NO. HO-COVID19-69

DATE OF ORDER: OCTOBER 21, 2022

Summary of the Order

Commencing on March 14, 2020, with the issuance of Order No. HO-COVID19-01, the Health Officer of Contra Costa County has issued 69 orders regarding the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These orders (including one unnumbered order) will be referred to as the “COVID-19 Orders.” Among the COVID-19 Orders were orders that restricted the activities of individuals, compelled business owners and others to shut down or limit their operations, required the wearing of face coverings, and mandated the testing or vaccination of workers in specified settings. Based on current trends and the availability of vaccinations and treatments, it is no longer necessary to have any active Health Officer orders pertaining to COVID-19, and it is the intent of the Health Officer that any and all COVID-19 Orders that (1) prohibited or otherwise restricted the activities of any person in Contra Costa County, either directly or indirectly, or (2) imposed any affirmative obligations on any person in the County, and (3) are or may be interpreted to be operative (collectively, the “Active Orders”), be rescinded. This Order rescinds any and all Active Orders, effective immediately. This Order does not affect any of the COVID-19 Orders that were issued for the sole purpose of rescinding previous orders.

UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS

101040 AND 120175, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA

(“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS:

1. Rescission of Active Orders. Any and all Active Orders are hereby rescinded.
2. Effective Date and Time. This Order takes effect immediately upon issuance.
3. Copies; Contact Information. Copies of this Order shall promptly be: (1) made available at

the Office of the Director of Contra Costa Health Services, 1220 Morello Avenue, Suite 200, Martinez, CA 94553; (2) posted on the Contra Costa Health Services website (https://www.cchealth.org); and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this Order. Questions or comments regarding this Order may be directed to Contra Costa

Health Services at (844) 729-8410.

IT IS SO ORDERED:

Ori Tzvieli, M.D.

Health Officer of the County of Contra Costa

Dated: October 21, 2022