As of Thursday, Feb. 4:

• Sutter patients 65 and older can now schedule COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Vaccination for Sutter patients 65 and older is now underway at locations throughout the health system’s Northern California footprint.
• Sutter has worked quickly to expand COVID-19 vaccination rollout, including scaling up large-scale vaccination clinics across Northern California. Several are already operational.
• Sutter shares in the excitement and hope that comes with the COVID-19 vaccine and is proud to be doing its part to help end this pandemic.

“We are rolling up our sleeves so more patients can roll up theirs. At this time, we are prioritizing our patients who are 65-plus years of age and community healthcare workers. These populations are at greatest risk, according to CDC guidance,” said Sutter Health Spokesperson Monique Binkley Smith. “By expanding capacity, we can continue deploying as much vaccine as possible to eligible patients, as supply allows. As vaccine supply expands, we will broaden eligibility and notify our patients.”

How Sutter Patients 65 and Older Can Schedule Their COVID-19 Vaccination:

Eligible Sutter patients can self-schedule through Sutter’s online patient portal, called My Health Online, or through a dedicated hotline: (844) 987-6115.

• Sutter’s call center is open Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Patients should allow for longer than normal wait times due to higher call volume. Not everyone who is eligible will be able to make an appointment right away. 
• Call center representatives can help eligible Sutter patientsbook appointments for their first doses. Note: Second dose appointments are scheduled at the time of the first vaccination.
• Sutter patients should not contact their provider’s office to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations— they’re not able to book appointments or provide scheduling exceptions.

For more info on how Sutter patients can schedule their COVID-19 vaccination, go to https://www.sutterhealth.org/for-patients/health-alerts/covid-19-vaccine.

Additional Resources:

Visit Sutter’s Resources for Journalists page for video and stills of patients being vaccinated.

Visit Sutter’s news source ‘Vitals’ for timely and topical COVID stories.

• Seniors Line Up for Vaccine, Still Have ‘Good Living to Do’
• Faces of Vaccination: Stories of Motivation, Inspiration
• What You Need to Know About COVID Vaccine Cards
• How Electronic ICU Helps Save Lives as Patient Surge Continues

A new COVID-19 testing location opened today, February 4, at the Antioch Community Center in Prewett Family Park at 4703 Lone Tree Way. If you need a COVID-19 test, please call 1-844-421-0804 or schedule online at: http://lhi.care/covidtesting.

Supervisors question if it will help in high minority areas; form Measure X Sales Tax Advisory Committee; appoint new County Librarian

By Daniel Borsuk

An announcement that the Contra Costa Health Services will share a $40 million state grant with Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations, stirred Contra Costa Board of Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond to question whether the state aid will actually make a difference in leveling the inequity playing field where low vaccination rates under 6 percent persist in high minority parts of supervisorial District 1, District 3, and District 5 have not progressed while the vaccination rates in communities that have populations that are predominately white and wealthier are at nearly 20 percent vaccination rates.

“I acknowledge the good and hard work of the county, but we’re still not getting enough doses from the state,” said Supervisor Gioia at the supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday when Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth introduced Gilbert Salinas as the county’s equity officer.

Salinas said he will coordinate the work of 24 adult ambassadors to reach out in areas with high minority and elderly residents, particularly in the three supervisorial districts where vaccination rates are now less than 10 percent – 5 percent in Bethel Island, 6 percent in Oakley, 5 percent in Bay Point – while in wealthier and more Caucasian areas the vaccination rates have been 19 percent in Walnut Creek, 15.3 percent in Orinda, and 18 percent in Danville.

District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville said while her colleague Gioia focuses on black and Latino residents in high minority communities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Bethel Island, she said, “We also need to focus on the most at risk, and that includes the seniors at Rossmoor.”  Her comment did not draw much reaction from colleagues or the public.

“I appreciate you (i.e. Supervisor Gioia) for bringing up this inequity issue, but this is an issue in slow motion. We have the sites and the staff. We just don’t have the supplies,” said board chair Dianne Burgis of Brentwood.

“I want to see the gap closed,” said vice chair Federal Glover of Pittsburg. “It’s a question of how we close the gap. Let’s close the gap. There are major equity issues that we need to address including the high percentage of evictions in these areas.”

Contra Costa Health Services Director Roth said the county might be turning the corner in its fight against Covid-19 as countywide hospital intensive care unit occupancy is falling from a high of 296 patients to a current occupancy of 172 patients. She also said of one million doses given in California, 127,560 doses had been administered in Contra Costa County.

Form Measure X Sales Tax Advisory Committee

Supervisors voted 4-1 with District 3 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff casting the dissenting vote, to form a 17-member Measure X Advisory Committee to advise the board of supervisors on how to spend an estimated $50 million in annual tax revenues for a wide range of county services.   County voters last November passed Measure X, a ballot measure authorizing a ½ cent sales tax be levied countywide, exempting food sales.  Collection of the sales tax begins in April and will be available for distribution in the fiscal year 2021/2022.

For a while Supervisors Mitchoff and Gioia squared off arguing over the pros and cons of two different models whereby volunteers serving on the Measure X Advisory Committee would advise the board of supervisors on public services.  Gioia supported a 95% option and 5% option while Mitchoff favored a 50% -45%-5% formula.

“I am trying to avoid conflicts,” said Mitchoff. “There needs to be more of a level playing field.  Fifty million dollars is a lot of money. I want the advisory committee to do some work. We are creating another layer for county staff to work with.”

Gioia’s proposal attracted the support of supervisors Burgis, Glover and Andersen. Appointments to the committee will be announced at a future meeting.

Appoint McKee County Librarian

Deputy County Librarians Alison P. McKee was appointed on a 5-0 vote to fill the post of County Librarian that was vacated by the retirement of former County Librarian Melinda Cervantes last year. The county will pay McKee $281,442 in annual cost for the post of which $51,568 is pension cost.

McKee holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Music Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Extend Eviction Protection and Rent Freeze

Supervisors passed Ordinance No. 2021-04 that extends a temporary eviction moratorium for certain residential and tenants and prohibits residential rents increases through June 30, 2021.   The Urgency Ordinance also continues a temporary eviction moratorium on commercial tenants through March 31, 2021.

“Even as Covid-19 vaccines distribution gives us hope to ending the pandemic, we recognize the needs of Contra Costa residents and businesses,” said Board Chair Diane Burgis.  “We encourage residents to stay vigilant and to seek resources.  We will get through this together.”

 

 

 

 

 

At their Board meeting on February 2, 2021, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Urgency Ordinance No. 2021-04 that continues a temporary eviction moratorium for certain residential tenants and a moratorium on certain residential rent increases through June 30, 2021. The Urgency Ordinance also continues a temporary eviction moratorium for certain commercial tenants through March 31, 2021. Ordinance No. 2021-04 supersedes Ordinance No. 2020-29.

“Even as COVID-19 vaccines distribution gives us hope to ending the pandemic, we recognize the need to continue protections for Contra Costa residents and businesses,” said Supervisor Diane Burgis, Board Chair. “Now is not the time to let down our guard against the virus. We encourage residents to stay vigilant and to seek resources. We will get through this together.”

Read the full document Ordinance No. 2021-04 (PDF). Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding this ordinance on the County website soon.

For information and resources, visit Contra Costa County at www.contracosta.ca.gov. For COVID-19 updates, visit Contra Costa Health Services at cchealth.org/coronavirus. If you have questions about the coronavirus, contact the multilingual Call Center at 1-844-729-8410, open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. For assistance after hours in multiple languages, please call 211 or 800-833-2900 or text HOPE to 20121.

 

For more refined COVID PPE look

By Jackie Lowery

I am an Antioch resident and retired in 2018 from the construction industry after 35 years of working in the Laborers trade. When the Pandemic hit us in March of 2020, I decided to use my experience in refinery PPE (personal protective equipment) and make more fashionable face masks.

My sister, Patricia Bean from Reno, Nevada joined me, as we decided that it was best to use our talents in design, sewing, marketing, and crafting to create fashion forward masks with functionality.

Our company is Protective Couture and our slogan is “Where Safety Meets Fashion!” We use four layers of tightly woven cotton to make five different sizes of unique, hand-made and custom jewelry face masks.

Although wearing a cloth mask does not prevent one from catching the Coronavirus, it does slow the rate of transmission down! From children to adults, we all must do our part in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus and its variants. By wearing a mask, you can help slow the spread of the virus and keep you, your family, and your neighbors safe while looking fashionable!

For more information and to order your fashionable, functionable face mask, visit us at ProtectiveCouture.net.

 

Less than 5% immunization compared to 11-13.8% in Alamo, Lafayette and Walnut Creek where the population is older.

The county is distributing the vaccine primarily to residents 75 years and older, said Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano – “I really do believe we are at the turning of the tide of this pandemic at this point.”

Annual Board Retreat held virtually

By Daniel Borsuk

During the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors annual retreat Tuesday, Jan. 26, the county’s top health official made a major admission, saying her department will investigate questions into claims of unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccination injections in areas with high populations of Black and Latino residents.

Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth was put in the hot seat by District 1 Supervisor John Gioia who, like last week, raised similar questions as to why the COVID-19 vaccine is being unequally distributed in the district he represents. His district includes the cities of Richmond and El Cerrito and other communities with high percentages of minorities who are more prone to be stricken with coronavirus, than in other communities that tend to be wealthier and have higher percentages of white residents.

Gioia also cited other high percentage minority communities like Antioch, Bay Point, and Pittsburg in supervisorial District 5 for exposing residents to the COVID-19.  District 5 is represented by Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg who did not comment on the issue.

Gioia said the vaccination rate in Antioch is five percent, in Bay Point it is 4.3 percent, in Richmond it’s 4.5 percent, while in Alamo the vaccination rate is 11 percent, 12 percent in Lafayette, and 13.8 percent in Walnut Creek.

“You make a very important point.  The early data is showing an inequity,” Health Director Roth said.  “We hear your request for a more specific plan.”

Last week, when Gioia raised the same inequity issue, Roth did not acknowledge the Supervisor’s issue as significant enough for possible further study.

Discussion about the vaccine inequity distribution issue arose at the same time Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration announced it would boost the supply of COVID-19 vaccines by about 16 percent for the next three weeks.  White House officials said the order would buy enough additional doses to vaccinate most of the U.S. population with a with a two-dose regimen by the end of summer.  Contra Costa County Health officials were unavailable to comment about that development. Like all counties in California, vaccine distribution is overseen by the state.

However, during the Health Services COVID-19 Response Update to the board, Dr. Chris Farnitano, the county’s health officer, pointed out that the county is distributing the vaccine primarily to residents 75 years and older. Of 93,000 doses administered, 61,000 have been given to citizens older than 75 years, he explained.

“I really do believe we are at the turning of the tide of this pandemic at this point,” Farnitano also stated at the end of the presentation.

Retreat Highlights

During their remotely held retreat, the supervisors were presented glimpses of the 2021 budget, economic forecasts, future capital improvement projects, redistricting, economic development, and developments planned at the two County-owned airports in Byron and at Buchanan Field in Concord.

Among some of the highlights of the presentations were:

• Supervisors expressed their preference for the potential construction of a 20,000 square foot, two-story office building with 80 underground parking spaces to be built at 651 Pine St., the former site of the 12-story McBrien Administration Building that will be demolished now that that county’s new four story $95 million administration David Twa Administration Building has been completed and is open for limited occupancy due to COVID-19.

“The economy will be roaring back,” forecast economist Dr. Christopher Thornberg. He made the prediction despite the fact that California faces a $54 billion budget deficit, “public transit like BART is going to have a tough time getting out of this thing, but electrically powered cars I see coming down the pike.”

• Former County Administrator David Twa will oversee work on the county’s redistricting process, a process that occurs every 10 years to adjust supervisorial district boundaries. The complex process involves conducting public hearings and meeting state and federal guidelines that are dependent on when the federal government releases 2020 census data.  There is concern that due to COVID-19, the availability of census data might be delayed.
• The two county airports at Byron and Buchanan have generated a 9% increase in revenue for the county since 2017. The Byron airport recently landed, said Airports Director Keith Freitas, a vertical take landing aviation company.  There are 10 ongoing development projects at the airports including fire station No. 9 and a new administration building at the Buchanan Airport in Concord.

Outdoor dining allowed again; hair salons, barber shops can reopen.

State and local stats don’t match.

“The state has changed how they are calculating,” – Scott Alonso, Contra Costa Health Services spokesman

Contra Costa County is urging residents and businesses to continue practicing health safety measures and avoiding risky activities after California lifted its regional stay-at-home order today in the Bay Area. The state lifted the order Monday morning, effective immediately.

Some significant changes resulting from Contra Costa’s return to the purple tier include:

• Restaurants may offer outdoor dining, following the state health guidelines.
• Hair salons, barber shops and personal services such as nail salons may reopen following state health guidelines.
• Outdoor social gatherings involving 25 or fewer people, from three or fewer different households, are now permitted.
• For the full list of what businesses and venues are allowed to be open as of Monday, Jan 25. click here.
• More information available at org/coronavirus

The state order helped the region meet the deadly surge in COVID-19 infections following the winter holiday season. But per capita, the adjusted average number of new infections reported every day in Contra Costa was 46.2 in the last week – nearly seven times the threshold for a county to enter the purple tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

“Our county continues to experience a winter surge in COVID-19 transmission,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County health office. “While we are making progress in vaccinating our most vulnerable residents, we are still weeks or months away from seeing the effects of immunization in our community.”

The purpose of the state’s regional stay-at-home order was to slow COVID-19 transmission to protect the intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity of hospitals and healthcare systems from overwhelming medical surge.

Staffed ICU beds in Contra Costa hospitals continue to see heavy use, with 137 of 163 beds occupied on Saturday, including both COVID-19 patients and patients with other major health problems put the county at almost 16%, over the 15% state required threshold. All hospitals in the county remain on contingency care status, and most elective surgeries continue to be postponed.

However, on Saturday the Contra Costa Health Services’ COVID-19 website showed ICU bed capacity in the county at only 1.2% and 2.0% Bay Area-wide. On Monday the CCHS website shows the availability of ICU beds in Contra Costa is 4.0% and 3.7% in the Bay Area, far below the 23% the state is now claiming. Asked why that was, Scott Alonso, a spokesman for CCHS responded, “The state has changed how they are calculating. We are awaiting further information from CDPH and will update the CCHS website once ready and able when we hear from them.”

Health guidelines regarding physical distancing and use of face coverings outside the home remain in effect, as do occupancy caps for indoor businesses and requirements limiting close-contact gatherings of people from different households. Check the state’s web page for industry-specific guidance.

“Under no circumstances should anyone view the state action today as a reason to let down their guard. We have made progress, but we need to continue what we are doing to keep our families and communities safe,” Farnitano said. “It is just common sense.”

Contra Costa has kicked off a countywide drive to provide 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. County residents who are older than 75 can now get a vaccination appointment by calling 1-833-829-2626 or using Contra Costa Heath Services (CCHS) online request form at cchealth.org/coronavirus. The county expects to extend vaccine eligibility to more people in coming weeks.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

Reflecting the countywide commitment to protect all Contra Costa residents from COVID-19, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) announced Friday a new goal for the county and its healthcare partners: Deliver 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by Independence Day. That would cover most county residents. The population is currently estimated to be 1,153,526 as of 2019.

“There is no higher priority in Contra Costa County than delivering COVID-19 vaccine to as many eligible residents as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Diane Burgis, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “We believe this is a realistic goal, provided our supply of vaccine increases.”

The county’s announcement follows a promise yesterday from new President Joe Biden to administer 100 million doses during the first 100 days of his administration.

“Together with our partners in the community, from large health systems to independent doctor’s offices to supermarket pharmacies, we are building the infrastructure to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of county residents, quickly and safely,” said Anna Roth, director of Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS). “When doses arrive, they do not sit in freezers. They go straight to the public.”

Contra Costa went from providing zero doses to more than 5,800 per day during the first month that COVID-19 vaccine became available, and the daily average continues to climb as community health providers offer more shots to patients and members, and as CCHS opens more county-operated community immunization sites.

If the state can supply enough vaccine, CCHS and our partners together will soon have capacity to provide up to 9,000 doses of vaccine daily. With anticipated contributions from other health systems in the community, Contra Costa could achieve its million-dose goal by July 4.

This week, CCHS also launched its new vaccine-appointment phone line – 1-833-VAX-COCO (1-833-829-2626). Now, those who are unable to schedule vaccine appointments online can call us and book an appointment Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eligible residents seeking appointments are encouraged to use the online form unless they do not have internet access or have difficulty using the online form.

Other local resources, including links to other healthcare providers in the community now offering vaccine, are available at coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-vaccinated.

CCHS also has a new data dashboard on its COIVD-19 web page, cchealth.org/coronavirus, that provides daily updates for the county’s vaccination campaign. More than 65,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far in the county.

In addition to the first wave of vaccine recipients, which included healthcare and emergency workers and people who live or work in residential care facilities, all county residents 65 and older can now request an immunization appointment through CCHS.

Appointments with CCHS are not first come, first served. Every day we prioritize appointments for people who are in the highest risk categories, according to state and federal guidelines, especially people who are 75 or older.

Appointments for other eligible residents can vary according to several factors, including age, underlying health concerns, how close they live to a vaccination site where an appointment is available, and whether they live in a neighborhood or community that is especially impacted by COVID-19. Because vaccine is scarce, the reality is that it may take weeks for some eligible residents to get a vaccine.

As more private health systems serving Contra Costa expand capacity to serve their members and patients, more county residents will hear from their own healthcare providers about how and when they can access COVID-19 vaccine.

Visit cchealth.org/coronavirus for local information about the COVID-19 pandemic and Contra Costa’s immunization campaign.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.