Hair salons, barber shops, personal services, bars, wineries will be closed temporarily

All non-essential travel temporarily restricted statewide

By Allen Payton

Governor Gavin Newsom announced, during a press conference, Thursday a more restrictive Stay-At-Home order on a regional basis in the state based on hospital intensive care unit (ICU) bed space when it falls below 15 percent. In the nine Bay Area counties, including Contra Costa, the new restrictions are expected in mid-to-late December. The restrictions in the other four regions, Northern California, Greater Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, are expected to go into effect sooner.

Regions where the ICU capacity falls below 15% will be placed into this Stay-At-Home order for three weeks.

Newsom said “California is pulling an emergency break” and his order directs Californians to “stop gathering with those outside your household” and “Keep it outside and keep your mask on.”

Sectors that will be temporarily closed when a region is placed into the Stay-At-Home include bars, wineries, personal services, hair salons and barber shops. Sectors that will remain open include schools that have received a waiver, critical infrastructure, retail (20% capacity to reduce exposure), and restaurants for take-out and delivery.

All non-essential travel is temporarily restricted statewide, as well, Newsom said.

“The bottom line is if we don’t act now our hospital system will be overwhelmed,” Newsom said. “If we don’t act now, we will continue to see a death rate climb.”

However, the governor encouraged residents to get outdoors and exercise to offset “the mental distress we’re under.”

“This is not a permanent state,” Newsom said to reassure residents. “We had predicted the final surge in the pandemic. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. We are a few months away from truly seeing real progress with the vaccine. We do not anticipate having to do this, once again. But we really all need to step up…and we need to do everything we can to stem the tide, to bend the curve, to give us the time…to get those vaccines in the hands of all Californians across the state.”

 

Patients will be transferred to Alta Bates in Berkeley or other hospitals; mother and baby could be separated; closure based on financial challenges and lack of need; all unit staff have been offered other positions at the medical center

By Allen Payton

Holding signs that read “Don’t Put Babies At Risk! Keep Our NICU Open!”, nurses at Antioch’s Sutter Delta Medical Center staged a protest on the sidewalk next to the entrance of the hospital Lone Tree Way on Tuesday opposing the closure of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in January.

“That means patients will have to be transferred to another hospital, like Alta Bates instead,” said one of the nurses said at the protest.

“Mothers who are under 37 weeks gestation or high risk will be transferred to another facility,” Mari Ward, an RN at Sutter Delta shared. “Babies born inside the hospital requiring NICU care will now be transferred to Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley or Children’s Hospital in Oakland, separating mothers from their newborn.”

“So far this year, approximately 16% of our babies needed some form of NICU care,” she added.

According to a Nov. 30 press release from the California Nurses Association, “the hospital plans to shutter the unit by the end of December. The NICU unit cares for critically ill babies. After the closure, sick babies will be transported to other facilities, potentially placing patient safety in jeopardy. RNs who staff the NICU have expressed concern that the hospital’s policy is short-sighted and will leave infants in their first hours of life vulnerable to the worst possible outcomes.”

“Often the most difficult, trying moments for a baby that requires intensive care is the first few minutes and hours when we struggle to stabilize the baby,” said Ward. “This is highly skilled work that takes training and experience. I am so scared for the babies that we care for. That is why I am speaking out.”

The CNA press release continued, “Currently the hospital relies on NICU nurses not just for inpatient NICU stays but also as a nursery for ‘transition babies.’ Transition babies are essentially well but exhibit some worrisome signs that need to be monitored. For example, transitional tachypnea of the newborn, which more frequently occurs in newborns born to diabetic or asthmatic mothers and those born via cesarean section. These newborns with small signs of respiratory distress may require monitoring or interventions, including respiratory support.”

“Many babies have small signs of respiratory distress. In most cases they end up fine. But sometimes things go south,” Ward said. “Having trained neonatal nurses monitor these situations can save a life or prevent long-term complications.”

“This company’s decision to cut off our patients and our community from vital services is unconscionable,” said Sharon Martinez”, an operating room registered nurse.

“The NICU nurses respond daily to assist when complications arise during birth,” said Edith Owens, a registered nurse in the hospital’s Ambulatory Care Surgery unit. “Shame on Sutter Delta for putting profits over ensuring that they are alive and healthy to meet those challenges. Who will be there in these situations when we are gone?”

“This closure was announced prior to the beginning of January 2021, therefore only a 30-day notice is required,” Ward explained. “If it was announced after January 1st, 2021, under AB 2037 which was endorsed by the California Nurses’ Association, the hospital would have been required to give a 90 day notice, publish in the newspaper, notify the public, notify local city council, etc. This was a rushed notice with no plan on how or when to train L&D staff on newborn stabilization or allowing the Women’s Health Center time to prepare. Babies lives are at risk. This is a huge concern for our obstetrics doctors and the doctors specifically ask that this was shared with the media as well.”

Ward shared an official statement during a press conference about the NICU closure Tuesday afternoon.

“My name is Mari Ward, and I am a registered nurse in the NICU at Sutter Delta Medical Center. I’m joined by my RN colleagues from Sutter Delta. Our message today is an urgent response to Sutter Delta’s short-sighted decision to close the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  This closure would be a loss for this community, which depends on this hospital to have resources of specially-trained personnel like NICU nurses to address any complications that may occur during birth or after. A few examples of complications include: emergency deliveries outside the unit (ie the hospital parking lot), internal ‘high risk’ births, and resuscitation/stabilization of the tiniest of pre-term babies known as ‘micropremies.’ Closing this hospital’s NICU also threatens families. There’s a chance a mother could be separated from her newborn who would have to be transferred if NICU services are needed. The hospital is placing profits over patient safety. Placing financial line items and profit over ensuring that these critically ill infants remain alive and healthy. As Union nurses it is our duty to speak publicly about these failures, just as it is our duty to care for our patients at the bedside. We call on our Employer to immediately rescind this decision to close the NICU. Thank you.

We need the community’s support in this fight to keep our NICU open!”

According to Sutter Health Media Relations Manager, Monique Binkley Smith the decision to close the NICU at Sutter Delta was based on financial challenges and lack of need.

“Many hospitals across the country are facing financial challenges, which the global health crisis is making even more urgent,” she shared. “As many people continue to delay preventive care and avoid hospital emergency departments, Sutter Delta Medical Center (SDMC) patient volumes, like those at many hospitals across the country, have not returned to pre-pandemic levels and are not expected to in 2021.”

“Added to this difficult environment, the birthrate and the demand for neonatal intensive care services have both declined in the Delta region for the past three years. Births at SDMC have declined about 32% since 2016,” Binkley Smith continued. “Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) discharges at SDMC follow a similar pattern. This year, SDMC’s special care nursery has had an average census of less than one baby per day. In fact, many days there are no babies in the SDMC NICU. In the face of significant volume loss for the hospital overall and the declining demand for neonatal intensive care services, SDMC has made the difficult decision to close its special care nursery, also called a Level 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), by December 31, 2020.

“It is important to note that all affected staff members have been offered roles at SDMC or within the Sutter Health integrated network of care, and these staff members will also be provided with retraining if needed. Sutter Health and SDMC value and support the unique talents and strengths that each employee brings to our organization,” she stated. “SDMC will continue to provide high-quality Labor and Delivery services to the Delta community. Additionally, in order to ensure the highest quality of care for any baby that needs a higher level of care, all SDMC Labor and Delivery nurses will receive additional training as required.”

Transfers to Alta Bates Not New

Binkley Smith confirmed that patients will be transferred to Alta Bates, but that it’s not a new practice.

“As has been the practice for years, babies born at SDMC that require a higher level of care will continue to be transferred to the Level III NICU at sister hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, or to another appropriate hospital,” she shared. “This is common practice; many community hospitals do not offer NICU services. The vast majority of babies born at SDMC do not require NICU services and stay in-room with their parents after they are born.”

“SDMC is proud of the exceptional level of care provided families and their newborns by its staff, nurses and affiliated physicians,” Binkley Smith offered. “SDMC will continue to evolve its services to reflect the Delta community and meet the needs of its patients.”

She also added a note about Level II NICU/Special Care Nurseries: “A special care nursery or Level II NICU provides the lowest level of NICU care for newborns. Typically, the babies in a Level II NICU are premature infants born after 32 weeks gestation or who are moderately ill with problems such as jaundice that are expected to resolve rapidly.”

California Nurses Association Responds

In response, California Nurses Association labor representative, Robert Heaster who was in attendance at Tuesday’s protest, wrote, “This closure would be a loss for this community, which depends on this hospital to have resources of specially-trained personnel like NICU nurses to address any complications that may occur during birth or after. A few examples of complications include: emergency deliveries outside the unit (ie the hospital parking lot), internal ‘high risk’ births, and resuscitation/stabilization of the tiniest of pre-term babies known as ‘micropremies.’

Closing this hospital’s NICU also threatens families. There’s a chance a mother could be separated from her newborn who would have to be transferred (up to 40 miles) if NICU services are needed. This short-sighted decision by the hospital is placing profits over patient safety. Placing financial line items and profit over ensuring that these critically ill infants remain alive and healthy. As Union nurses it is their duty to speak publicly about these failures, just as it is their duty to care for the patients at the bedside. We call on the Employer to immediately rescind this decision to close the NICU. Thank you.”

 

By Rick Beavin, Desert Pacific Medicare President, Humana

In a year filled with unforeseen challenges and important decisions, people with Medicare have through Monday, Dec. 7 to select their Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan coverage for 2021. To ensure you have the right Medicare plan for you in place come January 1 of next year, it’s important to focus on these three key topics:

Navigating plan options during COVID-19 – Traditionally, the annual Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan open enrollment period offers opportunities for in-person educational events and one-on-one meetings with licensed sales agents. This year, you can safely access the resources you need to choose the best plan for you, online or by phone. The Medicare Plan Finder is a great place to start.

Doctors in network, prescription drugs covered? As you connect with a licensed sales agent or research information online, remember to confirm which doctors and hospitals are in a plan’s network. If you have a preferred physician or health care facility, a licensed health insurance agent can help you see if a specific doctor or hospital is in a plan’s network and taking new patients.

Although Original Medicare does not cover most prescription drugs, many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage, or you can sign up for a Part D Prescription Drug Plan separately. A licensed sales agent can look up the medications you would like covered and help you estimate what the cost of each drug would be on a plan.

New, innovative benefits – Beyond vision, hearing and dental coverage, if you aim to become healthier, look for fitness program benefits as many Medicare Advantage plans include them. If you are comfortable using technology, access to virtual doctor visits is broadly available and enables you to seek care through your phone or computer, without having to leave home. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer benefits to help address the COVID-19 pandemic including offering home-delivered meals for members with a COVID diagnosis.

As we approach the Dec. 7 Medicare annual enrollment deadline, remember you’re not alone. Key resources are available including licensed sales agents and websites such as medicare.gov and www.humana.com/medicare.  You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (or TTY: 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or call Humana at 1-800-213-5286 (TTY: 711) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time seven days a week.

Rick Beavin is Desert Pacific Medicare President at Humana in California.

 

To connect residents with the most appropriate resources

Working in partnership with cities across Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) has launched a comprehensive review of existing behavioral health crisis response services to develop a vision for how to connect residents with the most appropriate resources where and when they are needed.

In close collaboration with city leaders through the Contra Costa Public Managers Association, community stakeholders, service providers and staff from across the county participated in a multi-day workshop to identify current resources and next steps. Workshop participants included those working in crisis response, community-based organizations, schools, police and dispatch, as well as clinicians and persons and family members with lived experiences. The team spent the past two weeks observing, analyzing and interviewing subject matter experts and looking at data about the current state of crisis response in Contra Costa County to develop a vision for the future and identify areas for improvement.

Statistics

• Behavioral health issues are widespread
  • About one in five adults are currently experiencing behavioral health issues
  • About 13% of all EMS calls address mental health issues
  • There are between 10,000 and 11,000 involuntary psychiatric holds (5150s) in our county each year

Existing Resources

• CCHS provides a variety of behavioral health services. A limited number provide crisis response, however none provide emergent response like 911.
  • Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
  • Homeless Services (H3 & HCH)
  • Alcohol & Other Drug Services
  • Medical and Psychiatric Emergency Services
  • Behavioral Health Crisis Teams
• Existing crisis response resources serve a small number of residents
  • Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) serves 293 people annually at a cost of $2 million
    • Designed to reduce law enforcement repeat calls for service and violent encounters, reduce visits to Psychiatric Emergency Services, increase community and police safety, and increase appropriate use of mental health services.
  • Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) takes about 1,600 calls per year at a cost of $2 million, serves adults only
    • MCRT is designed to have mental health providers respond in the field to de-escalate crisis, provide stabilization, and prevent psychiatric hospitalization. If the situation cannot be de-escalated in the field, the MCRT will assess for 5150 criteria and, if criteria are met, the Mental Health Clinical Specialist can initiate a 72-hour 5150 involuntary hold.
    • In addition to responding in the community to the immediate situation that led to calling the MCRT, the team provides a 30-day period of follow up during which they focus on linking individuals to a variety of services to help them stabilize and prevent ongoing crisis experiences.
  • Mobile Response Team (MRT) receives about 1,000 calls from youth each year, budget is $2.2 million
• MRT provides risk/safety assessments, crisis intervention, follow up services, collaboration with existing treatment team members and linkage for youth in their natural settings. The CCC MRT aims to provide same day services and/or services as close to 24 hours of immediate crisis.
• We have researched models from other communities
  • Regardless of what model we choose, the key to success is alignment with our cities and community partners across the county.

The public is invited to hear the key findings and recommendations during a public report to be shown on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) on Saturday, November 21 at noon and 7 p.m., and Sunday, November 22 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The event can also be seen online at contracostatv.org during those scheduled times.

The process prioritized these areas of focus for the next steps:

• Identifying a single number to call for behavioral health crisis response
• Establishing a mobile crisis 24/7 response
• Evaluating non-police mobile crisis team composition
• Identifying alternate destinations for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis

Using the Lean Process Improvement Model, the team will spend the next several months planning for rapid improvement workshops to test potential strategies based on the four areas of focus. Results of this process will be presented to the Contra Costa Mayors Conference in February 2021.

For more information on CCHS Community Crisis Response, visit cchealth.org/bhs/crisis-response.

 

For counties in Purple Tier like Contra Costa, non-essential businesses and personal gatherings are prohibited between 10 PM and 5 AM

Unless you’re eating dinner with the governor at a fancy restaurant. Just kidding! – The Herald

SACRAMENTO – In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 PM and 5 AM in counties in the purple tier. The order will take effect at 10 PM Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 AM December 21. This is the same as the March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10 PM and 5 AM and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.

“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” said Governor Newsom. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”

This limited Stay at Home Order is designed to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance.

“We know from our stay at home order this spring, which flattened the curve in California, that reducing the movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases COVID-19 spread, hospitalizations, and deaths,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “We may need to take more stringent actions if we are unable to flatten the curve quickly. Taking these hard, temporary actions now could help prevent future shutdowns.”

“We are asking Californians to change their personal behaviors to stop the surge. We must be strong together and make tough decisions to stay socially connected but physically distanced during this critical time. Letting our guard down could put thousands of lives in danger and cripple our health care system,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s acting Public Health Officer. “It is especially important that we band together to protect those most vulnerable around us as well as essential workers who are continuing their critical work amidst this next wave of widespread community transmission across the state. Together we prevented a public health crisis in the spring and together we can do it again.”

COVID-19 case rates increased by approximately 50 percent in California during the first week of November. As a result, Governor Newsom and California’s public health officials have announced a list of measures to protect Californians and the state’s health care system, which could experience an unprecedented surge if cases continue their steep climb.

On Monday, the state pulled an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy putting more than 94 percent of California’s population in the most restrictive tier. The state will reassess data continuously and move more counties back into a more restrictive tier, if necessary. California is also strengthening its face covering guidance to require individuals to wear a mask whenever outside their home, with limited exceptions.

Late last week, the state issued a travel advisory, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel outside the state to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisory urges against non-essential out-of-state travel, asks people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourages residents to stay local.

 

Contra Costa County is among 19 Localities to Join a Network Deploying Economic Research and Multi-sector Welcoming Plans for Promoting Inclusion and Economic Opportunity for All

By Tish Gallegos, Community/Media Relations Director, Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD)

Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) and Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) are pleased to announce that New American Economy (NAE) and Welcoming America selected Contra Costa County to receive a Gateways for Growth (G4G) Technical Assistance award as part of the fourth cohort of a nationwide initiative. G4G is a competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support and/or technical assistance to improve immigrant inclusion in their communities. Contra Costa County and this year’s awardees join 71 other recipients since the 2016 launch of the initiative.

In light of the scale and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gateways for Growth Challenge this year prioritized localities that demonstrated a public-private commitment to better integrating immigrants into recovery efforts and emergency management systems.

“The Gateways for Growth Award is a timely boost to Contra Costa County’s efforts of welcoming and immigrant inclusion, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to enhance our work,” said Candace Andersen, Chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

The immigrant community in Contra Costa is wide and diverse, representing 25 percent of the county’s population. The partners involved in the Gateways for Growth effort will include both new arrivals and longtime residents, and a number of previously unengaged groups. In addition to seeking out language minority and immigrant communities, the County will bring in more small community-based and faith-based organizations to support this work.

As the country looks to rebuild and set a more inclusive path forward nationally, Contra Costa County, as part of the G4G 2020 cohort, will lay the groundwork and build the infrastructure for economic, civic, and social inclusion at the local level.

“We recognize the inequities that persist and are exacerbated by the COVID pandemic in our systems, and we are committed to advancing further inclusion and fairness in everything we do,” explained Erika Jenssen, Contra Costa Health Services Department. “As a result, plans to establish a County Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice are underway.” Technical assistance and research provided through the award will support the planning process for the new office.

“Respecting diversity by honoring individual differences is a core value for EHSD that echoes that of Contra Costa as a welcoming county,” said EHSD Director Kathy Gallagher. “Our County has strongly opposed federal rule changes that limited the scope of benefits under the public charge rule and affected immigrants on their path to citizenship. We remain committed to the continuation of the DACA program, and to supporting ongoing inclusion and long-term economic and social integration of newcomers to our community.”

“We are thrilled to see the Gateways for Growth Challenge expand to another set of localities that reflect the diversity of our nation,” said Christina Pope, Senior Network Director at Welcoming America. “With each cohort, there is an opportunity to support and connect local leaders making their communities more welcoming and resilient places where everyone, including immigrants, can prosper and belong.”

As in previous years, G4G awardees will receive a combination of:

• Customized quantitative research reports from NAE on the demographic and economic contributions immigrants make in their communities; and/or
• Tailored technical assistancefrom NAE and Welcoming America to help communities draft, execute, and communicate a multi-sector immigrant inclusion strategy.

In addition to Contra Costa County, this year’s awardees are:

• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Columbus, Ohio
• Erie, Pennsylvania
• Gainesville, Florida
• Lancaster County, Nebraska
• Los Angeles, California
• Mercer County, New Jersey
• Miami-Dade County, Florida
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Ottawa County, Michigan
• Passaic County, New Jersey
• Reno/Washoe County, Nevada
• Saint Paul, Minnesota
• San Mateo County, California
• Southwest Kansas
• Spokane, Washington
• Washtenaw County,Michigan

Year-round, NAE and Welcoming America maintain an interactive map at gatewaysforgrowth.org that serves as a clearinghouse for the successes of all current and prior G4G awardees.

Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services (EHSD)

Employment & Human Services partners with the community to deliver quality services to ensure access to resources that support, protect, and empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency.  Based on the core values of delivering an exceptional customer experience, encouraging open communication, embracing change, practicing ethical behavior, and embracing diversity, EHSD envisions Contra Costa County will continue to be a thriving community where all individuals and families can be healthy, safe, secure and self-sufficient.  More information about EHSD is available at www.ehsd.org.

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS)

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) is an integrated system of healthcare services, community health improvement and environmental protection. We are the largest department of county government, including a 166-bed full-service public hospital with eight satellite health centers, public health, behavioral health and homeless services, environmental health, a federally-qualified HMO serving more than 190,000 people and a hazardous materials response unit. We are also the county’s emergency medical response agency.

CCHS provides high-quality services with respect and responsiveness for all. Our mission is to care for and improve the health of all people in Contra Costa County, with special attention to those who are most vulnerable to health problems. Learn more at cchealth.org.

New American Economy

New American Economy (NAE) is a bipartisan research and advocacy organization founded to educate, empower and support policymakers, influencers, and citizens across the country that see the economic and social benefits of a smart approach to immigration reform. NAE has created a coalition of civic, business, and cultural leaders who span the political spectrum and represent all 50 states. NAE makes the case for smart immigration reform in four ways:

1. We generate and usepowerful research to demonstrate how immigration impacts our economy;
2. We organize champions at the grassroots and influencer levels to build support for immigration;
3. We partner with state and local leaders to advocate for policies that recognize the value immigrants add locally; and
4. We show immigrant contributions to American culture through film, food, art, sports, comedy, and more.

Visit NewAmericanEconomy.org to learn more.

Welcoming America

Welcoming America leads a movement of inclusive communities from across the world in becoming more prosperous by making everyone feel like they belong. Through a membership network of 200+ local governments and nonprofits, Welcoming America connects and supports place-based initiatives that work to reduce divisions and support greater civic, social, and economic participation among new and longtime residents alike. Through the Welcoming Network, participating members access peer learning opportunities, technical assistance, tools, and training to help transform their communities into more welcoming places. Visit WelcomingAmerica.org to learn more.

 

Clash over $80,000 marketing outreach budget

By Daniel Borsuk

In response to the state moving Contra Costa County back into the most restrictive COVID-19 Purple Tier, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday acted to deliver financial assistance in the struggling tenant, landlord and small business sectors.

Earlier Supervisors had learned that Contra Costa’s new daily COVID-19 case rate had risen to 11.4 per 100,000 with a 3.7 percent positivity rate.  As of Tuesday, 41 counties, including Contra Costa, were in the Purple tier.

Supervisors approved an amendment to the County’s Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Community Development Block Grant Action Plan to spend  an additional $4.29 million in CDBG-Coronavirus or CV3 funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 to provide emergency rental assistance and tenant/landlord counseling and related legal services.

Supervisors allotted $3.2 million from a Federal CARES Grant for an emergency rental assistance program to Hayward-based ECHO Housing that would provide tenant-landlord counseling and related legal services to persons meeting eligible income requirements for the program.

Concord-based Shelter, Inc. will work with ECHO in providing rental assistance services in Antioch, Pittsburg, Concord, and Walnut Creek.

At one point, Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg and Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood clashed over the program’s $80,000 marketing/outreach budget that Glover supported, but Burgis preferred to cut by 50 percent. “I like to do outreach,” said Burgis, “but there is so much need and urgency out there right now.”

Despite the disagreement over the outreach money, supervisors kept intact the $80,000 for outreach.

One of the conditions to the federal program is that the county needs to spend the CARES funds by Jan. 31, 2021.

“Obviously, families are struggling to make ends meet, and some of my students have found themselves having to take some economic responsibility to make families’ ends meet,” said Luis Chacon, a West Contra Costa Unified School District teacher.

In other action, supervisors voted 5-0 to pass an urgency ordinance to continue the temporary prohibition on evictions of certain small business commercial tenants financially impacted by COVID-19.  The protection continues through Jan. 31.

“The county must act quickly to assist residents, both tenants and landlords, who are or will be in the crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Board Chair Candace Andersen of Danville.  “Providing direct rental payments to landlords on behalf of tenants is critical, and staff will work with community organizations to reach out to those in need, particularly low-income households and neighborhoods severely impacted by economic and housing instability at this difficult time.”

Contra Costa County’s Urgency Ordinance 2020-29 provides protections pursuant to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-80-20, which extends, through March 31, 2021, the authority of local jurisdictions to suspend the evictions of commercial tenants for the non-payment of rent if the non-payment was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Board of Supervisors recognizes that the already struggling business environment has become even more challenging with the recent rise of COVID-19 cases,” said Board Chair Andersen. “As we follow public health orders and guidance intended to protect lives, we have to support businesses however we can.”

Supervisors voted 5-0 to impose a 45-day moratorium ordinance on industrial hemp cultivation so that the county Agriculture Commission can establish cultivation and location regulations on the crop harvested in East county.

East County resident John Cisneros, who lives nearby a hemp operation with armed guards, urged supervisors to adopt an ordinance.  “How would you like to live near a hep farm with a security force, that might turn into a cannabis operation?  Not a safe thing,” he said.  “I am not against hemp, but this is not a suitable place.”

Pittsburg Motel 6 Homeless Program Action

In a consent action, supervisors approved a lease with Azad Rahman, Riffat Rahman an Zahin Rahman, who had managed the Motel 6 at 2101 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg  that the county has agreed to buy through the state’s Homekey Program to provide housing for the homeless and social services.

The county agreed to purchase the motel for $17.4 million even though there is a question whether the county properly appraised the property that may have been over appraised by $5 million. (See related article) The county approved a lease with the Rahmans at $600 a month.

 

With new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surging across California, the state today restored safety measures in Contra Costa and many other counties that are needed to protect the public and save lives during the pandemic.

The return to the purple tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy comes with some additional requirements for businesses and community activities not imposed in Contra Costa since summer. But the change also reflects an approaching danger that health experts see in recent COVID-19 data, in the U.S., California and Contra Costa County.

The adjusted average daily number of new COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa has doubled in recent weeks, rising from 4.3 per 100,000 population on Oct. 16 to 9.2 on Nov. 16.

The average daily percentage of COVID-19 tests that return positive in Contra Costa has also increased sharply, from 1.9% on Oct. 16 to 3.6% on Nov. 16.

Health officials are also closely monitoring the number of people hospitalized in Contra Costa because of COVID-19, as a large surge in patients could overwhelm the local healthcare system. There were 21 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Contra Costa on Oct. 16, compared to 48 on Nov. 16.

To prevent unnecessary illness and death in our community, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) urges residents to take the safety requirements seriously and consider what they can do to reduce the risk of infection to themselves and their families – such as wearing face coverings whenever they leave home.

Growing evidence shows that simple cloth face coverings reduce the spread of COVID-19, providing some protection to the wearer and, more importantly, protecting people near a wearer who is infectious but does not yet know they are sick.

“The most simple, effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to wear a face covering whenever you leave home or are around people who do not live with you,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, county health officer. “This may also be a time to consider a remote holiday gathering. We all want to see each other, but it is important to carefully consider the risks before meeting in person with our loved ones.”

Contra Costa, previously in the red tier, already enacted local health orders last week that added additional safety requirements beyond what the state had mandated, including a moratorium on indoor dining and operation of indoor gyms and fitness centers.

Contra Costa moved into the red tier just last week from the orange tier. The state today changed its guidelines to expedite movement of counties into more restrictive tiers in response to the growing public health crisis. More information is expected to be posted at the state’s web page.

Changes caused by the state’s action today will include:

• Social gatherings involving people from different households are permitted outdoors only, with a maximum of three households and 25 people, preferably for less than two hours.
• K-12 schools may not reopen for in-person instruction unless they have already begun to do so.
• Worship services and cultural ceremonies must now be held outdoors only.
• Higher education institutions must move indoor lectures and student gatherings outdoors only.
• Movie theaters may operate outdoors only.
• Museums and exhibit spaces may open outdoors only.

Visit covid19.ca.gov for more information about the state health guidelines, and state data regarding COVID-19.

For Contra Costa data and COVID-19 health information, visit cchealth.org/coronavirus.