BISSELL Pet Foundation assists animal shelters with reduced adoption fees by appointment only

By Bri Olson, Communications Coordinator, BISSELL Pet Foundation

In response to COVID-19, BISSELL Pet Foundation will sponsor reduced adoption fees across the country starting Thursday, March 26 in efforts to assist animal shelters that are struggling with fewer volunteers and staff to care for their animals. With a rather atypical Empty the Shelters adoption special in place for the next week, the foundation hopes this will encourage families to add a furry quarantine buddy into their home in a time when it’s needed the most.

“Many shelters have already been forced to eliminate all foot traffic in their facilities, so overcrowding is becoming a real issue, said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Organizations are scrambling to find fosters to take pets in during this desperate time and they need our help. That’s why BPF will also reduce fees for foster-to-adopt cases.”

Thanks to BPF funding, you can adopt a pet from Antioch Animal Services for $25 by viewing adoptable animals online at www.bissellpetfoundation.org/ets. Once an online application is submitted, shelter staff will work with potential adopters to schedule an in-person appointment with social distancing in mind. The Antioch shelter is located at 300 L Street in Antioch.

“COVID-19 is responsible for canceling many scheduled fundraisers and events that shelters rely on to operate, “says Bissell. “We will continue to ease the burden on our partners and work to find solutions for them in any way we can. This week, you too can be a part of the solution for homeless pets by choosing to adopt.”

BPF encourages interested adopters to be reminded that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there is no evidence to support any cases of transmitting the virus to/from pets.

“If you are able to bring a pet into your home, now is a perfect time,” says Bissell.

Reduced-fee adoptions are scheduled to extend until Wednesday, April 1.

If you’re unable to adopt, please consider donating to BISSELL Pet Foundation at www.bissellpetfoundation.org/donate. With a partner network of over 5,000, BPF has impacted over 250,000 homeless animals across the country since 2011.

About BISSELL Pet Foundation:

BISSELL Pet Foundation is a charitable 501©(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping and emergency support. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with over 5,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Homecare, Inc where every purchase saves pets. To learn more, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org.

Benefits Auto-Issued for the Month of March

On Thursday evening, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide shelter-in-place order for all Californians, except certain essential employees and residents acquiring necessities, such as food, prescriptions, and health care.

WIC provides healthy foods and support services to families.  If your income has been affected by recent events, and you are pregnant, recently had a baby, or have an infant or child under the age of five, you may be qualified to receive WIC services.  Applying is easy and quick.  You will receive your food benefits within a few days. You can apply online at cchealth.org/wic or call 1 (800) 414-4WIC.

WIC food benefits are considered an essential service. We will strive to continue to serve our community during this time under the governor’s and local Health Officer’s order.  Currently, we are providing all WIC services over the phone, including new enrollments.  To protect you and our WIC staff, all in-person appointments are suspended at this time.  Please stay at home.  The new WIC Card and WIC app make it easy for you to access your benefits electronically.

Community members should call their local WIC offices to enroll or certify, obtain future food benefits, reschedule, get breastfeeding help, or to get questions answered.

• Concord & Crossroad WIC: (925) 646-5370
• Brentwood WIC: (925) 513-6880
• Pittsburg WIC: (925) 431-2460
• San Pablo WIC: (510) 942-4000

Please note that California WIC started monthly auto issuance of benefits and extended some certifications for those who were eligible.  This means if you have a WIC card, you may already have your benefits pre-loaded.  You can check your California WIC app for benefits.

If you have any additional questions, please contact your local WIC program at 1 (800) 414-4WIC.  For further Covid-19-related information, please visit the county website at:  cchealth.org or CDPH website.

WIC and Contra Costa Health Services are committed to providing the individuals and communities we serve with high quality, comprehensive, community-directed care that is accessible to all and culturally and linguistically appropriate.

Please note that WIC is safe to use and does not affect immigration status for anyone who is currently in the U.S.  WIC is not considered a part of public charge.  We are here to help!

IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM SUPERINTENDENT STEPHANIE ANELLO RELATED TO COVID-19 AND SCHOOL CLOSURES

The following autodialer went out on Wednesday,  March 25:

“Good morning, this is Stephanie Anello, Superintendent of the Antioch Unified School District with an important announcement related to COVID-19 and school closures. At this time, AUSD schools will be closed until May 1st. We will continue to provide meals and our current online learning platforms and packets until April 6th. On April 7th, we hope to have additional opportunities for online learning as well as opportunities for obtaining technology resources. Thank you all for the tremendous outpouring of support, understanding, and patience you have shown during this difficult time. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.”

By Steven Spraitzar, Public Relations, White Pony Express

White Pony Express (WPE), the Pleasant Hill food rescue group, announces that its programs are continuing to operate under Contra Costa County’s stringent requirements to contain the spread of COVID-19.   Specifically, WPE wishes to let the public know that:

• White Pony Express remains OPEN for business. It continues to rescue nutritious fresh food from supermarkets and restaurants and deliver it free to those in need in our communities.
• WPE’s School Food Pantry Program is continuing to deliver food to free-lunch schools in the county. However, because the schools have closed, this food is now being taken to alternative distribution sites where the food is being made available to the school families.
• Volunteers are urgently needed as some volunteers wish to self-isolate.
• Those who wish to volunteer can sign up at https://www.whiteponyexpress.org/covid-19-response-volunteer
• Financial donations are also needed so WPE can continue providing nutritious food to hungry people. If you’d like to contribute, you can do so by visiting WPE’s website at https://www.whiteponyexpress.org/donate-funds.
• WPE will make limited deliveries of needed clothing for the foreseeable future.
• No donations of clothing will be accepted while the shelter-in-place order is in effect.
• WPE has implemented stringent health guidelines in place to protect its volunteers. These protocols (hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, gloves, social distancing, etc.) are now a part of all WPE’s food and clothing operations.

ABOUT WPE:  WPE is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Pleasant Hill, CA, which helps people move from the margins to the mainstream by providing free food and clothing in a loving and respectful manner.

Dr. Carol Weyland Conner founded WPE in September 2013 when she was troubled that in an area with such an abundance of food, many thousands were going hungry, while at the same time food retailers were throwing out huge quantities of healthy, fresh food. From this insight, the Food Rescue program was born. In a little over 6 years, WPE has rescued and delivered more than 10.5 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food, free of charge, that would otherwise go to waste. This is equivalent to 8,750,000 meals.

In 2014 the White Pony General Store was added to provide high quality clothing, toys, and books to the underserved in our communities—all free of charge. Since that time, the General Store has given away over 512,000 items to those in need.

For more on WPE, visit www.whiteponyexpress.org.

High Quality Data Essential for Combatting the Spread of COVID-19

Joint Press Release

Martinez, CA – Seven Bay Area jurisdictions are taking a unified, regional step to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). On March 24, the Public Health Officers of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, with the City of Berkeley, announced an order with new reporting requirements for laboratories that test for the novel coronavirus. Laboratories must report results of tests for all residents of each jurisdiction to the ordering health care provider and the appropriate state and local health officials.

Currently, labs report only positive results, making it difficult for public health officials to know how many people are being tested overall. The new order requires laboratories to report all positive, negative, and inconclusive results, and information that allows health officials to better locate the person tested. The more comprehensive information will improve health officials’ understanding of the rates of infection and the location of possible infection clusters

Growing availability of testing through commercial and academic laboratories expands the overall testing capacity beyond small, specialized public health laboratories. The public health laboratory network offers only limited testing for emerging infections such as COVID-19 as other commercial and academic laboratory sectors come on-line. Because of the limited capacity of public health laboratories and the absence of further reporting requirements of private laboratories, the current percentage of cases that are detected through testing is important, but reflects only a small portion of the total number of people infected in our jurisdictions.

“This order will ensure public health officials regionally and across the state have access to the information we need to understand, predict, and combat the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Health Officer. “Commercial and academic laboratories are important partners in providing testing to our community. Receiving this critical information from those labs will help local health departments respond to COVID-19 during this unprecedented time.”

The laboratory reporting order follows new data of increasing local transmission of COVID-19, including 930 confirmed cases with 19 deaths shared by the seven jurisdictions. The Bay Area’s total count of 930 confirmed COVID-19 cases is more than half of California’s case count. This does not account for the rapidly increasing number of assumed cases of community transmission.

“Expanding reporting beyond positive results to include timely reporting of negative and inconclusive results allows local health officials to better understand whether there are areas of the community that are experiencing more intense transmission and project future trends in in the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, Health Officer, City & County of San Francisco. “By sharing high quality test result data at scale, state and local health authorities can better track COVID-19, predict its spread, and better focus public resources to end this global pandemic.”

For more information about COVID-19 activities in these areas, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, or Berkeley COVID-19 websites.

By Sergeant Rick Martin #3343, Antioch Police Traffic Division

On March 25,2020, at 9:45 pm, Antioch Police Officers responded to the intersection of Contra Loma Boulevard and the eastbound Highway 4 offramp on a report of a vehicle collision. Upon arrival officers located two vehicles involved in a collision. A 52-year-old male from Oakley was pronounced deceased at the scene. His two passengers were treated and released at the scene. The other driver, 18-year-old male from Antioch, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

It was determined the male driver from Oakley had exited the eastbound Highway 4 offramp at Contra Loma Blvd., failed to stop at the red signal light and broadsided the male driver from Antioch who was travelling southbound on Contra Loma Blvd.

Names of the drivers are being withheld at this time until proper notifications are made to the next of kin.

No further information will be released at this time. This preliminary information is made available by the Traffic Division.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non- emergency line at (925) 778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Screenshot of Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors virtual, online meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

Hold online, virtual meeting; homeless population increases 43% in county

County staff stay six feet apart in the Board meeting room speak with members of the board during the virtual meeting. Video screenshot.

By Daniel Borsuk

Forced to meet remotely in an inaugural teleconference board meeting Tuesday, Contra Costal County Board of Supervisors learned the county is lean on supplies to combat the rising COVID-19 pandemic.

Circumstances are getting so dire, Contra Costa Health Services officials have put out the call for donations from the public for surgical protective equipment and supplies for healthcare providers as concerns emerge the county cannot deliver an adequate amount of medical gear and supplies for emergency workers to be adequately protected while treating those potentially affected by COVID-19.

As of Tuesday, Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth told supervisors 71 county residents now have contracted COVID-19 and one person has died, an increase from 10 COVID-19 cases when Roth released her initial report to the Supervisors 21 days ago on March 3. Twenty-two persons are currently waiting for lab test results, reported Roth.

When Supervisors individually met via teleconference, Contra Costa Health Services along with six other Bay Area medical entities had earlier announced a unified, regional program designed to combat the spread of COVID-19 by ordering laboratories testing for COVID-19 to report comprehensive testing data to local and state authorities.

In addition, the county is stepping up the wide gap in procuring medical supplies and gear for health care workers. “We are making preparations for more people to become sick,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer.

County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano, speaks with Board Chair Candace Andersen during the virtual meeting. Video screenshot.

A call has gone out to the public from Contra Costa Health Services to donate protective medical supplies for health care workers. Those supplies include eye protection including goggles and face shields, antibacterial and disinfecting wipes, typically alcohol or bleach based, excluding baby wipes. The county also needs N-95 and surgical masks in unopened containers, and disposable medical gowns.

The county has designated three donation centers that will be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The donation centers are at West County, 151 Linus Pauling Dr., Hercules; Central County, 1750 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill; and East County, 4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch.

County Administrator David Twa said the County has started to buy motel rooms nearby medical work sites so tired and overworked emergency workers can get sleep and avoid having to travel home during the nationwide health emergency.

“Some people say this COVID-19 pandemic is going to dip into our reserves. Well, we have already seen COVID-19 dip into our reserves,” said Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill who was frustrated with the likely fiscal impact as well as the technical problems that flared up during the two-hour supervisors’ teleconference meeting. Mitchoff requested that a better teleconference program replace the current program.

Supervisors are expected to begin their review of the proposed 2020-2021 fiscal year budget via teleconference at next week’s board meeting.

Homeless Population Increases 43 Percent

In other business, Lavonna Martin, director of the Contra Costa County Health, Housing and Homeless Services, informed supervisors that the county’s homeless population in 2019 increased 43 percent in two years. Based on a department survey there were 2,295 homeless persons counted in 2019 in comparison to 1,607 in 2017. In 2018, there were 2,234 homeless persons.

The 2019 report indicates 1,398 persons are in the 25 to 54-year-old age bracket. The survey found that 165 persons were 62 years old or older.

Sixty-three percent of the families that are homeless can be served by available shelters with 201 beds, but only 28 percent of the single adults can be served by shelters, according to the study.

Psychiatric Emergency Service Project

Supervisors gave the go ahead for the Public Health Commission to conduct public hearings on the proposed remodel project for the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center’s over-used Psychiatric Emergency Services – PES – located in the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez.

Current conditions at the PES are deemed to be a danger to patients, to the general public.

The objectives of the PES project are to separate children, ages 7 through 12, and adolescents, ages 13 through 17 years, from adult patients, and provide a larger dedicated space more conducive to a therapeutic environment to better support youth and their families, the addition of a confidential triage space at the entrance of the PES, and expansion of treatment space for adults.

Supervisors were shown three project options. Option 1 would cost $3.7 million and add 2,101 square feet to the existing 5,370 square foot facility. Option 2, the recommended option, would cost $4,920,968 and would add 2,265 square feet to the current facility, and Option 3 would cost $8,332.471 to add 3,499 square feet to the existing facility.

By Susan Shiu, Director, Office of Communications and Media, Contra Costa County

The Contra Costa County Tax Collector’s Office understands and shares the public’s concern about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our residents and businesses, and we are committed to helping in any way we can. While we have no legal authority to extend the April 10 property tax delinquent deadline, we can cancel late-payment charges.

• Existing law R&T 4985.2 authorizes us to cancel penalties and interest on a delinquent payment due to circumstances, such as the pandemic that impacts a taxpayer’s ability to make timely payment. Note the penalty cancellation process will require documentation.
• Nevertheless, those able to pay should do so online, over the phone, through bill pay at one’s own bank, or by mail.  We will honor the U.S. Postal Services’ cancellation postmark as the receiving day for mail-in payments.  The Office cannot accept walk-in payments.
• For receipt of payment, a copy of your tax bill with the installment’s payment date is available online in View Bill under Account Lookup. We can mail you a copy as well.

For additional information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions, visit our website at www.cctax.us, or email our office at taxinfo@tax.cccounty.us.

For the latest updates on the impacts of the COVID-19 on property tax deadlines, please refer to the Statement from Russell V. Watts, Treasurer-Tax Collector.