Weekly Update - April 01, 2021
Contra Costa Opens Eligibility to those 16+ 
Everyone is Encouraged to Request Appointments Now
All people ages 16 and older who live or work in Contra Costa County are now  eligible to get vaccinated.
 
Callers to the COVID-19 vaccine appointment line are experiencing long waits due to high demand. CCHS is encouraging anyone seeking a vaccine appointment from to use the online request form instead of waiting on hold if they can.

If you know someone who is eligible for a COVID-19 immunization appointment right now, but may need a little help, please make that offer. See how to help.
 
For more information on COVID-19, visit coronavirus.cchealth.org or call 844-729-8410, daily from 8 am to 5 pm, for help in multiple languages.
Options for Scheduling Your Vaccine Appointment
There are several ways to find a vaccine appointment.

1. Make an appointment with Contra Costa County at a CCHS site.
Vaccine Appointments for Residents 16 and Older

2. Register with the State of California at myturn.ca.gov to be notified when you are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccination at a State site. State eligibility begins today for 50+ and on April 15 for 16+.

3. Make an Appointment at a Partner site.
Healthcare systems, pharmacies, and other providers have different eligibility requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations. Some pharmacies are allowing the patient to choose which vaccine they will receive. Call the pharmacy for confirmation of this. You can find information about each of these providers by scrolling down on the CCHS Vaccine page: coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-vaccinated


COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Clinic Opens in Concord
A new COVID-19 vaccine clinic that will provide as many as 15,000 doses weekly is now open at the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park (formerly Waterworld) in Concord, a convenient new option for Contra Costans looking to protect themselves and their communities from the virus.

The drive-through vaccination clinic is a partnership among Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS), the City of Concord and Kaiser Permanente (KP), the county's largest healthcare provider.

KP and CCHS staff are offering appointments Tuesday through Saturday at the drive-through clinic, with Kaiser contacting and scheduling its own members. KP, which receives its own supply of COVID-19 vaccine directly from the state, will have the capacity to provide as many as 2,000 daily appointments at the clinic once the site is fully operational.

The clinic is located in the lot of the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor park in central Concord, between Interstate 680 and Highway 242 at 1950 Waterworld Parkway.

Appointments will be required to get a vaccine, either through CCHS at cchealth.org/coronavirus or 1-833-VAX-COCO (1-833-829-2626), or through Kaiser Permanente (for Kaiser Permanente members) at kp.org/covidvaccine.

The actual number of doses provided at the clinic will depend on vaccine supply. Doses provided by CCHS at Hurricane Harbor will come from Contra Costa's weekly allotment from California, which supplies county-operated clinics and community healthcare providers throughout Contra Costa.
All Three COVID-19 Vaccines are Safe and Effective
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: Facts & Myths 
Vaccines are the strongest tool we have to end the COVID-19 pandemic. While all three FDA-approved vaccines are safe, effective and free – you may still have some questions or mixed feelings. When deciding whether to get vaccinated, it’s important to separate myths from facts. 

Vaccines have a long history of being safe and effective. Right now, there are three authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines available: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. All three have been thoroughly reviewed for their safety. The best vaccine is the one you can get the soonest. All COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19.

  • Vaccines teach your body how to fight COVID-19.
  • The vaccines do not give you COVID-19.
  • Some people may experience side effects after getting a vaccine. This is a sign your body is building protection against COVID-19 and symptoms should go away within a few days.
  • COVID-19 vaccine studies are ongoing; however, the vaccines have been thoroughly reviewed for their safety.

To read more facts about the vaccines, click facts and myths .
Up-To-Date Vaccine Data
Vaccine Location Data
Alamo Ballots will Begin to Arrive April 5
Ballots for Measure K will begin to arrive in some Alamo mailboxes on April 5. Alamo residents who live in the P2B Police Services area will decide whether or not to increase a parcel tax to continue funding a dedicated Alamo officer. The existing parcel tax was approved by Alamo voters 40 years ago in 1981. Any increase in the tax amount requires voter approval.

The proposed change will be on a May 4, 2021 all-mail ballot which will be sent to all Alamo property owners within the P2B district. A dedicated Alamo officer has been funded through the P2B parcel tax, which is currently $18 per household. However, that amount approved 40 years ago is no longer enough to pay for an officer. The proposed increase to $67 for residential parcels and $200 for commercial parcels will allow Alamo to continue to have an officer dedicated to Alamo.  
 
If anyone does not receive their ballot, please reach out to the County’s Registrar Office so they can send out a duplicate. Their phone number is (925) 335-7800, or email to voter.services@vote.cccounty.us If you would prefer to vote “in person”, please visit the Registrar’s office located at 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. You can visit the office any day from April 5, up to and including election day (May 4).
You're Invited: Community Mental Health Crisis Response Report
A Look at Alternatives to Calling 911 or Having a Police-Only Response
Approximately one in five adults in Contra Costa County are struggling with behavioral health issues. The complex and decentralized system of intervention and mental health treatment programs in our county often means those experiencing a behavioral health crisis cannot access the care they need when they need it. All too often, calling 911 can feel like the only option a family or caregiver has when behavior escalates beyond what they can manage.
 
Working in partnership with cities across the county, Contra Costa Health Services launched a comprehensive review of existing behavioral health crisis response services and developed a vision for future improvements.
 
When: Friday, April 2, 2020 at 2pm
 
Where: Live on CCTV. CCTV can be seen on Comcast, channel 27, Wave, channel 32 and UVerse, channel 99. CCTV’s 24/7 stream can be found at contracostatv.org or on YouTube. After broadcast, the video will be available for viewing at cchealth.org and during subsequent broadcasts on CCTV according to a schedule to be posted to that website.
 
Over the last several months, a group of dedicated stakeholders from crisis response teams and programs, law enforcement, dispatch, community organizations and partners as well as those with personal lived experience navigating a mental health crisis have identified the barriers that prevent us from providing compassionate care and easy access to behavioral health services for all.

The report will focus on one of the key areas for improvement in our response to a mental health crisis - having a single number for people to call to access services and a non-police mobile crisis response team available within forty-five minutes twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
 
You can learn more about Contra Costa County’s Behavioral Health Community Crisis Response Initiative here.
Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution Condemning Xenophobia and Hate Crimes Against Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities
At the March 30th Board of Supervisors meeting, a resolution condemning all acts of hate and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, or cultural basis was unanimously passed by the Supervisors.

To read the full resolution go to agendas resolutions.
How Far is Contra Costa from the Orange Tier?
We hope to enter the Orange Tier by early next week. However, it is difficult to predict exactly when Contra Costa will qualify. While there is no guarantee, County Health is estimating that the State will reach the goal of vaccinating 4 million residents who live in the lowest Health Place Index (HPI) communities in the next few days, which changes the threshold we need to meet to enter the Orange Tier from 4 to 6 cases per 100,000, a number we are currently meeting. Contra Costa could move into the Orange Tier as soon as this weekend or early next week.

The State requires counties to remain in a new tier for at least three weeks after changing tiers. Once a County qualifies for the next lower tier, they must remain there for at least two consecutive weeks before moving into it.

In the Orange Tier:

  • Capacity restrictions are lifted in stores (pandemic safety modifications apply)
  • Houses of worship, museums, zoos and aquariums can raise their indoor capacity from 25% to 50%;
  • Restaurants and movie theaters can raise indoor capacity to 50% capacity or 200
  • Indoor gyms and yoga studios increase capacity from 10% to 25%
  • Bowling alleys can reopen with modifications at 25% capacity
  • Counties can allow bars to reopen outdoors, with modifications, without needing to serve food
  • Offices in nonessential industries can reopen, but workers should be encouraged to work remotely
  • Amusement parks — which can open starting April 1 in red-tier counties — would be allowed to expand their attendance to 25% capacity
  • The capacity limit for outdoor sports and live performances, also effective April 1, rises to 33% for counties in the orange tier.

Go to tier assignments to learn more.
County Tier Metrics
Learn How to Reduce Food Waste
Mattress Recycling Program
The Mattress Recycling Council’s Bye Bye Mattress Program recycles more than 1 million mattresses each year in California. There are free drop off locations in Contra Costa County.

Recycling mattresses diverts millions of pounds of material from landfills and turns into other useful products instead. The Program is also helping our community deter illegal dumping.

To learn more about how the Program works in California and to find a collection location near you, visit ByeByeMattress.com.
Most Community Libraries Reopening
With Limitations Later this Month
Beginning Monday, April 26, Contra Costa County Library will reopen most community libraries to the public for Grab & Go service. The libraries will be open with limited occupancy and offer select services. Patrons will be asked to limit their time in the library to no more than one hour and to abide by all safety protocols including social distancing and mask requirements.

Visit the library website .
Join The Museum of San Ramon Valley Free Virtual Presentation
Everyone living in California has heard of John Muir and knows he was a conservationist and had a role in preserving Yosemite National Park. But, he was far more than that. Would you associate words like an inventor, world traveler, University Wisconsin with John Muir? Attend the free virtual presentation on Thursday, April 15 at 11:30 and find out.

The museum will feature Garrett Dailey an attorney and noted authority on John Muir for our April Third Thursday Program. Mr. Dailey is a resident of Alamo and a part-time resident of Scotland. Mr. Dailey has developed and taught a course on John Muir at the University of Edinburgh OLL as well as lectured and spoke with various groups and organizations.

In this presentation, you will learn about why John Muir was officially voted California's most famous resident. You will follow John Muir's life from Scotland to migrating as a child to America. His education and quest to save nature and the beauty it holds. Beyond being voted California's most famous resident, you may likely come away thinking of Muir as one of the world's most interesting men.

To attend this free online presentation please visit our website at museumsrv.org and go to the Events section or call 925 837-3750.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is located at 205 Railroad Ave Danville CA 94526. The museum is now open please check our website or call for days and times.
Share Your Artistic Abilities
Would You Like to Serve On The Advisory Fire Commission?
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking an individual to serve as an At Large Alternate member of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s (CCCFPD) Advisory Fire Commission.

The Commission is responsible for confirming cost of abatement reports; conducting weed abatement appeal hearings; approving surplus equipment declarations; reviewing CCCFPD operations and budget reports; and advising the Fire Chief on District service matters. The Commission also serves as a liaison between the Board of Directors and the community and may be asked to perform other duties by the Board of Directors.

Applicants must reside or work within the boundaries of the Fire District to be considered for the appointment. Regular meetings of the Advisory Fire Commission are held on the second Monday of even numbered months at 7:00 p.m. in Concord.

The appointment will be to complete the current term ending on June 30, 2024. Commissioners are not compensated. Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or visiting the County webpage at www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418.

Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 1025 Escobar St., 1st Floor, Martinez, CA 94553, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 23, 2021.

Applications can also be emailed to ClerkoftheBoard@cob.cccounty.us.

Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews on Monday, May 10, 2021.

Due to COVID-19, interviews will be conducted telephonically. Further information about the Advisory Fire Commission can be obtained by contacting Latonia Ellingberg at lelli@cccfpd.org or (925) 941-3300 x1200 or by visiting the website www.cccfpd.org/advisory-fire-commission.
District 2 Volunteer Opportunities

Now is a great time to consider ways you might want to give back to your community. 2020 saw our advisory bodies pivot to virtual meeting, which will likely continue well into 2021. The benefit of these meeting platforms is that more people are able to participate than ever before.

If you are interested in participating in government, then perhaps one of these volunteer opportunities are of interest to you:

Alamo Police Services Advisory Committee (CSA P-2B/APSAC)
To advise the Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff's Department on the needs of the Alamo/Danville community for police services.

Assessment Appeals Board - co.contra-costa.ca.us/2924/Assessment-Appeals
Alternate Seat Available
The Assessment Appeals Board conducts impartial hearings on property assessment disputes between taxpayers and the county assessor. Based on the evidence presented at these hearings, the appeals board determines the value of the disputed property or determines other matters of property tax assessment within the board’s jurisdiction.

County Service Area P-5 Citizen Advisory Committee (Roundhill Residents only)

The P-5 Committee advises the Board of Supervisors on the needs of the Alamo community for extended police services for Roundhill.

In-Home Support Services Public Authority Advisory Committee (IHSS) https://ehsd.org/elderly-disabled/public-authority/ihss-public-authority-advisory-committee/
 
Find out more information about volunteering for an advisory body here co.contra-costa.ca.us/3418 . To apply online go to www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/.