Tustin Democrats:
PLEASE Forward this email to anyone who you feel could use this information. We must all watch out for each other right now.
APRIL 2020 - COVID19 Information
Dear Tustin Democrats,

The covid-19 (corona) pandemic has created a truly unprecedented situation which affects us all. Our hearts go out to everyone who’s been impacted by the virus, either directly or indirectly. During this time, we want to reach out and share some information you or someone you know might find useful.

The information below will offer suggestions for How To Stay Safe, resources if you or someone you know needs assistance and information from our CA45 Rep. Katie Porter about the US Congressional Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act (CARES Act). In the coming days we will be sending out information about how you can help as well .

Moments like this reminds us that we’re all connected – we are called upon to be our best selves, with patience, understanding and compassion. Despite the many difficulties we all face, we cannot forget that we are in this together. Stay safe.

The Tustin Democratic Club Board  

NOTE: To Access all the information in this email you may have to click "View Entire Message" if reading on a cell phone.
Important Links
How to Stay Safe
Socially/Physically Distance
Because COVID-19   spreads   from person to person, reducing the ways people come in close contact with each other is essential. Social distancing means staying home as much as possible and avoiding crowded, public places where close contact with others is likely. This includes shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums, even large church gatherings. 

Watch Rep. Katie Porter’s sister, who happens to be a doctor, explain exactly why staying home is saving lives.
Wash Your Hands
As  Covid-19  cases in the US surge, there’s one consumer product critical to our great national battle to  “flatten the curve,” or slow  the  pandemic : soap. Humble,  ancient , cheap, effective soap.

Respiratory viruses — like the novel coronavirus, the flu, and the common cold — can be spread via our hands. If someone is sick, a hand can touch some mucus and viral particles will stick to the hand. If someone is well, hands act like sticky traps for viruses. We can pick up droplets that contain the virus, and they’ll stay on our hands, and perhaps enter our bodies if we touch our hands to our faces.

Our hands are the front lines in the war against Covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  recommends   washing hands with soap and water as the top way to clean our hands. “But if soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help,” the CDC  says . However, The CDC prioritizes soap .

That’s because when you wash your hands with soap and water, you’re not just wiping viruses off your hands and sending them down the drain. You’re actually annihilating the viruses, rendering them harmless. Soap “is almost like a demolition team breaking down a building and taking all the bricks away,” says  Palli Thordarson , a chemistry professor at the University of New South Wales. Click HERE for the full Vox.com article on the wonders of soap or click on the link below for the video.
Should I Wear A Mask?
The CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States. We now know from  recent studies  that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.  In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).

Here’s the rundown:⁠
What to wear: simple cloth mask that covers the nose and mouth⁠. Woven cotton is the best material for masks made at home.
What not to wear: medical masks (surgical, N95, etc.) — leave these for the medical professionals who desperately need them.⁠
How To Safely Shop and Bring In Your Groceries
While you're at the store
  1. Wipe down the entire shopping cart, not just the handle, with an antiseptic wipe.
  2. Only touch items you are going to buy.
  3. Avoid shopping in person if you've been exposed to COVID-19, have symptoms, or are older than 65 years old. If you are over 60-65, see below for a list of store that have special shopping hours for you.

S terilizing your surface to prevent cross contamination .

  • Determine a clean side and dirty side of your table or counter where the groceries will be unloaded.
  • Sanitize the clean half with a disinfectant and put your groceries on the dirty side of table. “Imagine that the groceries that you have are covered with some glitter, and your goal at the end of this is to not have any glitter in your house, on your hands, or especially on your face. Imagine that disinfectants and soap have the power to dissolve that glitter."
  • Saturate a towel or rag with disinfectant and wipe down all of the items.
  • Spend extra time cleaning areas you know other people touched, such as milk jug handles. Once your groceries are put away, sanitize the dirty surface.

Cleaning and sanitizing groceries
Try and discard all external packaging. If you have bagged produce, two people can help store the items. One person can open the refrigerator door and the other can dump in the fruits and vegetables. Bread, rolls and chips can be put in sterile containers and the bags should be discarded. The same goes for cereal and snacks in cardboard boxes.

When you get food delivered
If you're ordering takeout, the same precautions apply: wash your hands, plate your food, and get rid of all unnecessary containers. Hot takeout food is safer because it has a kill step of being put in the oven or microwave. 
Do You Need Help?
Food Availability in Tustin
SPECIAL GROCERY SHOPPING HOURS
Many grocery stores are offering special hours for seniors, persons with disabilities and Persons w/compromised immune systems. Stores in Tustin include: Walgreens, Costco, Vons, Stater Brothers, Albertsons and Trader Joe's among others.
Click HERE to access an updated list of stores in OC.

TUSTIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Meals for all children 18 years and younger
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m
Robert Heideman Elementary School, 15571 Williams Street
Columbus Tustin Middle School , 17952 Beneta Way
A.G. Currie Middle School , 1401 Sycamore Avenue
Tustin High School , 1171 El Camino Real. 
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students receive four meals – two for the current day and two for the next day. 

Tustin Unified is providing Grab-and-Go breakfast and lunch meals three days per week. The meals are provided at no cost to all children 18 years and younger (it is not necessary for them to be in the free and reduced lunch program). Service is set up as a drive-thru style for pickup; however, walk-ups are accepted.  

FOOD PANTRIES
If you or anyone you know is in need of food assistance, please click on the 211OC.ORG
graphic below. Food Pantries in Tustin include:

Tustin Family and Youth Center - 14722 Newport Ave, Tustin
1:00 pm-2:00 pm Third Tuesday of each month.
For Evening Mobile Pantry days and hours, please call 714-573-3370

St. Paul's Episcopal Church - 1221 Wass - Tustin, CA
Every Sunday 5:00-6:00

Salvation Army: Tustin Drive-Thru Food Distribution 10200 Pioneer Road, Tustin
1:00 pm-4:00 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Main Place Christian Fellowship - 1909 East Quincy Avenue, Orange, CA
Wednesdays at 9:00 am

Second Harvest Food Bank: Honda Center - 2695 East Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA
Drive-thru (only) food distribution - 9:00 am-12:00 pm Saturdays
Financial Assistance - State of California
Employment Benefits
People whose employment has been affected by COVID-19 (sick, quarantined, caregiving for a family member, have reduced/lost work hours, or are self-employed), can visit the  Employment Development Department of California more information on how to file a claim for disability  or  unemployment benefits .




  • 90-day grace period for all mortgage payments
  • Relief from fees and charges for 90 days
  • No new foreclosures for 60 days
  • No credit score changes for accessing relief
Utilities
Southern California Edison and SoCal Gas are suspending disconnections. Please visit  sce.com/billhelp  and  https://www.socalgas.com/coronavirus  for more information about each company’s unique response.
Tax Relief
IRS
Filing and Payment Deadline Extended to July 15, 2020 - Updated Statement.

State of California - Franchise Tax Board
State Postpones Tax Deadlines Until July 15 Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic - Updated Statement.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
What's Inside The Senate's $2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Package
From NPR.Org
The Senate has passed a roughly  $2 trillion coronavirus response bill  intended to speed relief across the American economy. This is the third aid package from Congress and is meant to keep businesses and individuals afloat during an unprecedented freeze on the majority of American life.

CA45 Rep. Katie Porter on the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
Katie Porter 4/2 Telephone Town Hall
I’m going LIVE to answer your questions about COVID-19 and our response efforts.

Rep. Katie Porter wants to keep Congress’s $500 billion bailout in check
After getting the CDC to promise free coronavirus testing, Katie Porter is sounding the alarm about corporate bailout oversight. “This oversight panel is not there so Democrats can say they’re overseeing Trump. They’re there so all American taxpayers believe and know and have information and confidence that the taxpayer money is being used to stabilize their economy for the greater good.”

State of California COVID Relief
Yesterday, Governor @GavinNewsom announced a major financial relief package for those impacted by #COVID19 . @RepKatiePorter breaks down what this will mean for millions of Californians.
Access Live Event - 3/16
Congresswoman Katie Porter hosted this Access Live event for constituents in California’s 45th Congressional District to provide updates and answer questions about COVID-19. The event featured Associate Professor of Population Health and Disease Prevention at the University of California- Irvine, Dr. Andrew Noymer who provided important information about the virus. Specific topics discussed were access to testing kits, government efforts, and social distancing.
Stay in touch with Rep. Katie Porter
Stay in touch with Katie as she fights for her constituents. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

To sign up for email updates from Katie CLICK HERE

To EMAIL Katie: CLICK HERE or call either of her offices to speak to a staff member:
Renew for 2020!