May 7, 2020
Friends,

Because of our community's compliance with recent Health Orders, progress has been made to flatten the curve. Hospitals have been able to prepare for a surge, but now is not the time to back off. The more time we buy, the more prepared we are and the more lives we save. We need that time for treatments to be developed.

This week, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) will launch a new dashboard tracking how we are doing on meeting the indicators outlined in the new SIP order on when we can reopen fully.

The five indicators are:
  1. Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations remain flat or decline,
  2. For at least a week (7-day rolling average), no more than 50% of patients in staffable nonsurge hospital beds are COVID-19 positive,
  3. Expansion of testing: goal is around 2,100-2,400 tests in Contra Costa being done every day (we are now at 300-400 a day), (See more info about testing below)
  4. We Have Sufficient Case Investigation, Contact Tracing, and Isolation/Quarantine Capacity,
  5. Have 30-day supply of PPE for healthcare workers.

New Shelter-in-Place Order: (Through May 31)
Because we have successfully slowed the spread of COVID-19, the Order allows certain businesses and activities to resume:
  • Construction projects that follow protocols issued as part of this order
  • All real estate transactions
  • Childcare establishments, summer camps, and educational and recreational programs that provide care for children of people allowed to work outside the home, if they comply with protocols in the order
  • Outdoor businesses such as nurseries, landscaping, and agriculture
  • Certain outdoor recreational facilities, such as golf courses, tennis and pickle ball courts, and skate parks
  • People should get medical care, including routine care, when needed.
  • All businesses operating in the County must update or create a Social Distancing Protocol to reflect new requirements specified in the order.

Masking:
On April 22, an order went into effect requiring that everyone wear face coverings in public and/or when working at essential businesses.
  • Masks help prevent people from spreading germs
  • A face covering does not need to be a mask (surgical mask, N-95 respirator). A homemade cloth face covering or bandana works fine
  • Face coverings aren’t a substitute for distancing and staying home.
  • Essential businesses must ensure employees wear face coverings, even if there are no customers or members of the public present.
  • Employees also must wear face coverings if co-workers are nearby.
  • Essential businesses are also required to post at sign at entrances notifying people that they are not permitted in without a face covering and that they will not be served

If you have additional questions please call the County Hotline at 844-729-8410.
Contra Costa Health Orders
Read the

Still have questions about the
COVID-19 Shelter-at-Home Order?
Call 844-729-8410
8am-5pm

For the most updated information,
always visit the COVID-19 Dashboard at


Resources:

Links to Other Health Organizations:





This a rapidly evolving situation with new information emerging every day.

For the latest updates, please visit our website at coronavirus.cchealth.org

COVID-19 Testing Available

By appointment only

Open 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.,
Monday – Friday

Phone: 1-844-421-0804

Contra Costa residents can get free COVID-19 testing at drive-through sites around the county, regardless of insurance.
 
Call  1-844-421-0804   for an appointment and confidential screening by a health professional. Appointments are available at drive-through sites in Antioch, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg and San Pablo.
 
Appointments are only available by phone. Testing is not available on a walk-in basis.
 
Patients with appointments must travel in their personal vehicles to their appointments. Testing is done without patients leaving their vehicles. Results are usually available in a few days.
 
Call if you have any reason to think you need a test. Symptoms can include cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle ache, sore throat, headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, recent loss of taste or smell, or confusion, particularly in older adults.
A Message from Supervisor Burgis about Social Distancing.
Small Business Resources


For other questions, please contact the
SBA disaster assistance customer service center
at 1-800-659-2955 or e-mail  [email protected]

SBA now accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applications from Agricultural businesses and re-applicants who applied prior to March 30th. agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s  EIDL portal has reopened today for these firms .

Agricultural businesses include businesses engaged in the legal production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries ( as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b) ). Eligible agricultural businesses must have 500 or fewer employees.

The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to  U.S. agricultural businesses .

 For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.
PPE and Supply Donations
Donate Protective Equipment and Supplies for Healthcare Providers
Contra Costa Health Services is now accepting donations of protective equipment and supplies for use by healthcare providers throughout the county.  

Businesses and residents are encouraged to donate  only  the following types of protective medical supplies:
  • Eye protection, such as goggles and face shields
  • Antibacterial and disinfecting wipes, typically alcohol or bleach based (unopened). NO baby wipes.
  • N-95 and surgical masks (unused)
  • Waterproof gowns, coveralls and sleeved aprons
  • Hand-sewn cloth masks
 
New: Donations will also be distributed to emergency child care/family care centers throughout the county who are providing child care specifically to children of our essential work force:
  • Toilet paper
  • Paper towels
  • Baby wipes
  • Surgical type gloves
  • Liquid hand soap
  • Household grade disinfectant spray
  • Household grade disinfectant wipes
Adult Day Health Care programs
Choice in Aging – Mt. Diablo and Bedford Centers
As of Friday, March 20, the state has stopped all congregate services and centers redesigned models of service delivery to meet the health and safety needs of participants and their caregivers.

Providing support telephonically, electronically, on porches (delivery services) and in homes (where medically necessary).

Bedford Center Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 – 5:00 925-778-4171
Mt. Diablo Center Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 – 5:00 925-682-6330
Schools and Childcare
For questions about childcare and childcare referrals , please visit:  www.cocokids.org  
For information about K-12 schools in Contra Costa County , email  [email protected] .
County Department Closures and Service Modifications
As the county continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, many non-essential county functions from across departments have been temporarily suspended to comply with the Bay Area-wide Shelter in Place Order. Please follow this page for the most current information regarding closures and service modifications for County Departments:
Conducting Census During COVID-19

Please see  www.cchealth.org  for updated information regarding COVID-19 in Contra Costa County.

The following is specific information regarding Census 2020 during COVID-19

Census 2020 and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and shelter in place guidelines have impacted Census Bureau field operations and Census outreach activities. 

Census Bureau Updates
The Census Bureau issued a Statement on 2020 Census Operational Adjustments due to COVID-19 indicated the Census Bureau is seeking statutory relief from Congress to allow for an additional 120 calendar days to deliver appropriation counts. This plan would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the President by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than July 31, 2021. 

Census Bureau has suspended field operations until June 1, 2020. Field operations includes group quarters interviews, hiring new staff, distributing census forms to areas without a mailing address, and knocking on doors. 
People living in areas that only receive mail at a P.O. Box did not likely receive their census materials due to the halting of field operations. These areas include Bethel Island, portions of Byron, Diablo, Knightsen, and other rural areas with no mail delivery.

All residents can complete the survey now by going to https//www.mycensus2020.gov and entering their Census ID (if Census materials were hand delivered to their residence), or by selecting “I do not have a Census ID”.

Once the U.S. Census Bureau resumes field operations, a census enumerator will visit locations that have not responded. 


Questionnaire Assistance
Questionnaire Assistance Centers and Kiosks will not be open during the Shelter in Place.
The Census Bureau’s telephone lines are available in 13 languages to provide, provided below. 

Customer Service Representatives are available every day from 4 am to 11 pm Pacific Time

English: 844-330-2020
Spanish: 844-468-2020
TDD (Telephone Display Device): 844-467-202

Customer Service Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 5 am to 7 pm Pacific Time on the following phone lines:
Chinese (Mandarin): 844-391-2020
Chinese (Cantonese): 844-398-2020
Vietnamese: 844-461-2020
Korean: 844-392-2020
Russian: 844-417-2020
Arabic: 844-416-2020
Tagalog: 844-478-2020
Polish: 844-479-2020
French: 844-494-2020
Haitian Creole: 844-477-2020
Portuguese: 844-474-2020
Japanese: 844-460-2020
Outreach Efforts

Outreach efforts have also shifted from census events and canvassing to social media, digital media, and phone banking. If you are interested in assisting in outreach from your home to ensure our communities are counted, please contact  [email protected]

The California Complete Count 

Census 2020 Office is providing  updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

How to Help
FEMA has information on how both the public and private sector can help.
For more information, visit the page: fema.gov/coronavirus/how-to-help

  • Cash donations to the nonprofit of your choice IS THE BEST donation.
  • Do not collect or distribute donations of supplies without understanding community needs.
  • Businesses that have medical supplies or equipment to donate or to sell medical supplies or equipment to Contra Costa County are asked to go to cchealth.org.
  • Licensed medical volunteers can offer their services by registering with the California Health Corps. You can access a direct link to do so through covid19.ca.gov/healthcorps
  • One thing people can do to help is to donate blood. Blood donation centers have the highest standards of safety and infection control. To find where you can donate blood, visit the American Red Cross local blood drive website.
ARC Logo
We now face a severe blood shortage as Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak threatens the availability of nation’s supply.

Thousands of Red Cross blood drives have canceled in the US due to  #COVID19  concerns, resulting in less blood donations.

We understand people may be hesitant to come give blood,
but we want to reassure everyone on the precautions our teams are taking to keep you safe.

Local Food Resources


We're excited to share this new
that shows where to access food.

Click on Map to Access




Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
For the most up-to-date information on Food Bank, including holidays, income guidelines, and other resources visit foodbankccs.org/getfood or call 855-309-FOOD (3663).

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WIC Program: apply online at  cchealth.org/wic   or call 1 (800) 414-4WIC.

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. 

For 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 .

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.