CALIFORNIA PANDEMIC ROADMAP
The State of California recently updated its pandemic roadmap, which is attached for reference.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER COVID-19 ORDERS
Health Order 09: Shelter through May 31 with Limited Resumption of Some Activities
Date of Order: April 29, 2020
This updated Order, effective May 4, 2020, continues to restrict most activity to essential functions and needs but, in recognition of progress made in slowing the spread of the disease and limiting hospitalizations, the Order allows certain additional essential businesses and activities to resume, allows certain low-risk outdoor businesses to being operating again, and authorizes certain additional outdoor activities to take place even though they are not essential. The new Order also introduces a framework to guide the Health Officer’s decisions about further easing of restrictions, focusing on progress achieved addressing COVID-19 and ensuring that there are adequate health care resources available. This “New Order” replaces the “Old Order” issued on March 31, 2020. The New Order is presented in greater detail in Agenda Item 2.
Under the New Order, all construction projects will be allowed to resume as long as the project complies with safety protocols included with the order. All real estate transactions will also now be able to resume, but with continued restrictions on open houses and limitations on in-person viewings. Any employee allowed to return to work at a facility can also access childcare programs that are allowed to operate.
Certain outdoor businesses can also begin operating again, and people are allowed to visit those businesses to perform work or obtain goods, services, or supplies. This includes wholesale and retail nurseries, landscapers, gardeners, and other businesses that primarily provide outdoor services as set forth in the order. Outdoor businesses do not include restaurants, cafes or bars, regardless of whether they have outdoor seating.
Other activities that can resume under the new order include residential moves and the use of certain shared outdoor recreational facilities that were previously ordered closed, like skate parks, but not others that involve shared equipment or physical contact.
Health Order 08: Face Coverings
Date of Order: 4/17/2020
The order, effective Wednesday, April 22, 2020, requires anyone working at or visiting an essential business, such as a grocery store or gas station, to wear face coverings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Members of the public must mask when they:
- work at an essential business
- are inside an essential business, such as a grocery store
- visit a healthcare provider or facility
- wait in line for or ride public transportation
Health Order 07: Suspending Intakes, Social Distancing at Homeless Shelters
Date of Order: 4/14/2020
The increased risk of COVID-19 among persons living in large homeless shelters necessitated a temporary reduction in population of those shelters to help slow COVID-19’s spread and prevent the healthcare system in the County from being overwhelmed. The Shelters were required to suspend the intake of persons who were not already residents. Services could continue to be offered only on the condition that all participants practice social distancing.
Health Order 06: Requirements for Residential Care Facilities
Date of Order: 4/13/2020
There is an increased risk of COVID-19 among persons living or working in licensed healthcare facilities, residential care facilities, shelters, group homes and drug treatment recovery houses. To help slow COVID-19’s spread and protect vulnerable individuals, it was necessary to implement the following additional preventative measures:
- Requirements for individuals entering certain licensed and other specified facilities
- Temperature screening and self-evaluation for COVID-19 symptoms
- Masking of all staff and visitors while in facility
- Minimizing staff working in multiple facilities
Health Order 05: Mass Quarantine Order
Date of Order: 4/3/2020
To help slow COVID-19’s spread, protect vulnerable individuals, and prevent the healthcare system in the County from being overwhelmed, it was necessary to require the quarantine of persons exposed to a person diagnosed with COVID-19. Quarantine separates individuals who were exposed to COVID-19 from others, until it is determined that they are not at risk for spreading the disease.
Health Order 04: Mass Isolation Order
Date of Order: 4/3/2020
To help slow COVID-19’s spread, protect vulnerable individuals, and prevent the healthcare system in the County from being overwhelmed, it is necessary to isolate persons with COVID-19. Self-isolation is required because a person with COVID-19 can easily spread the virus to others.
Health Order 03: Updated Stay-at-Home Order with New Restrictions to Last Through May 3
Date of Order: 4/3/2020
This Order superseded the March 16, 2020, Order of the Health Officer directing all individuals to shelter in place (“Prior Shelter Order”). This Order clarified, strengthened, and extended certain terms of the Prior Shelter Order to increase social distancing and reduce person-to-person contact in order to further slow transmission of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”). The intent of this Order is to ensure that the maximum number of people shelter in their places of residence to the maximum extent feasible to slow the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the impact on the delivery of critical healthcare services to those in need.
Health Order 02: Mandatory Reporting by Testing Laboratories
Date of Order: 3/24/2020
Because of the risk of the rapid spread of the virus, and the need to protect all members of the community and the Bay Area region, especially those most vulnerable to the virus and healthcare providers, this Order required that all Laboratories conducting COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests comply with mandated Reporting Requirements. These Reporting Requirements include, but are not limited to, promptly reporting all individual positive, negative, and inconclusive test results electronically to the California Department of Public Health and, in limited cases where electronic reporting is not possible, to the Health Officer.
Health Order ##: Stay-at-Home Order Through April 7
Date of Order: 3/16/2020
This order was issued to ensure that the maximum number of people self-isolate in their places of residence to the maximum extent feasible, while enabling essential services to continue, to slow the spread of COVID-19 to the maximum extent possible. The order defined Social Distancing.
Health Order 01: Prohibiting Mass Gatherings of 100 or More Persons
Date of Order: 3/14/2020
This Order was issued to prevent circumstances often present in mass gatherings that may exacerbate the spread of COVID1-9, including (1) the likelihood that mass gatherings will attract people from a broad geographic area; (b) the prolonged time period in which large numbers of people are in close proximity; (c) the difficulty tracing exposures when large numbers of people attend a single event; and (d) the inability to ensure that attendees follow adequate hygiene and social distancing practices.
COUNTY SUPPORT FOR WORKERS AND BUSINESSES
Information Hotline/Call Center:
The Workforce Development Board (WDB) and Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors announced the April 23 opening of a new call center to meet the needs of Contra Costa businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The call center, created with the support of the county’s Economic Development arm of the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) and Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD), offers information and resources to help businesses navigate the current economic climate. The WDB COVID-19 Call Center operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
As part of the BounceBackContraCosta campaign, WDB’s staff is prepared to provide helpful information and resources to assist callers in accessing various federal, state and local programs that are available during this time. WDB staff members are equipped to provide information and resources for dealing with lay-offs, insurance needs, federal small business loans, and payroll subsidies. The WDB call center team can also assist with tapping into programs to reduce utility costs, access online career training, protect payroll, and other business services.
Childcare for Essential Workers
Contra Costa County healthcare workers are putting in extra hours at hospitals and clinics while juggling the needs of their own families. Childcare is a vital necessity for them and many frontline staff whose primary childcare providers have closed in the wake of the pandemic.
The Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) is collaborating with several Contra Costa County partners to implement the Emergency Child Care Program, offering support for all essential workers as they continue serving our community’s needs during the COVID-19health crisis. Fully qualified early care and educational professionals in existing centers and family child-care homes are providing childcare in small group settings of up to 10 children. The program serves doctors, nurses, respiratory practitioners and healthcare staff who are providing direct care to COVID-19 patients, as well as disaster service workers, social workers, first responders, and others working at essential businesses throughout the county.
Eviction Protection
The Board of Supervisors used its emergency powers under state law to pass a comprehensive eviction protection and temporary rent freeze urgency ordinance for all residential and commercial properties in the County during a special Board meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The urgency ordinance temporarily prohibits evictions of residential and commercial real property tenants in Contra Costa County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and establishes a moratorium on rent increases. This law applies to properties in all 19 cities in the County and in all unincorporated areas. To the extent that a city has adopted a law on the same subject matter, then its provisions would apply in that city.
Health Screening
Contra Costa residents who have fever, cough or similar symptoms can make an appointment for free COVID-19 testing at one of four drive-through sites around the county. The sites, opened Wednesday by Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS), are available to anyone regardless of insurance.
Sanitation Stations
Contra Costa County and several of its cities are working to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in local homeless encampments by placing handwashing stations and portable toilets near them. Four handwashing stations and four portable toilets with attached handwashing stations were placed at Martinez's Waterfront Amphitheater on Tuesday, the first of several sanitation equipment deliveries planned in coming days. The stations were ordered through the Contra Costa County Emergency Operations Center in support of local cities that requested the assistance, including Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek. |