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AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COVID-19 ECONOMIC IMPACT AND RECOVERY
Meeting Date: 09/03/2020  
Subject:    COVID 19 UPDATES
Submitted For: Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Department: Board of Supervisors District II  
Referral No.:  
Referral Name:
Presenter: Dr. Thomas Warne, Deputy County Health Officer Contact:

Information
Referral History:
Although the Board of Supervisors has authority over County issues, under State law, when an emergency of this nature is declared and there is a pandemic of this magnitude, the Health Officer of each county has the legal authority to impose whatever orders she or he deem necessary to protect the public.

On Tuesday, April 21, the Board of Supervisors formed this ad hoc committee to advise the Health Department on COVID19 impacts. The goal of the committee is to work toward having a sustainable COVID-19 mitigation and recovery plan. The committee will be working with the community and industry on issues of concern, advising the Board of Supervisors and the Health Officer on possible ways to interpret and apply Health Orders so they will continue to keep the community safe, but allow more businesses to re-open and provide common-sense applications to outdoor activities.

The Committee has so far conducted 14 public meetings on May 7, 14, 21 and 28; June 4, 11, 18, and 25; July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; and August 13, 2020, covering recreation and lifestyle services, in-home and other personal services, small businesses, religious gatherings; a plan to move to fully to Stage 2 and, regrettably, the second surge that required postponement of many planned Phase 2 re-openings. A record of those meetings is posted on the County website at this link. The committee plans to change its meeting schedule to bi-weekly unless changing circumstances dictate otherwise, taking up new developments in the pandemic and discussing a roadmap to recovery.
The Committee and the Health Officer also discuss updates to the State and County Health Orders and projected timeline for reopening business and community activities and answer questions received via the Supervisors' offices and Committee staff.

Community leaders and health officials continue to urge county residents to follow the local and state health guidance to protect their families and communities – it saves lives.

In Contra Costa and across the nation, historically marginalized communities are experiencing the most pronounced impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today local community leaders are calling on the public to take COVID-19 seriously, and take steps to keep healthy and safe:

  • Stay home from work or school if you feel sick
  • Wash your hands often
  • Wear face masks whenever you are near someone outside your immediate household
  • Observe physical distancing outside the home and do not make unnecessary trips or visits
  • Get tested and follow the health instructions if you test positive or were exposed to someone who tested positive

All Bay Area residents are also encouraged to get tested for COVID-19, and to do so immediately if they have symptoms. Check with your local health department for more information about testing and about efforts in your community to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please visit cchealth.org/coronavirus to read the latest health order and its appendices, and for local information about Contra Costa's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is a link to the updated FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions): FAQs

Referral Update:
Deputy County Health Officer Dr. Thomas Warne will provide a COVID-19 update at today's meeting.

Following Dr. Warne's remarks, we will allow for Public Comment and additional questions specific to the current Health Order, attached, other guidance documents, also attached, and Timeline.

Contra Costa County Health Services Update as of August 26, 2020:

Daily hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and the percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive remained steady or fell slightly in Contra Costa County during early August, reflecting recent local progress in slowing the spread of a deadly virus.

These key data indicators for the pandemic remain at dangerously high levels in Contra Costa, which remains on the California Department of Public Health's county monitoring list, but are not currently increasing as they did in June and July.

Given the improvement, Contra Costa County today makes small changes to its social distancing health order to allow certain business sectors to begin operating again outdoors. The changes align Contra Costa's policy with recently updated state health guidelines:

  • Personal care services that do not involve close contact with the face, such as nail salons and massage, may begin operating outdoors in accordance with the state-issued industry guidelines and checklist.
  • Gyms and fitness centers may begin operating outdoors in accordance with their own state guidelines and checklist.
  • Hotels and short-term rentals in the county may open for personal or recreational travel, not just for essential business purposes.

These updates to the health order are effective Friday, August 28. Hair salons and barbers have already been permitted to perform limited work outdoors in the county, with no reported outbreaks.

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) does encourage businesses to adjust reopening plans because of poor air quality in the county from Northern California wildfires. The county has issued a health advisory about smoke, encouraging all residents to stay inside when possible with doors and windows shut. For air quality updates and forecasts, visit the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

While recent issues at the state level skewed local testing data in late July and early August, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) has confidence in data related to hospitalization and number of new positive cases because they are directly reported to the county by local health providers and clinics.

"Based on what we are able to see, we can be cautiously optimistic that there is a gradual downward trend in county cases, testing positivity rates and hospitalizations," said Dr. Chris Farnitano, county health officer. "We need everyone to understand this is a reason to keep up what we are doing and not let down our guards."

The seven-day rolling average number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Contra Costa dropped slightly, from 103 on Aug. 5 to 96 on Aug. 24. The average percentage of tests administered in the county that come back positive, meanwhile, has fallen from 8.8% on Aug. 6 to 7.4% on Aug. 24.

Previous health orders remain in effect. Contra Costa Health Services urges residents to continue wearing face coverings when they go out or are near people outside their households, observe physical distancing, stay home from work or school when they do not feel well and wash their hands thoroughly and often.

Details of the update, including the full text of the order, are available at cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
RECEIVE update on most recent COVID-19 developments.
Attachments
Additional Businesses Open in Contra Costa County in Accordance with Updated State Recommendations __ Press Releases __ Contra Costa Health Services_8-31-2020
Updated Health Order on Social Distancing and Facial Coverings_8-26-2020
Contra-Costa-County-Openings-at-a-Glance_8-31-2020
New COVID-19 Community Testing Hub Opens Wednesday in Richmond_8-25-2020
Contra Costa to Begin Accepting Waiver Applications to Allow In-Person Classes at Elementary Schools_8-18-2020
CA Dept of Public Health - Elementary School Waiver Process
County Advisory on Schools and Child Care
CA County Variance Info_7-13-2020
Questions for the Health Officer from the Committee Member Offices_9-2-2020
Public Comment_Bob Welsh_8-6-2020
Public Comment_Bill Costello_8-26-2020

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