In Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg and San Pablo
By Kim McCarl, Assistant to the Director, Communications, Contra Costa Health Services
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.
“Testing is more available now than it has ever been since this pandemic began, and we have the opportunity to give more people the health information they need to care for themselves,” said Candace Andersen, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “Information is power, and it will help us flatten the curve in Contra Costa County.
Testing is available to people who have symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, coughing or shortness of breath and fatigue.
Any Contra Costa resident with these symptoms can call 1-844-421-0804 for a confidential screening by a health professional. Telephone screenings will be available from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“It is crucial to ramp up testing in Contra Costa so we can get a more accurate idea of the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” CCHS Director Anna Roth said. “It is also crucial for everyone in the community to have access to testing, to better protect themselves and their families.”
Depending on their symptoms, callers may receive health advice during their screenings or an appointment for testing at one of four drive-through testing sites:
- Contra Costa Public Health Clinic Services, 2500 Bates Ave., Concord
- Martinez Health Center, 2500 Alhambra Ave., Martinez
- Pittsburg Health Center, 2311 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg
- West County Health Center, 23601 San Pablo Ave., San Pablo
Screening and 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. Testing results are available in three to five days.
Read MoreInformation on State and Federal Benefit Payments
From – https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm
As part of the federal CARES Act, the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program helps unemployed Californians who are business owners, self-employed, independent contractors, have limited work history, and others not usually eligible for regular state UI benefits who are out of business or services are significantly reduced as a direct result of the pandemic. The provisions of the program once operational include:
- Up to 39 weeks of benefits starting with weeks of unemployment beginning February 2, 2020, through the week ending December 26, 2020*, depending on when you became directly impacted by the pandemic.
- An additional $600 to each PUA weekly benefit amount you may be eligible to receive, as part of the separate CARES Act Pandemic Additional Compensation program. Only the weeks of a claim between March 29 and July 25* are eligible for the extra $600 payments.
* Under the CARES Act of 2020, the $600 additional benefits are available through 07/31/20. However, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidance to clarify that, for most Californians, the last full week of benefits will end on 07/25/20. Similarly, the PUA program has a legislative end date of 12/31/20, but for Californians the last full week of benefits will end on 12/26/20.
Benefits can be retroactive to weeks starting on or after February 2, 2020, depending on your last day of work due to COVID-19 and regardless of when you submitted your claim application. The effective date of your claim will begin the Sunday of the week when you last worked and became unemployed due to reasons directly related to COVID-19.
Important Information
Note: Because this is a brand new program, each state will need time to develop all of the necessary system programming, forms, processes, and procedures. This page will be updated as information becomes available, including when and how to apply for these benefits. Once this new complex program is built and staffed, it will likely rival the size of the regular UI program the EDD already administers.
As we work to implement this new program, you can:
- Review the eligibility requirements the federal government has prescribed in order to receive these federally paid benefits.
- Visit the Labor Workforce Development Agency’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance FAQs for more information.
- Contact your local America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM where EDD staff work with local partners to provide employment assistance. You could be eligible for Supportive Services funding to help you with basic needs.
Eligibility
The PUA benefits are payable if you don’t qualify for regular UI benefits in California or another state and also do not qualify for State Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave benefits. This includes:
- Business owners
- Self-employed individuals
- Independent contractors
You can also be eligible if you qualified for regular UI benefits, but have collected all benefits for which they are eligible.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you cannot be paid PUA benefits unless you were legally permitted to work in the United States at the time such services were performed. In addition, you must be authorized to work for any week of PUA benefits claimed to be eligible for payments.
You must also meet one of the following criteria:
- You have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and are seeking a medical diagnosis.
- You are unable to work because a health care provider advised you to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.
- A member of your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
- You are providing care for a family member or a member of your household who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
- A child or other person in the household for whom you have primary caregiving responsibility is unable to attend school or another facility that is closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 and the school or facility care is required for you to work.
- You became the breadwinner or major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of COVID-19.
- You have to quit your job as a direct result of COVID-19.
- Your place of employment is closed as a direct result of COVID-19.
- You were scheduled to start a job that is now unavailable as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- You are unable to reach the place of employment as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- If you work as an independent contractor with reportable income, you may also qualify for PUA benefits if you are unemployed, partially employed, or unable or unavailable to work because the COVID-19 public health emergency has severely limited your ability to continue performing your customary work activities, and has thereby forced you to stop working.
Benefit Payments
In order to provide benefits as quickly as possible, payments will be issued in phases. If you qualify for PUA, and depending on the effective date of your PUA claim, the initial payments you will receive are as follows:
- Phase 1
$167 per week for each week you were unemployed from February 2, 2020 to March 28, 2020 due to a COVID-19 related reason. - Phase 2
$167 plus $600 per week for each week you were unemployed from March 29, 2020 to July 25, 2020, due to a COVID-19 related reason. - Phase 3
$167 per week, for each week from July 26, 2020 to December 26, 2020, that you are unemployed due to a COVID-19 related reason, up to a total of 39 weeks (minus any weeks of regular UI and certain extended UI benefits that you have received).
Note: If you qualify for your claim to be backdated to an earlier PUA effective date based on your last day of work, you could receive payment for prior weeks you were unemployed due to COVID-19.
You will be required to “certify” for your benefit payment. Certifying is the process of answering basic questions every two weeks that tells us you’re still unemployed and otherwise eligible to continue receiving biweekly payments.
When to File a Claim
We have a dedicated team working around the clock with state partners to build this new program as quickly as possible. The EDD will begin accepting online applications for this program on Tuesday, April 28. This page will be updated with instructions for filing a claim for PUA benefits when details become available.
If you are unsure if you are an independent contractor or an employee who could be eligible for benefits, file for regular Unemployment Insurance benefits and we will determine your eligibility.
After you have filed, refer to our step-by-step UI claims process. You’ll learn what to expect and the actions you need to take through the course of your claim for receiving benefit payments as long as you’re eligible.
Read MoreSupervisors ban evictions, rent increases during COVID-19 shelter in place with 6-month grace period
No late fees for 120 days
Residential and commercial renters will get some rental and eviction relief during the COVID-19 pandemic after the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance containing a 180-day grace period, two months more than what supervisors initially had in mind, during a special meeting on Tuesday. (See entire ordinance, here).
By liberally extending the grace period an extra two months, supervisors are handing over to thousands of renters in the county more financial and housing relief during this stressful period when COVID-19 has decimated their financial livelihood. In March, the county’s unemployment rate was 4 percent and April’s unemployment rate will very likely rise sharply when it is release later on.
Instead of inserting a 120-day grace period that other counties like Santa Clara County have inserted in its COVID-19 rent control and eviction moratoria ordinance, Contra Costa County supervisors at the request of District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond convinced other supervisors that a longer grace period is needed given the uncertainty of the duration of the medical and economic repercussions from the current local and state-mandated stay-at-home orders.
Gioia said he favored the more expansive 180-day grace period because the ordinance, as it was proposed to supervisors, does not protect all tenants whether they are delinquent or current in their rent.
“You have to be up to date on rent in order to be protected by the ordinance presented by counsel,” said Gioia. “It’s very unfortunate that the governor’s order requires this. Tenants must be current on rent to qualify for the grace period.”
Supervisors listened to 45 emailed comments from county residents, most of whom were in support of at least a 120-day grace period, little knowing that Gioia would propose a more expansive 180-day grace period.
“We’re dealing with uncertain times,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood. “We’re dealing with people who have not paid rent. People who have lost jobs because businesses have shut down.”
District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill preferred to retain the ordinance’s 120-day grace period clause saying it was sufficient for renters, but eventually agreed to the 180-day grace period for rent and eviction moratoria purposes until May 25 when supervisors plan to revisit the issue.
Other features of the ordinance taken mainly from the Santa Clara County ordinance include countywide, no-fault evictions, definition of owner, attorney fees, and no late fees.
Public Health Ad Hoc Committee Created
While COVID-19 health measures will remain in place for the foreseeable future, Board Chair Andersen proposed the creation of an ad hoc Public Health Committee that will weekly with county health department officials.
The committee that will consist of Burgis and Board Chair and District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville. The committee’s key role is to be advisory to supervisors and Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Farnitano who will retain ultimate authority on health issues.
“This is not meant to replace the health officer’s directive,” said Supervisor Mitchoff. “There’s been some concern about communication. People are getting frustrated.”
Read MoreCharged with looting due to coronavirus state of emergency
Four teenagers are in custody following a Friday afternoon robbery of a Danville CVS store. Danville Police Chief Allan Shields said the incident occurred at approximately 4:53 p.m. on April 17, 2020, when police received a call from an employee of the CVS in the 600 block of San Ramon Boulevard reporting a robbery. The caller stated that two suspects entered the pharmacy, simulated a firearm, and demanded access to the narcotics safe. When employees stated they did not have access, the suspects fled.
Dublin PD had reported a similar incident two hours earlier and provided a description of the car. A deputy from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff located the vehicle on northbound I-680 near Treat Boulevard and initiated a traffic stop. Two of the suspects were identified by the victim of the Danville robbery and two were identified from the Dublin incident. All four have been booked into juvenile hall on charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and looting. Looting is a unique charge that is applied when a person enters a building to commit any theft during state of emergency.
Chief Shields said he was pleased they were able to locate and detain the suspects quickly and praised the efforts of his officers along with officers from Dublin Police Department and the deputies from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff.
“This was an excellent example of how police work together to keep the community safe by capturing criminals,” said Shields. “During this ongoing crisis our officers are busy, but rest assured we will continue to aggressively arrest and seek prosecution for those wishing to do harm in our Town.”
For more information, contact Lt Jason Ingrassia at (925) 314-3700 or jingrassia@danville.ca.gov.
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https://www.facebook.com/ConcordPolice/videos/543299893283830/?t=12
By Concord Police Department
PLEASE HELP US FIND THIS ADORABLE PUPPY!
Warning, you’re about to get really mad!
This is Max. He is an 11-week-old Malinois puppy. Today, around 10:00 am, Max was stolen from the garage of his owners’ house on Montgomery Ave.
The suspect is described as an adult male, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt (red patches on elbows), dark ball cap, blue jeans, dark shoes, and blue rubber gloves. He carried Max away from the area riding a gold and white bicycle.
If you see Max, know his whereabouts, or recognize this thief, please call Concord Dispatch at (925) 671-3333 and refer to case #20-4193.
Max’s family misses him so much. ~454
Monday, 04-20-20 UPDATE: Here are some clearer still images of the DOGNAPPER. We’re hoping something helps someone recognize this man. If so, please contact Concord PD’s Financial Crimes Unit at (925) 671-3030 or if you wish to remain anonymous you can call our tip line at (925) 603-5836. ~454
#findmax #dognapper #pleasehelp #concordpd
Read MoreBy Concord Police Department
Catalytic converters thefts have become all too common because of their value and lack of identifying markings. So, when we’re able to catch one of these rampant thieves in action, we want to make sure to let you know!
Earlier this morning, Monday, April 20, 2020 around 3:00 am, employees from Wave Broadband found three men on their property trying to saw off a catalytic converter from one of their vehicles. The trio fled the scene in an SUV, but not before the driver almost hit one of the witnesses (fortunately, he was able to quickly jump aside).
The employees got in their vehicle and were able to follow the suspects from a safe distance while providing Dispatch with their updated location. Officers quickly responded, conducted an enforcement stop, and apprehended the suspects. A search of the SUV yielded burglary tools and two catalytic converters.
All three suspects were placed under arrest. The driver was also sent to County Jail for attempted assault with a deadly weapon. ~454/493
Read MoreBy Concord Police Department
In case you weren’t aware, social distancing is not an excuse to run from the police!
On Saturday, April 18, 2020 several callers reported a black SUV driving recklessly while exiting southbound HWY 242 at Solano Way and Grant St. The left front tire completely came off of its wheel, but that didn’t stop the suspect from continuing to drive while dwindling down the rim.
Once the SUV reached the city streets of Concord it came to its resting point on the center median. The suspect frantically exited, but not before grabbing a backpack and a few boxes of tools. He then ran into a nearby neighborhood where several callers witnessed him jumping fences into various backyards.
At this point, our Dispatch received information from Martinez PD that the SUV was involved in a hit-and-run collision in their city after the driver stole tools from the Martinez Home Depot. Minutes later, Concord Dispatch got a call from a Concord resident wanting to report their SUV stolen. Turns out, the license plate number provided by the registered owner matched the one that the suspect used in his crime spree.
While Concord Officers were searching the area, another caller reported seeing the suspect jumping fences. Officers arrived at the address within seconds and found the suspect, who continued on his path of poor decisions, and ran. Officers gave chase and after a brief foot pursuit were able to apprehend the suspect without incident. Additionally, the suspect attempted to discard a backpack he was carrying while running, which was discovered to contain the stolen tools from Martinez.
The suspect in this case was identified as 24-year-old Martinez resident, Antonio Neely. A records check revealed he is on felony probation for robbery and evading police. For his actions, Concord PD placed Neely under arrest for a surfeit of criminal violations and provided him with a ride to County Jail.
A big thanks to all of the amazing witnesses who called and helped us apprehend Mr. Neely. As we repeatedly say, we couldn’t do this without you! ~454
#stolenvehicle #criminal #teamwork #concordpd #incustody
Read More![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Adam-Ortega-with-machete-04-11-20-Sheriffs-Badge.jpg)
Adam Ortega with machete on Brentwood residents’ porch, Sat. morning April 11, 2020. Sheriff Livingston’s badge. Herald file photos.
By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
35-year-old Adam Ortega, a transient in Brentwood, was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility at about 10 AM on Friday, April 17, 2020. He was booked for the offenses requested by the Brentwood police, possession of a dangerous weapon and probation violation. (See related articles, here, here and here)
Because of the Judicial Council of California’s mandatory emergency rule of zero bail for misdemeanors and non-violent/non-serious felonies, both of the alleged offenses committed by Ortega were zero bail. He was later cite released. (See related article)
“I like most California Sheriffs believe the Judicial Council’s decision to implement $0 bail for a wide range of criminal offenses was irresponsible, unnecessary and an overreaction,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “A state-wide solution to local issues is almost never good policy – that is certainly the case here. People who commit offenses against others should be held accountable, COVID-19 or not.”
Read More![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Amazon-van-suspects-car-packages-04-18-20-APD.jpg)
Amazon van theft suspects with their car and packages inside on Saturday, April 18, 2020. Photos by APD.
By Antioch Police Department
Be a good neighbor that you can always count on.
You wanna know what makes East county strong? Read below and I’ll tell you…
Just before 2 pm on Saturday, April 18, 2020, APD was notified that an Amazon delivery van had been stolen on West 9th and B Streets. Our awesome dispatchers put out a quick alert to all surrounding police departments to be-on-the-lookout. A short time later, an observant Pittsburg Police Department, Pittsburg, CA Police Officer found the van and began recovering it. While doing so, an equally observant Pittsburg resident approached the officer and said they saw some suspicious characters removing packages from the van, placing them into a silver Mitsubishi with Colorado plates.
The witness took a picture of the plate and gave it to the officer, which was relayed back to us. At about 3:30 pm, Officer Angelini (pictured upper left fitting the first crook with new bracelets) spotted said Mitsubishi on the south side of our fine city and halted this criminal spree. Officers found several stolen packages in the back of the vehicle and will be working with Amazon to get them back to their intended destinations.
Note to criminals: Stealing vehicles and packages are not essential activities. Your failure to #StayAtHome and your decision to mess with Antioch and Pittsburg resulted in an express trip to the County Motel (AKA jail).
This incident is the classic example of “See Something, Say Something! This was a collaborative effort between two cities, two police departments, and a very alert citizen. Please continue to report suspicious incidents to our Dispatch at (925) 778-2441, or 9-1-1 if you think it’s an emergency.
A special thanks to the Pittsburg resident and Pittsburg PD for continuing to show they are a great neighbor!!! #EastCountyStrong #AntiochPD #PittsburgPD
Some of you have asked more about Officer Angelini after his good bust yesterday from the Amazon package theft caper. Here’s a picture of him taking a moment away from his investigation to proudly pose next to his find. Did you know Officer Angelini is originally from Brazil, speaks three languages, loves riding dirt bikes, and (sorry ladies!) is happily married! #OfficerAngelini #DontStealPackages
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Seniors, public invited to listen – must register, first
SAN FRANCISCO – Prosecutors from the four United States Attorney’s Offices in California, along with representatives from the FBI, will participate in a telephonic town hall to help California residents identify and avoid fraudulent schemes related to Coronavirus and COVID-19. The event is being coordinated by the American Association of Retired Persons (“AARP”).
The telephonic town hall will happen on Monday, April 20 from 10 to 11 a.m. PDT. During the event, a special agent from the FBI and a federal prosecutor will make presentations, and participants from across California will be allowed to ask questions to a panel of Assistant United States Attorneys from the four offices that serve California.
AARP’s Fraud Watch Network is providing the infrastructure for the event. Approximately 100,000 AARP members will receive a phone call Monday morning inviting them to participate in the town hall. Those who wish to receive an invitation may sign up here (https://vekeo.com/aarpcalifornia/).
During the current health crisis, federal investigators and prosecutors continue to fulfill their critical mission of protecting public safety. Federal officials have prioritized the disruption, investigation and prosecution of crimes related to Coronavirus and COVID-19, including fraudulent schemes, unapproved treatments, and scams related to stimulus money. During the town hall, federal officials will discuss the types of schemes currently being seen, along with tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.
Soon after the town hall event, a recording will be available at https://vekeo.com/aarpcalifornia/.
REPORT COVID-19 CRIME. Contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline: 866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov.
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