Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Hold that beer: Contra Costa to postpone COVID-19 reopening timeline due to spike in cases, although expected

By Leave a Comment

Decision on bars made Sunday; indoor dining, gyms, nail salons, bowling alleys, arcades, hotels, museums, plus massage, body waxing and tattoo businesses will also remain closed

As Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) warned the public of the possibility on Friday, they have decided to delay the opening of businesses and activities previously planned for July 1 until the COVID-19 outbreak in Contra Costa is better contained.

The county is closely monitoring recent data showing COVID-19 activity increasing in the community, as it is statewide and throughout the country.

On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom recommended that Contra Costa County, along with several other counties in the state, not reopen bars. Contra Costa is one of 15 counties on the state’s County Monitoring List. The county’s timeline had previously cleared bars (with or without food), indoor dining, gyms, fitness centers, personal training, massage, nail salons, tattoo, body waxing and other personal services not involving the face, limited indoor leisure (arcades, billiards, bowling alleys, etc.), indoor museums and hotels for tourism & individual travel to reopen July 1.

When asked Sunday about the impact of Newsom’s recommendations, Kim McCarl, Communications Assistant for Contra Costa Health Services responded, “As you know, we released a statement on Friday indicating that we would make an announcement about our timeline going forward on Monday. That is still our plan.  Bars are not currently open in Contra Costa County. We appreciate the governor’s recommendation and will certainly take it into consideration as we determine next steps. We’ll have more tomorrow.”

However, Board of Supervisors Chair Candace Andersen told KPIX5 CBS News, on Sunday that “We were slated to open them on July 1, but given the governor’s announcement, we will definitely not be opening bars on July 1st,” citing contact tracing as one of the biggest challenges. “It is very difficult in a bar where you have lots of people interacting,” she continued. “Whereas in other settings, a workplace, even a hair salon where you know who’s coming, who’s going, where you can then alert them when they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.”

Asked if she and the board had the authority to make that decision or if it was still in the hands of County Health Director Dr. Chris Farnitano and why it wasn’t shared with all the media, yesterday, Andersen responded, “I spoke with Dr. Farnitano yesterday and he told me that while we were not making a determination about the other July 1 activities until today, he was going to recommend that we follow the Governor’s guidelines regarding not opening bars. Based upon that information, I responded to the media inquiries received.”

With the sharp rise in community spread and hospitalizations, it does not make sense at this time to open additional business sectors that could further accelerate community transmission. These businesses and activities will remain closed in Contra Costa until county data indicate that the spread of the virus has slowed, as measured by at least a week of stable case numbers, hospitalizations and percent of tests that are positive. Trends will be monitored and evaluated daily.

Decision Based on Statistics

The seven-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the county has increased by 75% from June 15 to June 29.

The seven-day average number of newly identified COVID-19 cases has increased from 38 a day to 87 a day. The percentage of COVID-19 tests that came back positive has also increased from 4% to 6%. This suggests the change is not simply due to more testing, but a true increase in community spread.

More Young People Testing Positive

We are also seeing a shift with more young people testing positive. In June, 55 percent of people testing positive in Contra Costa were 40 years and younger, compared to 38 percent for that group in April. It’s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals.

Many people who carry and spread the virus have no symptoms themselves. That is why it’s important for everyone to avoid social gatherings, observe physical distancing and wear masks or face coverings when around others.

Widespread testing is necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 so we can safely reopen the economy. Testing is the only way to find out if you are carrying the virus and interrupt its spread. People can spread the virus without knowing they are sick.

While Contra Costa have seen an increase in the numbers of people being tested over the past several weeks, we highly encourage everyone who lives and works in the county to get tested, even if they have no symptoms.

This morning, CCHS opened its eighth community COVID-19 testing site at Kennedy High School in Richmond. To make an appointment for a fast, convenient, no-cost test at any site in Contra Costa, call 1-844-421-0804 or visit cchealth.org/coronavirus – online scheduling is available at most sites.

The following questions were sent to Board Chair Andersen and county health services communications staff immediately prior to publication time:

Can someone please ask Dr. Farnitano, with all the recent reopening and protests, in which many more than 100 people were in attendance and clearly not social distancing was not practiced, during the previous three weeks, wasn’t the increase in cases and percentages expected?

If so, then why punish everyone for the actions of a few?

Also, since the new cases aren’t overwhelming our hospitals and health care industry with only 38 hospitalized, today – which was the issue we were told from the beginning was the major concern in the need to flatten the curve – and we all know that cases will increase once more businesses are reopened and activities are allowed to resume, why the delay?

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Health Services evaluating COVID-19 reopening timeline

By 2 Comments

Timeline for July and August now contains qualifier

Friday, June 26, 2020 – Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) is evaluating whether the county should continue its current reopening timeline, due to recent data showing COVID-19 activity is increasing in the community. The timeline for the reopening of businesses and activities scheduled for July 1st and 15th, as well as the school reopening scheduled for July and August include an asterisk and the following qualifier: “In light of rapidly increasing case numbers and hospitilizations, anticipated re-opening dates may need to be postponed. Our community’s actions are more important than ever to stop the spread.”

CCHS is closely monitoring key data indicators that show how the virus is spreading in the county and will announce a decision about the timeline Monday.

During the past seven days, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the county has increased 42%.

The seven-day average number of newly identified COVID-19 cases has increased from 39 a day to 68 a day. The positivity rate of test results – the percentage of COVID-19 tests that came back positive – has also increased. This suggests the change is not simply due to more testing, but indicates a true increase in community spread.

We are also seeing a shift with more young people testing positive. In June, 55% of cases were 40 years and under compared to 38% for that group in April. It’s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals. This highlights why it’s important for everyone to avoid social gatherings, observe physical distancing and wear masks or face coverings when around others.

CCHS encourages all residents to get tested. Increased testing for COVID-19 is a critical part of the community effort to slow local spread of the virus, and necessary to continue reopening in the future.

Contra Costa’s data are consistent with increases in COVID-19 activity now being experienced in communities across the state and the nation. To view the Contra Costa Health Services Coronavirus Dashboard for more statistics, click here.

There is concern that these increases may lead to a surge in very ill people that could overwhelm the local healthcare system. We realize many people are eager to resume normal activities. However, if we adjust the reopening timeline, it will be because we have a chance to prevent the pandemic from getting out of control in the county.

Any change to the timeline would immediately affect businesses and activities that are currently scheduled to resume July 1, including indoor dining, bars, gyms, hotels and some personal care services, including nail salons and tattoo parlors.

CCHS is releasing this information today to provide businesses and residents as much time as possible to prepare for a potential change to the timeline.

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching, CCHS also reminds everyone that it’s a healthy choice to observe physical distancing when outside the home – maintain six feet of space whenever possible – and to wear face coverings. Anyone who feels sick should stay home. People should also wash their hands frequently.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

Travis Credit Union awards scholarships to 20 college-bound seniors

By Leave a Comment

TCU scholarship recipients from Contra Costa County (l to r) Serena Connel, Kassandra Ruiz and Yesenia Roman. Screenshots from TCU video.

Including three recipients from Contra Costa County

Travis Credit Union (TCU) recently awarded 20 local high school students the Mary Keith Duff Memorial Scholarship. TCU offers the annual scholarships to assist its young members with the increasing cost of higher education and to reinforce its commitment to the financial success of our country’s future leaders.

All of the winning students received a ‘Gala in a Box,’ which included the scholarship award announcement of $2,000 to help with college expenses, as well as a $200 gift card that could be used towards a family dinner celebration. TCU board members as well as executive leadership members coordinated live Zoom calls with the families to join with them virtually in opening the ‘special delivery’ box and celebrating their achievement.

Scholarship recipients in Contra Costa County include Serena Connel of Clayton Valley Charter, Kassandra Ruiz of Pinole Valley High School, and Yesenia Roman of Pittsburg High School.

“We’re so appreciative of the recognition of all the hard work these kids put in,” says Rikki Rivera, mother of scholarship winner, Kennedy Rivera. “My husband and I were both recently furloughed due to the pandemic – so financially this scholarship has helped us out more than we anticipated when she first applied. This is very helpful to our family.”

The TCU Board of Directors established the scholarship program in 2004 and named it the Mary Keith Duff Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of a long-time board member. To date, TCU has contributed $437,000 to the program and will continue to award $40,000 annually.

“As a credit union, we are founded on the philosophy of ‘people helping people,’ and we stand behind the principles that promote human development and social responsibility,” says Patricia Moreno, chairman of the board for TCU. “Offering these scholarships is just one way we are assisting young members.”

To apply for the scholarship, college-bound high school seniors, who are TCU members in good standing, needed a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) as well as a 500 word personal statement essay, expressing their plans for the future.

“These student’s achievements in school and community signify that they have the dreams and determination to make a difference in the lives of others,” added Barry Nelson, president and CEO of Travis Credit Union. “We are proud to honor them and be part of their plans for the future.”

A video featuring the honored students can be found here.

Headquartered in Vacaville, California, Travis Credit Union is a not-for-profit cooperative financial institution serving those who live, work, worship, or attend school in in Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Merced Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties. Currently, Travis Credit Union is the 13th largest credit union in California with more than 214,000 members and more than $3.3 billion in assets. As one of the leading financial institutions in Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Yolo and Merced Counties, Travis Credit Union’s strength lies in its faithful commitment to its members and the community; its solid, secure history; and its long-standing track record of dedicated service.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Road Ahead update: more projected reopenings – indoor dining & gyms July 1st, movie theaters July 15th

By 1 Comment

Following are the businesses that will be allowed to reopen and the activities that will be allowed to resume based on Contra Costa County’s updated Road Ahead issued Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

July 1st – Personal services not involving the face (massage, nail salons, tattoo, body waxing, etc.) • Indoor dining • Bars (with or without food) • Indoor religious services • Gyms, fitness centers & personal training • Limited indoor leisure (arcades, billiards, bowling alleys, etc.) • Indoor museums • Hotels (for tourism & individual travel).

July 15th – Personal services involving the face (skin care, permanent makeup, facial waxing, etc.) • Movie theaters.

However, although “These openings are a direct response to your patience and observation of the health order” as is written on the new Road Ahead, and they “hope to continue opening up the county” the county health officer “may need to reconsider openings based on the course of the pandemic.”

Download a copy of the latest Road Ahead, here.

Contra Costa reopens more businesses, activities beginning Wednesday

By Leave a Comment

Includes hair salons, barber shops, and 100 people at indoor church services and funerals

Contra Costa Health Services is taking another step toward alignment with the State of California’s guidance on opening businesses and activities at a pace that protects public health and safety. At the same time, CCHS continues to recommend that residents stay home as much as possible and take steps to protect themselves and each other when leaving the house.

The Contra Costa Health Officer has amended the county’s health order to allow hair salons and barbers to reopen for business beginning Wednesday morning. They must follow state health guidance to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

The new order also increases the number of swimmers who may share a pool to 1 person per 75 square feet, as allowed by the state.

The social distancing order also allows as many as 100 people to attend a funeral or other religious service at an indoor place of worship, in line with the state’s health guidance.

Some of Contra Costa’s key indicators for measuring how well the community is slowing the spread of COVID-19 did increase in the first half of June, an expected outcome as more people come into more contact with each other as the county gradually reopens businesses and activities.

CCHS is carefully monitoring that data and could adjust the reopening timeline to protect the public health.

CCHS encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect themselves from COVID-19: Follow the shelter-in-place order, and wear a face covering when you go out or are near other people. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, and always stay home from work or school if you are not feeling well.

Visit www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/health-orders to read the new health order and its appendices, and for local information about Contra Costa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Contra Costa’s updated Road Ahead includes indoor religious services, bars to reopen July 1st

By Leave a Comment

According to Kim McCarl, the county health services communications assistant, the “guidelines will be the same as the state’s”. No word on if the requirement to create lists of the names and contact information of all attendees to be given to the county upon demand will still be included. (See related article)

Contra Costa Health Director issues Road to Reopening for more businesses, schools but not churches

By 4 Comments

Road to Reopening – A message from Anna M. Roth, Health Director, Contra Costa County

(June 6, 2020) – Thanks to all your collective efforts and sacrifices for the health of the community, we are making progress in our fight against COVID-19. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

The state is permitting us and other counties to chart their own courses based on local conditions. We are now able to provide a timeline laying out when we are aiming for opening more businesses and allowing more activities. I hope this provides some clarity about our hoped next steps. We will be updating this document as we get further guidance from the state and in consideration of the status of COVID-19 in our community. Stay safe and we will all get through this together.

But the road map includes the caveat of “We hope to continue opening up the county but, may need to reconsider openings based on the course of the pandemic.”

However, the road map includes the caveat of “We hope to continue opening up the county, but may need to reconsider openings based on the course of the pandemic.” An email was sent to the county health services asking why churches/religious services are not included and when they will be. Please check back later for updates to this report.

For more information visit www.coronavirus.cchealth.org.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

More reopening in Contra Costa effective Friday at 5 p.m. – outdoor dining, pools, religious services with strict limits

By 2 Comments

From Contra Costa Health Services

Contra Costa County residents may again enjoy outdoor swimming pools, outdoor seating at restaurants and dog parks under a new health officer order released today.

The order, effective 5 p.m. today, also allows for outdoor religious services of up to 100 people, indoor religious services of up to 12 people, use of outdoor picnic and barbecue spaces, and overnight camping for people belonging to the same household.

Because of the progress made in the fight against COVID-19, Contra Costa health officers feel confident opening additional businesses and activities. The State of California has determined that while counties can move slower than state in reopening, they cannot move more quickly. The openings announced today bring Contra Costa County in closer alignment to state guidelines. It also aligns with other Bay Area counties taking similar steps.

“We have made great progress slowing COVID-19 in our county,” said Candace Andersen, chair of the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors. “I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to all who suffered and sacrificed to follow these health orders throughout this pandemic. I know it has not been easy. But you have helped save lives.”

This order follows a modification earlier this week that allowed offices and many retail businesses to reopen and created guidance for small gatherings including people from different households.

Previous health orders requiring physical distancing and face coverings in public spaces remain in effect. Contra Costa residents should also continue to emphasize handwashing and other hygiene measures in their daily lives to reduce their risk of becoming infected.

“COVID-19 is still circulating in our community, and we need to take precautions to prevent outbreaks,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, the county health officer. “Another way we can keep ourselves and our families safe is to get tested, even if we feel well.”

The new order includes guidance for safely conducting the newly permitted activities, including requirements for businesses. Details, including the full text of the order, are available at cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Contra Costa rescinds countywide curfew order effective as of 1:00 PM today, Thursday, June 4, 2020

By Leave a Comment

By Susan Shiu, Director, Office of Communications and Media, Contra Costa County 

(Martinez, CA) – County Administrator David J. Twa has signed the Order Rescinding a Countywide Curfew within Contra Costa County, effective as of 1:00 PM today, June 4, 2020.

The order states that “As Contra Costa County’s Administrator of Emergency Services, I have reviewed, on a daily basis, the conditions that necessitated the June 2, 2020, Countywide curfew.  At this point, it appears that the public order and safety has generally been restored in Contra Costa County and it is therefore appropriate to lift the emergency Countywide curfew.”

The order further states that “This action does not affect any city curfews that remain in effect.  Cities will make their own determination as to whether curfews continue to be needed within their commercial districts or other areas within those cities.”

“We all continue to want peaceful protests and encourage everyone to stay safe,” said Twa.

Read the Order Rescinding the Countywide Curfew.

Contra Costa’s progress in COVID-19 fight means retail businesses can reopen on Wednesday, June 3

By Leave a Comment

Plus, small outdoor gatherings, childcare and camps for all children, and libraries with curbside pickup; protests of up to 100 people with social distancing and masks also allowed (LOL – no seriously. They’re “allowed” now)

By Kim McCarl, Communications Assistant, Contra Costa Health Services

Thanks to substantial progress being made in the fight against COVID-19, Contra Costa County residents can go back to work, shop at local retail stores, get childcare and hang out with small groups of loved ones starting June 3.

Indoor retail shopping, business offices, outdoor museums and pet grooming are among the businesses that will reopen in Contra Costa County under the latest shelter-in-place order released today. The order also permits services that don’t require close customer contact, such as housekeeping, car washes, plumbing and pet grooming.

The new health order also allows small outdoor social gatherings, as well as childcare and camps for all children, not just children of essential and allowed workers. Those childcare services and camps still can only have up to 12 children in stable cohorts.

Libraries can reopen for curbside pickup service and protests of up to 100 people will also be permitted. Religious services will be able to resume on June 15, although with some limitations. In the coming days, the County will be consulting with the state about reopening swimming pools and outdoor dining.

“This latest step toward reopening our county is a reflection of our successful collective effort as a community to limit the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, the county’s health officer. “I know there’s a lot of frustration out there, but it’s important to keep in mind that interventions like social distancing have saved lives.”

To date, 37 people have died from COVID-19 in Contra Costa, a county with a population of 1.15 million people. Dr. Farnitano said had the county had not acted early and aggressively, enacting the initial shelter-in-place order on mid-March, ten times as many people would have died from the virus.

Contra Costa has made significant headway in meeting its five indicators for reopening. Aside from new cases and hospitalizations not increasing, all eight hospitals have attested they now have a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment, one of the five reopening indictors. Hospitals also have sufficient capacity to handle more patients. While progress has been made in testing, the county still needs to triple the amount of tests being done to reach its goal.

The latest health order follows previous relaxations of the shelter in place that allowed construction, real estate transactions, curbside retail and manufacturing, recreational activities like golf and tennis and reopening of outdoor businesses like nurseries.

This Order supersedes the May 18, 2020, Order of the Health Officer directing all individuals to shelter in place (“Prior Order”). This Order continues to restrict most activity, travel, and governmental and business functions to essential needs and to the Outdoor Activities and Outdoor Businesses that the prior Order allowed to resume.  But in light of progress achieved in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the County of Contra Costa (the “County”), the Order allows a limited number of Additional Businesses (as described in Section 15.n…and in Appendix C-1) and Additional Activities (as described in Section 15.o…and in Appendix C-2) to resume operating, subject to specified conditions and safety precautions to reduce associated risk of COVID-19 transmission.

What’s Allowed Now

Businesses include indoor retail, shopping malls, shopping centers and swap meets, manufacturing and logistics and warehouse facilities.

The additional activities now allowed include social gatherings of persons in a Social Bubble, as defined below, may take place if: the gathering takes place outside only, and the participants comply with all other applicable requirements under this Order. In addition, persons in social bubbles over 12 years of age are strongly encouraged to maintain social distancing from each other w ear face coverings

Finally, protests are also allowed now. Subject to requirements and restrictions of the local jurisdiction in which the protest takes place, persons may participate in protests if they wear Face Coverings and comply with Social Distancing Requirements, and attendance does not exceed 25 percent of the area’s maximum capacity or 100 persons, whichever is lower. (Editor’s Note: Seriously, that’s what the order includes. We will see if that part of the order is enforced).

As a condition of operating under this Order, the operators of all businesses must prepare or update, post, implement, and distribute to their personnel a Social Distancing Protocol for each of their facilities in the County frequented by personnel or members of the public.

An email asking if churches can reopen their administrative offices was sent to the spokesperson for the county health services. No response was received prior to publication. Please check back later for updates to this report.

To see the full order, click here. To see additional details on orders from the county health officer visit https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/health-orders. For more details on the new health order, visit cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.