While some recent fire evacuations have been lifted for now, conditions can change and ANYONE can be evacuated at any moment (as we saw in Oakley a few weeks ago).
Don’t forget to replenish your go-bag and have it at the ready in case you need to evacuate.
Include important paperwork, medications, clothes, portable cell phone charger(s), flashlight with additional batteries and any supplies for your pets.
During COVID-19, remember to pack masks for everyone, hand sanitizers, wipes, and depending on the evacuation site, a tent, lawn chairs, and sleeping bags to allow you and your family to practice physical distancing.
Be prepared. Follow firefighter and law enforcement direction. Be safe. Be patient and be kind to one another.
Wildfire smoke from the fires has drifted into the area, causing unhealthy air quality, and Contra Costa County has issued a Health Advisory for unhealthy air.
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HEALTH SERVICES UPDATES
If you have questions about the Coronavirus, contact the Multilingual Call Center 1-844-729-8410, open daily from 8 am to 5 pm (available in English and Spanish).
For assistance in multiple languages after hours, please call 211 or 800-833-2900 or text HOPE to 20121.
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Contra Costa Employment & Human Services (EHSD) plans to make three of its district offices available as “places to cool” through the end of this week and early next week.
Please note that during the COVID-19 shelter in place, EHSD’s regular programs and services are NOT currently available at these offices.
Open Thursday-Friday, August 13-14
and Monday-Tuesday, August 17-18, 2020
from 1 to 5 p.m.
EHSD District Office
4545 Delta Fair Blvd.
Antioch
EHSD District Office
400 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill
EHSD District Office
1305 Macdonald
Richmond
Water will be available. Social distancing and face covering requirements are in place at all locations. Capacity may be limited in order to comply with County health orders.
Community members should NOT go to any of these places to cool off if they have been exposed to or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or if they have been ordered to quarantine. All visitors to EHSD offices will be asked screening questions before they can enter the buildings.
Additional Antioch location open for cooling:
Nick Rodriguez Community Center
213 F Street, Antioch
Open Friday, August 14, through Wednesday, August 19
from 12 noon to 6 p.m.
Call (925) 778-1158 for more information.
Call below locations prior to visiting
to confirm if open and hours of operation:
Concord Senior Center
2727 Parkside Circle, Concord
(925) 671-3320
Martinez Senior Center
818 Green Street, Martinez
(925) 370-8770
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East Contra Costa Fire Protection District to Hold Town Halls |
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Fire Chief Helmick, Fire Marshal Aubert, ECCFPD Board Members and Community Leaders will be on hand to give you the latest updates on the state of the Fire District along with some potential solutions and most importantly.. we want to hear from you!
Bring your questions and get answers!
The Town Hall will be virtual.
Discovery Bay Virtual Town Hall
August 24th - 7 PM to 8:30 PM
Register here and you will be emailed the Zoom link before the meeting!
Note: You can find additional information about Zoom Meetings at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Contra Costa’s Homeless System of Care
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Costa Health Housing and Homeless Services Division (H3) will be holding the first meeting in a series of community-wide meetings.
Discussion will include the impact of COVID-19 on the homeless system and the homeless system’s ongoing response.
The group will share relevant information and data, and mid and long range system strategies as well.
H3 wants to receive and respond to community input and questions, moving on to identify and brainstorm on next steps.
Each meeting will have a specific topic of focus. Please find the information for the meeting below.
Meeting 1: “Where We’ve Been”
Friday August 21st
9 am – 10:30 am
Discussion of the impacts of the crisis and initial steps to address it and support our most vulnerable consumers
Or call in to 408-826-0365 US Toll and use Access Code:146 621 0190
These meetings are open to the public and the role of participants is to attend and listen to the presentations, learn, and ask questions relevant to the meeting topic.
H3 realizes this is a weighted topic and will respond to questions to the extent possible in the meetings. In an effort to answer all questions, we are soliciting questions prior to each meeting. Please send any questions about Contra Costa’s homeless system response to the pandemic to Jaime Jenett at Jaime.jenett@cchealth.org.
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St. Anne’s Church and American Red Cross are teaming up for blood drives.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
12:00 noon-6:00pm
St. Anne’s Church
2800 Camino Diablo Road
Byron, CA 94514
Donating is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood or platelets.
For a limited time, the American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies as an additional health service to our donors.
To schedule an appointment Click Here or call 1-800-733-2767
For more information about the Red Cross visit redcross.org.
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Contra Costa to Begin Accepting Waiver Applications to Allow
In-Person Classes at Elementary Schools
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Starting Wednesday 8/19/2020, public and private elementary schools (TK – 6th grade) in Contra Costa County can submit applications to allow in-person instruction at their campuses.
In accordance with state guidelines, waivers may be granted “when requested by a local superintendent (or equivalent for charter or private schools), in consultation with labor, parent and community organizations. Local health officers must review local community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions, and consult with the California Department of Public Health when considering a waiver request.”
School districts will be asked to detail how they would safely conduct in-person classes and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Applications will go to the Contra Costa County Office of Education for an initial review before being sent to Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) for further analysis.
CCHS and the County Office of Education have developed a checklist with safety measures schools must take in order to reopen. These measures include:
- A plan for testing of students and staff with COVID symptoms. Schools must also show they have a plan for periodically testing asymptomatic staff members.
- Each school must identify a person to help CCHS with contact tracing efforts if there is a positive case
- Showing how shared surfaces will be regularly cleaned and disinfected and how use of shared items will be minimized.
- Proper use of face coverings
- How students will be kept in small, stable, groups with fixed membership that stay together for all activities (e.g., instruction, lunch, recess) and minimize/avoid contact with other groups
Review by local and state officials will take approximately ten days. The state will make the final decision to approve or deny requests. Schools in counties such as Contra Costa that are on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list can’t reopen unless granted a waiver by local and state health officials.
“We feel like we’ve reached a point where it makes sense to consider requests from elementary schools to reopen,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, health officer for Contra Costa County. “Our role will be to ensure that schools have a solid plan in place to protect their students and staff and show us how they will work with the health department when there is a case to prevent further spread of the virus.”
The state outlined the waiver process for elementary schools two weeks ago. CCHS did not immediately begin accepting waiver applications because of the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in our community at the time.
Since then, the situation has stabilized enough to begin reviewing school-waiver applications, said Dr. Farnitano. Case rates and COVID-related hospitalizations, for instance, have leveled off in August after spiking in July.
While school districts are invited to apply, waiver requests may not be granted if the plan does not meet state or local health requirements, or if data show worsening conditions in the community. Some districts may choose not to submit an application if they cannot meet the requirements outlined in local and state guidelines. Middle schools and high schools are not eligible for waivers.
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2020 Bethel Island Clean-Up Day |
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Supervisor Diane Burgis is pleased to host the 2020 Bethel Island Clean-Up Day
In partnership with:
• Bethel Island Municipal Advisory Council
• Bethel Island Municipal Improvement District
• Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery
Saturday, September 12, 2020
8:00AM - 12:00PM
Location: BIMID Mitigation Site
Downtown Bethel Island
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
(Starting August 12, 2020)
Requirements: Local Valid I.D. and current Disposal Bill
Please contact:
NOTICE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Face coverings are required in accordance with guidance issued by the State of California. Physical distancing of 6 feet between persons from different households must be maintained at all times.
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Friendship Line for Seniors |
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As many older and at-risk Californians continue to stay home to minimize exposure to COVID-19, feelings of isolation and loneliness may be increasing.
To offer support, Institute on Aging and the California Department of Aging want to share with you all additional resources to bring awareness to the toll-free warm line, Friendship Line California.
As you may know Friendship Line California is both a crisis intervention hotline and a warmline for non-emergency emotional support calls connecting individuals to a friendly conversation 24/7.
Call 1-888-670-1360 now for an ear ready to listen and warm voice. You don't have to feel alone.
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42 DAYS LEFT TO COUNT ALL RESIDENTS - VISITS CONTINUE |
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The U.S. Census Bureau will continue to follow up with households nationwide that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census.
Based on the current self-response rate, the Census Bureau estimates it will need to visit about 116,000 addresses to collect responses in person.
The Census Bureau is working to complete data collection as quickly and safely as possible, while ensuring a complete and accurate count as it strives to comply with the law and statutory deadlines.
Census takers will follow local public health guidelines when they visit.
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Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee |
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The Contra Costa County Internal Operations Committee of the Board of Supervisors is now accepting applications from individuals to fill
two (2) At-Large Member Seats and one (1) At-Large Alternate member seat on the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee.
Existing members seeking reappointment and individuals seeking a new appointment may apply.
Applications are due by October 2, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.
The Fish and Wildlife Committee has ten members: Five District representatives nominated by individual members of the Board of Supervisors, four At-Large positions, and one At-Large Alternate position nominated by the Internal Operations Committee.
The Internal Operations Committee considers applications from all interested individuals and conducts interviews even when an existing At-Large member seeks reappointment. Read More...
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Apply for the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council |
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The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants who may be interested in serving on its 19-member Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC).
The JJCC is a multi-agency advisory body charged with creating and maintaining the County’s comprehensive Juvenile Probation Consolidated Annual Plan and coordinating county-based juvenile delinquency prevention initiatives. The state-mandated Juvenile Probation Consolidated Annual Plan is designed to improve services for Contra Costa County’s juvenile justice population by assessing existing practices and resources, identifying system needs and gaps, and prioritizing and recommending solutions. Read more...
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CCTA Call for a County Representative |
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The individual selected for this position must live in the unincorporated area of the County, be available to attend committee meetings on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m., which are normally held at the CCTA offices, located at 2999 Oak Road, Suite 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94597, and have the ability to review CAC agenda packets and develop input on agenda items beforehand. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings presently occur via videoconference.
The individual will serve a four-year term in a volunteer capacity and be eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses.
This includes transportation projects and programs funded by the county half-cent transportation sales tax (“Measure J”) which CCTA oversees.
CCTA maintains its standing CAC in order to provide citizen perspective, participation, and involvement in the Measure J-funded and voter-approved Transportation Expenditure Plan and Growth Management Program. The CAC members have an opportunity to learn about and influence transportation and growth issues within Contra Costa County and in other jurisdictions through scheduled presentation by transportation experts, advocates, and CCTA staff.
Should you have any questions, please call (925) 674-7822.
Interested individuals should apply by August 31, 2020.
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Kirker Pass Road Northbound Truck Climbing Lane Project |
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Northbound Kirker Pass Road to be reduced to one lane from the Concord Pavilion to the northern Hess Road intersection
Drainage facilities are scheduled to be installed in the northbound direction of Kirker Pass Road adjacent to the existing concrete median barrier, as part of the Kirker Pass Road Northbound Truck Climbing Lane Project.
Northbound traffic will be reduced into one lane beginning on
August 24, 2020, through September 4, 2020,
barring unforeseen circumstances.
The work will take place from the Concord Pavilion to the northern Hess Road intersection.
Electronic message boards will alert drivers of the scheduled lane closure. Drivers should expect delays. Current social distancing protocol will be observed.
The Kirker Pass Road Northbound Truck Climbing Lane Project will improve safety and reduce congestion along Kirker Pass Road from the Concord Pavilion to the northern Hess Road intersection by constructing a truck climbing lane in the northbound direction.
Pavement widening will occur on the east side of the roadway to provide a 12-foot truck lane and an 8-foot paved shoulder. The widening will require the construction of six retaining walls adjacent to the roadway.
The project also includes paving both the north and southbound lanes between the City of Concord/County limits to approximately 4,200 feet north of North Hess Road. The total project length is about 2 miles.
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County Agricultural Commissioner Instructs Residents Not to Open Unsolicited Seed Packs Originating from China |
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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has recently become aware of a number of reports regarding unsolicited seeds from China being received by homeowners throughout the US, including Contra Costa County.
CDFA is communicating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine any necessary actions for shipments received in California.
In the meantime, CDFA is instructing residents NOT to open any unsolicited seed packets received and to contact their local county agricultural commissioner’s office. Seed packets should NOT be opened, shipped, or disposed of by residents in order to prevent potential dispersal of invasive species, diseases, and/or quarantine pests. Unopened seed packets should be held by the resident or county official until further instructions are provided.
Please contact the Contra Costa Agricultural Commissioner's Office at (925) 608-6600 if you received seeds in the mail that you did not order or have questions. If you are in possession of any of these seed packets, we will arrange for an inspector to pick it up at your convenience. If seeds have already been planted, please retrieve the seeds and any contaminated soil for pickup by a county Agricultural inspector.
NOTE: Do not open seed packets. Do not plant unsolicited seeds.
Contact: Matt Slattengren,
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RCF Seeks Engagement Coordinator |
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Richmond Community Foundation’s goal is to create healthy, sustainable communities in Contra Costa County.
We believe in the Theory of Change, in which we identify a realistic long-term goal and consider what conditions need to be in place to reach it.
The majority of our long-term goals entail measuring and tackling social and economic challenges that local residents face.
RCF seeks an English/Spanish bilingual individual to join their team of two Community Engagement Coordinators supporting a program focused on East County.
You will find job information on the RCF Website:
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Chances are, if you're one of the millions of people currently working from home or taking classes online due to the coronavirus pandemic, you've quickly become familiar with the teleconferencing software.
Beyond being a productivity tool, Zoom has become a place where friends are organizing virtual get-togethers and where families are staying in touch as the coronavirus pandemic keeps us all separated and indoors.
Government entities are utilizing this technology more today which gives constituents an even easier way to participate.
For those new to Zoom, we have assembled some information to get you started:
- How to Download Zoom
- Zoom meeting cheat-sheet
- Zoom meeting Etiquette
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