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Covid-19 Update #8

April 30, 2020

NEW RULES FOR EXTENSION OF SHELTER IN PLACE

== Berkeley's Health Officer, Dr. Lisa Hernandez, M.D., MPH, in collaboration with six other neighboring county Health Officers, has issued an order extending the Shelter in Place until May 31 ^st . Due to our success in slowing the spread of the virus, certain activities, if combined with physical distancing, will now be allowed starting May 4 ^th . The key points are:

Construction - Small and large-scale construction will be permitted, with contractors required to abide by construction safety protocols. City inspectors will be monitoring compliance on site visits, and the City will create reference materials for contractors.
Real Estate - All real estate transactions will be able to resume, but with continued restrictions on open houses and limitations on in-person viewings.
Moving Activities - Residential moving activities will be allowed to fully resume.
Outdoor Businesses - Outdoor businesses such as wholesale and retail nurseries will be able to reopen. Landscapers and gardeners will be able to resume work using physical distancing protocols. This does NOT include restaurants and bars with outdoor seating.
Child Care for Children of Essential Workers or People Conducting Permitted Outdoor Business - Child care establishments and other programs will be allowed in groups of 12 or fewer children to provide childcare for parents allowed to return to work. This does NOT include informal playdates or group activities for children.
Limited Outdoor Recreation Activities - Skate parks and athletic fields will reopen with physical distancing and safety protocols. Sports and outdoor activities that involve physical contact with people outside of your household (like basketball and soccer) remain prohibited.Dog parks will remain closed. On April 30th Governor Newsom released a detailed list of permitted outdoor activities.

== The resumptions of these low-risk activities are the result of the effectiveness of the Shelter-In-Place orders and the actions taken by people in our community and elsewhere. As part of this phase, Health Officers will also be looking at five indicators when considering future modifications to the shelter-in-place orders:

The indicators include:

Are the total number of cases in the community staying flat or decreasing;
Are the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 remaining flat or decreasing;
Is there is an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for all health care workers;
Are we are meeting the need for testing, especially for persons in vulnerable populations or those in high-risk settings or occupations;
Do we have the capacity to investigate all COVID-19 cases and trace all of their contacts, isolating those who test positive and quarantining the people who may have been exposed.

== As Dr. Hernandez stated in the announcement, “This impact of the virus has been hard for many of us, but we are now on a path for steady progress, which now allows some low-risk activities to return. This virus is still in our communities. We need everyone to shelter-in-place apart from the few exceptions – and wear a face covering when out.”

GOVERNOR NEWSOM'S

FOUR STAGE COVID-19 RESILIENCE ROAD MAP

== Thursday April 29, Governor Newsom announced a four-stage pandemic resilience roadmap for modifying and ultimately ending stay at home orders statewide. Currently, we are nearing the end of Stage 1.

Safety and preparedness: Everyone is staying at home or an essential worker.
Lower risk workplaces: Reopening lower risk workplaces such as non-essential manufacturing, schools, childcare facilities, and retail businesses for curbside pick-up.
Higher risk workplaces: Reopening higher risk workplaces such as hair salons, gyms, and religious services.
End of stay-at-home order: Ending the stay-at-home order and reopening concert venues, convention centers, and sporting events.

== The Governor believes we are “weeks, not months” away from moving from Stage 1 to Stage 2.

DEALING WITH THE STRESS AND ISOLATION

iiiii The shelter-in-place order, while necessary to protect the health of our entire community, can also bring challenges to our sense of well-being. Feelings of isolation and loneliness and signs of stress are normal. It is important during these difficult times to care for your own physical and mental health.

== In this moment, staying home is the most important thing we need to do to protect our community. Coping with stress while staying at home will make you, the people you care about, and our community stronger. If you or a loved one feels overwhelmed with emotions, take advantage of our mental health resources below.

Resources for Community, Crisis, or Peer Support

California Peer-Run Warm Line, 855-845-7415

-=-=- Mental Health Association of San Francisco

-=-=- Non-emergency number for those feeling anxiety or seeking emotional -=-=- support. Assistance available via web chat or phone.

24 Hour Crisis Support Line, 800-273-8255

-=-=- Crisis Support of Alameda County

-=-=- Trained Crisis Line Counselors are available 24/7 to take your call. For -=-=- those struggling with difficult life circumstances or uncomfortable iiiiiiiiiii thoughts and emotions. You do not need to be experience suicidal iiiiiiiiiii thoughts or feelings to call.

Berkeley Mental Health Crisis Line, 510-981-5244

iiiiiiiiii City of Berkeley Mental Health Division

iiiiiiiiii Speak to a local mental health professional for support and resources iiiiiiiiii over the phone. The crisis line is open Monday through Friday 10:00 AM iiiiiiiiii to 5:00 PM

Reading on coping with COVID-19 from the CDC and the State:

== Take steps to care for yourself and your loved one's mental health and emotional needs at this time. Practice self-care. Remember that seeking support is a healthy thing to do.

HAVE YOU LOGGED IN TO www.my2020census.gov ?

Have you completed your census form?

T he results of the 2020 Census will determine how billions of dollars in federal funding get allocated for the next 10 years. The Covid-19 pandemic is just one example of why the census is so important. Funding for streets, public health services, disaster response, and unemployment resources are all based on this census count.

Go to www.my2020census.gov to fill out your census form It only takes a minute.

BERKELEY RELIEF FUND

== The City Council unanimously voted to create a Berkeley Relief Fund with $3 million in City funds to support low-income residents, small businesses, and non-profit arts organizations impacted by COVID-19.

== The council is encouraging residents to contribute to this fund. I urge you to join me in making a donation of any amount to this important cause. To date, we have raised over $680,000 from the community. More than 1,000 small businesses applied for relief funds. The need is very great. I thank you for your generosity.

Emergency Notifications

== AC Alert will be Berkeley's primary emergency alerting system for the public. It is one of the tools the City of Berkeley uses to communicate emergency information and instructions to the community. AC Alert can send:

Voice alerts to phones
SMS text messages
Email
TTY/TDD messages

Listed AT&T "land lines" are automatically included to receive voice messages from AC Alert for emergency warnings. Community members must sign up to receive voice or text alerts on cell phones, VoIP phones, unlisted phones, TTY/TDDs or through email.

If you want to receive emergency alerts and updates, sign up for AC Alert.

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CALL 311

Susan Wengraf

Berkeley City Council District 6

(510) 981-7160