 Dear Friends,
First and foremost, I hope you and your family are healthy and safe. Caring for the Alameda County community and supporting residents' continued health and wellness is core to my mission as a County Supervisor and fellow neighbor. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, the world around us is evolving on a daily basis. During this unprecedented and highly uncertain time, it is critically important to me that we stay connected as a community. I know like me, many of you may also feel inundated with the constant influx of information. Still however, I'd like to take this opportunity to share information specifically pertinent to residents of Alameda County.
In this bulletin, you can read about the updated Shelter in Place Order, expanding emergency renter protections in Alameda County, tax penalty waivers, help for small businesses, community resources and much more.
As I underlined in previous COVID-19 update messages, the health of our residents and County employees is the top priority of your Alameda County leadership. Please make sure you are following the guidelines and orders put in place by the County of Alameda, State of California and the Centers for Disease Control. Please stay in your homes. Please wash your hands and maintain a standard of 6 feet social distance. If you must go out, please be sure to do so only for essential reasons and avoid groups of more than ten people in a single setting.
Please continue to visit the Alameda County Public Health Department's website at www.acphd.org, which has detailed information on how to stay safe and what measures the County is taking. The County also has an information center open Monday through Friday, from 8a.m. to 5:30p.m. at 510-268-2101/ nCoV@acgov.org.
Take good care of yourselves and those most vulnerable. We are all in this together, and we will overcome TOGETHER. You can reach my office at 925-551-6995 or email me at District1@acgov.org.
Very Sincerely,
On March 31, the Alameda County Public Health Officer and six other Bay Area public health jurisdictions announced the regional Shelter in Place Order has been extended to May 3, 2020 in order to preserve critical hospital capacity throughout the region.
The new order adds clarifying language around essential business and activities, as well as some new directives, including but not limited to:
- Use of recreational areas (e.g. playgrounds, picnic areas) and recreational facilities (e.g. tennis and basketball courts, golf courses) is prohibited.
- Essential businesses to develop a social distancing protocol before April 3
- Most construction—residential and commercial—is prohibited
- Essential businesses expanded to include additional service providers
Find a brief summary of the major changes in the order here.
State of California Executive Order
Governor Newsom Announced an Agreement Between Teachers, Classified Employees and School System Management to Support Student Instruction During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Labor and management organizations will work to provide students access to distance learning.
Governor Newsom also announced a partnership with Google, which will be donating Chromebooks and 100,000 hotspots to help bridge the digital divide.
Governor Newsom: “While schools might be physically closed, class is still in session.”
Read the official press release here.
Property Tax Penalty Waivers for Eligible Taxpayers Are Part of the COVID-19 Financial Relief Effort.
The Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector (TTC) will work with taxpayers on an individual basis to address hardships caused by the Coronavirus and the Shelter in Place Order. Beginning after the property tax delinquent date, which remains April 10th, the TTC office will make available a penalty cancellation request form specifically related to COVID-19. Taxpayers will need to submit the appeal form and sign a statement, under penalties of perjury, indicating that they were unable to pay on time for reasons related to the impacts of the Coronavirus from “reasonable cause and circumstances beyond the taxpayer’s control” under current state law. Valid reasons to seek penalty cancellation, which may change if state law changes, may include illness, recent effects from under- or unemployment, and business losses (including loss of rental income). Eligible taxpayers will include homeowners, small businesses, and landlords. Documentation will be required, specific to COVID-19. A special team in the TTC office will be set up to process these requests, and will attempt to respond to all requests within 60 days. The TTC continues to ask all those who are not impacted by COVID-19 to pay by the April 10th deadline. The office remains open and operating, receiving mail and answering phones, but not accepting in-person payments. Payments can be made online at https://acgov.org/propertytax/online.htm or by phone at 510-272-6800. The office can also be reached via e-mail at ttaxpublicmail@acgov.org. Sign up to receive the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s COVID-19 updates and press releases at https://treasurer.acgov.org/TreasurerBlog.
CARES Act
Last week, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote. President Trump then signed the bill into law. The bill builds upon earlier versions of the CARES Act and is intended to be a third round of federal government support in the wake of the coronavirus public health crisis and associated economic fallout, succeeding the $8.3 billion in public health support passed two weeks ago and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The CARES Act builds on the two former pieces of legislation by providing more robust support to both individuals and businesses, including changes to tax policy.
Highlights of this bill are as follows:
- Direct payments to lower- and middle-income Americans, $1,200 for each adult and $500 for each child. Full amount is eligible for those making up to $75,000 and $150,000 for a joint filing.
- Four months of unemployment benefit payment of $600 per week from the federal government. This would extend to part-time and gig economy workers.
- $350 billion in loan forgiveness grants to small businesses and nonprofits to maintain existing workforce and help pay for other expenses like rent, mortgage and utilities. $10 billion for SBA emergency grants of up to $10,000 to provide immediate relief for small business operating costs. $17 billion for SBA to cover 6 months of payments for small businesses with existing SBA loans.
Read more here.
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In addition to Alameda County, the State of California and the federal government are working to help small businesses, workers, and renters. You can read about actions the state and federal government are taking here:
On Tuesday March 24, 2020 the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an emergency ordinance suspending evictions in the Unincorporated County for renters and homeowners who are experiencing loss of income, significant out-of-pocket medical expenses or childcare needs as a result of the County COVID-19 shelter order. The Ordinance took effect immediately upon passage and will be in effect until April 23, 2020 unless extended by the Board.
Unincorporated County residents who are served a Notice of Termination while the ordinance is in effect will need to provide documentation of loss of income, substantial medical expenses or child care impacts.
Violators are subject to a $1000 fine per violation and may be subject to civil proceedings.
Given these extraordinary circumstances, as well as the homelessness crisis our County has already been facing, we must take every appropriate step to ensure that County residents remain housed and secure throughout this pandemic.
The ordinance and staff report are available here.
The county will continue to explore ways to support our residents and businesses through this period
Required Social Distancing Protocol
No later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2020, any Essential Business that continues to operate facilities in Alameda County must complete and post the Social Distancing Protocol.
Fillable templates in the following languages:
English | Spanish | Chinese | Vietnamese
Essential Businesses must:
- Post their "Social Distancing Protocol" at each of their facilities in Alameda County frequented by the public or employees.
- The Social Distancing Protocol must be posted at or near the entrance of the relevant facility, and shall be easily viewable by the public and employees.
- A copy of the Social Distancing Protocol must also be provided to each employee performing work at the facility.
- All Essential Businesses shall implement the Social Distancing Protocol and provide evidence of its implementation to any authority enforcing this Order upon demand.
- The Social Distancing Protocol must explain how the business is achieving the following:
- Limiting the number of people who can enter into the facility at any one time to ensure that people in the facility can easily maintain a minimum six-foot distance from one another at all times, except as required to complete the Essential Business activity;
- Where lines may form at a facility, marking six-foot increments at a minimum, establishing where individuals should stand to maintain adequate social distancing;
- Providing hand sanitizer, soap and water, or effective disinfectant at or near the entrance of the facility and in other appropriate areas for use by the public and employees, and in locations where there is high-frequency employee interaction with members of the public (e.g. cashiers);
- Providing for contactless payment systems or, if not feasible to do so, the providing for disinfecting all payment portals, pens, and styluses after each use;
- Regularly disinfecting other high-touch surfaces; and
- Posting a sign at the entrance of the facility informing all employees and customers that they should: avoid entering the facility if they have a cough or fever; maintain a minimum six-foot distance from one another; sneeze and cough into one's elbow; not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact.
- Any additional social distancing measures being implemented (see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance).
Refer to the Alameda County Public Health Department website for more details.
Track Board Proceedings From Home
In order to facilitate the Shelter in Place Order, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will now be making public comment through teleconference.
Click here for procedures to make public comment and view Board meetings.
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Community Preparedness
Addressing the Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness
For Faith-Based and Community-Based Organizations
For Travelers
Other Resources
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