Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan’s Weekly Updates on COVID-19

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Updates on COVID-19 from
Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan

In this issue:

Supporting Alameda County’s Small Businesses  

Updates from the Alameda County Public Health Department  

Upcoming Workshop on Small Business COVID-19 Credit Repair 

Expanding Food as Medicine in Alameda County  

Local Resources for Small Businesses  

Feeding the Community and Supporting Local Restaurants

Apply for California Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI)

Stay Informed

Public Comment Procedures for Board of Supervisors Meetings During Shelter in Place

Community Resources

Food Resources

Immigrant Resources

Alameda County Public Health Department
COVID-19 Contact Information

Enforcement of the Shelter in Place Order E-mail:
COVID19compliance@acgov.org

Alameda County COVID-19
Data Dashboard

Non-Immediate Concerns
Email: nCoV@acgov.org
Phone: 510-268-2101

Public Health Agencies' Dedicated COVID-19 Information Web Pages:

 

Alameda County
Public Health Department:

www.acphd.org/2019-ncov.aspx

 

California Department of
Public Health:

covid19.ca.gov

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

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Housing Information and Critical Health & Human Services

 

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Email me:
District3@acgov.org


County Seal

 

 

Oakland Office
1221 Oak Street, Suite 536
Oakland, CA 94612 (map)
Phone: 510.272.6693
Fax: 510.268.8004

  

 

District Office
15903 Hesperian Boulevard
San Lorenzo, CA 94580 (map)
Phone: 510.278.0367
Fax: 510.278.0467

 

 

Dear District 3 Community,

The County of Alameda is committed to keeping the public informed as we work together to stop the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this bulletin, you can read updates from the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) and find resources for community members and small businesses who have been affected by COVID-19. 

For up-to-date data and answers to frequently asked questions, visit ACPHD's dedicated COVID-19 web page.

It is an honor to serve you.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns that you may have regarding the district or Alameda County.

Sincerely,                                                                           

wc

Wilma Chan
Supervisor, Third District 

Supporting Alameda County’s
Small Businesses
 

Small businesses are the cornerstones of our local economy and have faced many challenges in keeping their businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only have our small local businesses lost income due to the temporary closures, but their fixed costs remained in effect. In order to support our neighbors who are small business owners, many jurisdictions throughout Alameda County enacted eviction moratoriums for commercial tenants as well as residential.  

Last month, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors extended our eviction protections to commercial tenants in the unincorporated areas of the county. In addition to the unincorporated areas, the cities of Alameda, Oakland, and San Leandro have passed similar protections for commercial tenants. In this edition of my weekly update, you can read more about ways to support our community’s small businesses.  

Updates from the Alameda County
Public Health Department

These past couple of months have been difficult for many residents, and I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for our community’s resilience and collective work towards slowing the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to the community’s commitment to following the Shelter in Place orders, we have made great progress towards reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Alameda County. While we still have a great deal of work to stop the spread of COVID-19 completely, this progress allows us to begin taking steps towards easing the Shelter in Place restrictions  

On MondayACPHD issued a new order allowing retailers to offer storefront pick-up and allowing the manufacturing, warehousing, and logistical operations that support retail to resume. In allowing these businesses to operate, they are required to consistently follow social distancing protocols to protect their employees and customersMalls and dine-in restaurants are NOT included in this order and must continue to remain closed in the Bay Area.  

ACPHD also reminds Alameda County residents that COVID-19 still poses significant risks to our communities, and even with the easing of certain restrictions, we must continue to be strong in social distancing and safe hygiene protocols. Bay Area residents are still REQUIRED to stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings, and follow the precautions that have made our progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19 possible. ACPHD continues to monitor closely the data and five indicators for measuring our progress towards slowing the spread of COVID-19.  

For additional guidance on the new order, please visit ACPHD’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage 

Upcoming Workshop on Small Business COVID-19 Credit Repair 

The Alameda County Community Development Agency (CDA) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Alameda County are hosting a Small Business COVID-19 Credit Repair workshop on Thursday, May 28, 2020 from 11 AM-2 PMRSVP here. 

This virtual webinar will cover topics such as understanding their credit, how to fix their credit, and how to settle your debt.  

Expanding Food as Medicine in Alameda County 

I am proud to sponsor AB 3118 (Bonta) Medically Supportive Foodwhich will create an innovate 3-year pilot program for Medi-Cal to cover healthy foods as medical interventions. I am excited to share that the bill passed out of the Assembly Health Committee on Monday! 

This bill’s pilot program expands on ALL IN Alameda County’s existing Food as Medicine work where clinicians, local growers, and food banks have partnered to provide food prescriptions and healthy food boxes to low-income patients with chronic, diet-related conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. AB 3118’s pilot builds on this model by including these medically supportive food interventions as a covered insurance benefit. In addition, AB 3118 includes a preference for California grown produce, which supports our local food economy and provides the opportunity for increased revenue for our small, urban farms.  

The impacts of COVID-19 disproportionately impact communities of color because of increased exposure and underlying health disparities. The COVID-19 curve is only exacerbating the curves of poverty in Alameda County. By making Medically Supportive Foods a covered benefit in Alameda County, we can flatten the COVID curve and the other systemic curves of chronic disease, food insecurity, and structural racism. During these critical times, we must ensure that our policies not only address COVID-19 but also address structural inequities for our most marginalized. 

Local Resources for Small Businesses 

Economic development departments throughout Alameda County provide small business owners, employees, and residents with resources and information on supporting the local economy during the Shelter in Place orders.  

  • Unincorporated Alameda County
    The Alameda County Economic and Community Development Department’s (ECD) COVID-19 Small Business Response Resources page offers information on resources available for small business owners and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, ECD’s website includes a list of businesses in the unincorporated areas of Alameda County that are open for takeout and delivery.  
  • City of Alameda: 
    The 
    City of Alameda’s dedicated COVID-19 page provides information on resources to support businesses and workers, as well as information for residents on open restaurants and essential businesses in Alameda.  
  • City of San Leandro: 
    The City of San Leandro’s 
    COVID-19 Business Resources page provides local business owners with resources to support their businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to the city’s resource page, the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce maintains a list of San Leandro businesses open during the Shelter in Place orders.  
  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Alameda County (covering all cities & unincorporated areas in Alameda County)
    The SBDC of Alameda County’s COVID-19 resource page includes publications from SBDC on coping with COVID-19 and understanding state and federal guidelines. In addition to these publications, SBDC offers online webinars to support small business owners and a weekly town hall with updates from experienced professionals and attorneys 

To apply for federal small business loans, please visit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 guidance and loan resources page 

Feeding the Community and Supporting Local Restaurants 

In an effort to support first responders, health care workers, and food insecure residents, small local restaurants have teamed up with community volunteers to provide meals to populations in need. These volunteers and organizations purchase meals from local restaurants and provide them to communities in need.  

Good Good Eatz: Good Good Eatz supports restaurants in Oakland’s Chinatown neighborhood – many of whom have suffered economic hardships stemming from anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic – and provides meals to both first responders and unhoused communities.  

East Bay FeedER: East Bay FeedER purchases meals from small businesses and distributes the meals at Emergency Rooms in the East Bay to feed our frontline health care workers.  

Apply for California Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI)

On Monday, Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB) began distributing funds for the DRAI program. This State program provides one-time financial assistance to undocumented immigrants in California. CCEB is now accepting applications from residents of Alameda County.

Applications are only accepted over the phone at 1-866-490-3899. While call volume is very high, CCEB encourages applicants to be persistent in calling the toll-free number until they get through to a staff member who can process your application.

You must provide information and documents to verify your identity, your address, and to show you have been impacted by COVID-19. More information will be available after you call the toll-free number.

For more information, visit CCEB's dedicated DRAI page

Stay Informed

For updates on COVID-19, visit one of the following dedicate web pages from trusted public health agencies:

Governor Gavin Newsom's Daily Updates
Gov. Newsom provides daily briefings at 12 PM on the Governor’s official Facebook and Twitter pages. You do not need an account to view the briefings on either platform.  

Public Comment Procedures for Board of Supervisors Meetings During Shelter in Place

Procedures for Board of Supervisors meetings are subject to change to improve videoconferencing tools. Please check the Board of Supervisors' website for the most up-to-date guidelines.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors will continue to conduct essential government business at our regularly scheduled Board meetings.

While in-person participation is limited to essential personnel, we are committed to providing the public with live broadcast and remote opportunities to participate in public comment during the Shelter in Place order. The following guidelines allow for public participation in Board meetings while following safe social distancing practices:

Remote Viewing/Listening:
Members of the public who wish to watch the Board of Supervisors meetings, are encouraged to view the live stream online at: 
http://acgov.org/board/broadcast.htm.

We recommend against using Internet Explorer to view the meetings. We recommend using Google Chrome or other browsers to view the meetings.

Public Comment via Teleconference:
Members of the public may address the Board of Supervisors on a matter on the agenda or during the Public Input portion of the meeting on a matter not on the agenda but is an issue within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction.

To observe the meeting by video conference, please click on this link to join the webinar at the noticed meeting time.

  • If you are using a laptop:
    Use the "Raise Hand" button to indicate you would like to speak or provide public comment. When you are called to speak, unmute your speaker.
  • If you are listening to the meeting by phone:
    Use the numbers listed on the Zoom/Teleconferencing Guidelines. 
    Dial *9 to raise your hand to speak.
    If you decide not speak, you may hang up and dial back into the meeting or simply notify the Clerk you do not wish to speak when you are unmuted and asked to speak.

Written Comment (accepted until the start of the meeting at 9:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted on the meeting agenda).

To provide written comment on an item on the agenda or to address the Board about an issue during Public Input, you may send an email to CBS@acgov.org.

Please include your name and note the agenda item number you want to address or whether you intend for comment to be included in Public Input. Copies of all written comments will be provided to the Board Members and will be added to the official record.

ADA Accessibility: If you require a reasonable modification or accommodation for a disability, please email the Clerk of the Board at CBS@acgov.org or call (510) 208-4949.

Community Resources

I am committed to ensuring District 3 residents receive the services and supports they need. My District Office team is available to provide information on resources and connect you to services. Please contact my Main Office at 
510-272-6693 for further assistance.

Alameda County Care Connect has provided the community with a COVID-19 Rapid Response Resource Guide, which will be updated on a weekly basis. This document provides information on numerous services available from local, state, and federal government agencies, public transportation agencies, and utility companies. 


Food Access Resources

  • Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB): ACCFB’s helpline can help connect you to a source for groceries or a hot meal today. Call the helpline at 1-800-870-FOOD (3663) or 1-510-635-3663. The helpline is available in multiple languages and operates Monday-Friday, 9 AM-4 PM. You can also visit FoodNow.net for an online directory of food distribution sites near you. 
  • School Meals: The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) maintains a list of school districts in Alameda County that offer free meals to families who have children enrolled in the district’s schools. Visit ACOE’s “Meal Service by District” page for more information on your child’s school district. 

Resources for Immigrant Communities

  • Oakland Undocumented Relief (OUR) Fund: Offers financial support for immigrant Oaklanders who have lost income due to COVID-19. To apply for or donate to OUR Fund, visit Centro Legal’s website
  • Legal Aid at Work (Ayuda Legal Laboral) Resource Guide: offers a list of financial services available to undocumented workers in California who have been impacted by COVID-19. This resource guide is updated on a weekly basis and is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. 
  • Immigrants Rising resource guide provides a list of resources available for undocumented immigrants. Recursos para inmigrantes sobre COVID-19 en español—utilice este enlace
  • California Immigrant Policy Center’s (CPIC) COVID-19 Resource Guide provides information on accessing health care, obtaining information on COVID-19 in multiple languages, economic resources, and information on immigration rights.