Update from Kate
SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER FOR MAY 4 - MAY 31
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Dear District 3 Residents,
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation over the past six weeks as we have all had to learn how to adjust to the new normal of living during a pandemic. Let's take a moment to reflect on what we have achieved as a result of our good efforts:
- By practicing social distancing, we have helped to slow the increase of new cases and prevent medical surge.
- By flattening the curve, we have given our health care system and response team the time to expand surge capacity.
- We’ve secured temporary lodging for our most vulnerable and are increasing both our testing and contact tracing capability.
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. When we come together as a community, we can achieve great things!
Our good work must continue. Looking forward, we all need to continue to practice patience and understanding as we continue to Shelter-In-Place (SIP) during the month of May.
Last week, Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer, recorded this 6-minute video statement where he describes what the new Order contains. He also talks about a new effort called Marin Recovers, where health care leaders, government, and business will come together to collaboratively develop a plan to reopen our economy over time (more on this below).
Please continue reading for more information about:
On April 29, Marin County's Public Health Officer, Dr. Matt Willis, released the details of a new Shelter-in-Place (SIP) Order that is effective today and extends through May 31. There is a good summary of the Order in this press release.
The general message remains the same: we need to remain at home, sheltering in place, except for essential trips (for example, to the grocery store or pharmacy) or essential business. When we are outside our homes for these activities, or to take a walk in our own neighborhood for a bit of fresh air and exercise, we must continue to wear a face covering like a bandanna, scarf, or cloth mask.
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That said, there are a few areas where the new Order relaxes a bit. Construction activities are able to resume, with specific requirements and restrictions. Certain outdoor businesses can operate again, including nurseries, landscapers, and gardeners. Some recreation activities are now permitted, again, with specific rules.
If you'd like to know more, please visit the Marin Health & Human Services COVID-19 website where you can find the full Order and an executive summary, as well as related documents on the closure of parks, short-term rentals, face coverings, and the Marin Recovers Industry Advisors initiative. The FAQs website is also being updated to reflect common questions about the new SIP Order.
Taking this initial, measured step of easing certain restrictions sets the stage for us to be able to gradually resume more activities over time. There are trade-offs, of course. Easing restrictions will give some the opportunity to return to work, and will give others the opportunity to more freely exercise. On the other hand, as we go more places and interact with more people, the virus will spread and there will likely be an increase in COVID-19 cases. That said, taking an incremental approach is intended to prevent rapid, exponential growth of COVID-19 cases that could overwhelm hospitals for a particular jurisdiction or the region.
As we move through the next month, it is so important to remind ourselves that although we might not have symptoms, we may be carriers of the virus. We need to be vigilant: maintain proper hand hygiene, wear a face covering, go out only when necessary, and avoid crowds. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves, our families, and each other safe and healthy. While some won’t have any symptoms, others will get sick and recover, and still many others could die.
It is with this in mind that we proceed with caution, re-opening in a safe, measured, and well-informed manner, armed with the tools needed to contain outbreaks and protect our most vulnerable communities and essential workforce as best we can. We also need to be flexible going forward. Other countries have taken steps to re-open, and then decided to pivot back to tighter restrictions based on the public health impacts of re-opening. Re-opening may not be a linear process going forward, but a back-and-forth as we strive to find the right balance between community health and economic vitality.
The SIP Order for May 4 - May 31 brings Marin County more closely in line with the Governor’s Order for the entire state. As the State considers whether to ease its restrictions in the coming weeks and months, the County will continually re-evaluate our local Order and monitor the public health data associated with any changes that might be made.
There are many in our community that would like to see Marin further relax our local Order. The fact is we can only go so far. By law, while a local Order can be more restrictive than the State’s, it cannot be more lenient. And the Governor has been clear that he will not be significantly modifying the State Order until certain conditions have been met. Specifically: adequate and reliable testing capability state-wide, adequate contact tracing and disease monitoring capability, health care system/surge capacity, and the ability to protect vulnerable populations. All of these criteria need to be in place in order to manage life with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future.
It is also important to note that, in the area of public health at the local level, when it comes to disease outbreak/public heath emergencies, “frontline” responsibility and authority belongs to the local Public Health Officer and not the Board of Supervisors or a City/Town council.
That said, our Public Health Officer is not making decisions in a vacuum of community or political input. He is very much aware of the impact the Orders are having on our economic, social, public, and personal lives.
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COVID-19 Response Efforts and County Budget Updates
At the April 28 Board of Supervisors meeting, Dr. Matt Willis gave a comprehensive update on Marin County’s response to COVID-19. I invite you to watch this 45-minute conversation between Dr. Willis and us Supervisors. You may also be interested in some of the other topics we covered in the meeting, including an update on the County's budget outlook and plans for continued COVID-19 response. You can find the agenda and a video recording of the meeting in the BOS archive.
Caring For Our Vulnerable Populations
On April 29, the County hosted a Community Conversation Town Hall on Caring For Our Vulnerable Populations featuring Benita McLarin, Director of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Lisa Santora, Deputy Public Health Officer.
This one-hour conversation was rich with information on what the County is doing to support our most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please watch the video on YouTube or Facebook.
You can also read this news release to learn more about the County of Marin’s response and efforts in this area.
Marin Recovers: A Multi-Sector Industry Advisors Working Group
In anticipation of the Governor beginning to ease restrictions in phases over the coming weeks and months, providing room for us to ease our own local restrictions, the County is launching Marin Recovers Industry Advisors, a multi-sector (public and private) working group that will bring business experts together to share input and sector knowledge to inform decisions about how to move forward with a safe, socially- and economically-sensitive recovery/reopening plan.
In addition to industry feedback, residents have access to a new online resource that provides step-by-step guidance on the gradual return to normalcy. The website, MarinRecovers.com, connects Marin County residents, business owners, community leaders, and public health professionals to collaborate on re-opening the economy and community in a safe manner.
A public comment form allows individuals to provide feedback to advisory groups that are leading the Marin Recovers initiative. Group members will work within each industry sector to develop guidance about how to re-open operations safely, educate business owners and the community, and update content on MarinRecovers.com.
For more information on this initiative, read today's press release or watch the introductory video. Download a PDF of the Marin County COVID-19 Recovery Plan in English or Spanish.
I want to acknowledge that six weeks of sheltering in place can take a toll on us emotionally, physically, and financially - and we have another month ahead of us. Many of us are already feeling uneasy, frustrated, isolated, bored, and a plethora of other emotions related to the realities of sheltering in place, social and physical distancing, and the closure of our economy.
If you are stressed, feeling hopeless, or want connection or help, know that we are all in this together and there are resources available. Please reach out to your friends, family, neighbors, my office, the County's COVID-19 team, or any of a number of community resources:
- Whistlestop Caring Calls: 415-456-9062
- Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Access Line: 1-888-818-1115
- Crisis Stabilization Unit: 415-473-6666
- California Peer Run Warmline: 855-845-7415
- Community Action Marin Peer Support Warmline (9am to Midnight, 7 days a week): 415-459-6330
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
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