Update from Kate
GRADUAL REOPENING CONTINUES IN MARIN
Please Share Widely:
District 3 Residents,
Another week has passed and the COVID-19 case, hospitalization, and death rates in Marin County have remained steady. This is heartening, and it is thanks to everyone’s due diligence over these many weeks: sheltering-in-place, practicing good hand hygiene and social distancing, and wearing face coverings. Knowing that we have “flattened the curve,” many in our community would like to see the Shelter-in-Place (SIP) Order relaxed or removed altogether. However, it is imperative that we continue to practice caution. In a short video from earlier this week, Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County Public Health Officer, explains why.
Today, Dr. Willis issued an updated COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place (SIP) Order. Beginning on Monday, May 18, retail businesses that implement specific measures will be allowed to offer curbside pick-up. Guidance for curbside retailers can be found on the retail page of the Marin Recovers website.
Meanwhile, efforts continue to develop guidelines for a safe reopening of our economy and community. Working groups composed of industry leaders and public health advisors are developing industry-specific guidelines. Please visit the Marin Recovers website and subscribe to receive email notifications as new information comes available.
Also effective this coming Monday, the Public Health Officer relaxed the Parks Closure Order to allow certain county and local parks to re-open their parking lots. It will be up to the individual jurisdictions to determine which parks to open and when. More information on this can be found in this County press release. To see which parks will be re-opening, please visit the Marin County Parks website.
Our Public Health Department continues to monitor our progress toward recovery. This new website is a helpful tool for tracking the five indicators of COVID-19 (cases and hospitalization, hospital capacity, testing, case investigation and contact tracing, and personal protective equipment) and our local progress toward containing it. Dr. Willis explains these indicators and our progress to-date in this video. The good news is that we can be cautiously optimistic: we are making excellent progress on our goals. At the same time, we must remember that these variables can change over time, and we might need to see certain metrics sustained at a particular level for a particular amount of time before considering the goal “achieved.”
It is so important to remember that COVID-19 is still with us, and many in our community are highly vulnerable. Please continue to do your part: stay home except for essential trips to the grocery store or pharmacy, or if you are an essential worker. Continue to stay in your neighborhood as much as possible, and drive to your favorite park as a special treat once in a while. And always practice social distancing, wear a face covering, and practice good hand hygiene. We are on our way to recovery, but we are not there yet.
Wishing you good health,
Kate
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