RivCo COVID-19 Update - Issued October 16, 2020
 Riverside County is being allowed to remain in the red tier for at least week after local officials requested more time to improve the metrics and avoid moving back to the most restrictive tier.
State officials on Tuesday announced that Riverside County would stay in the red tier during the “adjudication process” and see whether the county can reduce its case rate – cases per 100,000 people – and meet the metrics to remain in the red tier. Riverside County officials requested the delay as the county’s metrics showed an increase in case and positivity rates that could push it into the more restrictive purple tier.
Late last month, Riverside County moved from purple to red tier because it met the criteria for positivity and case rates. Counties are placed within the red tier because of their daily case rate (must be lower than seven new cases per 100,000 population) and positivity rate (lower than eight percent). The state adjusts the case rate higher for counties that are not meeting the state’s daily average testing volume, which brought Riverside County’s case rate above seven per 100,000 last week.
Riverside County officials say the return to purple will adversely impact small businesses like restaurants and gyms which were able to provide indoor services after previously being restricted to only outdoor activities in the more restrictive tier.
  As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, voting will be different this year to accommodate for social distancing.
All registered voters in California were mailed vote by mail ballots. In Riverside County, ballots started going out by mail on Oct. 5, with the final mailings on Oct. 9. There are three ways to cast, or return, ballots this year: through the mail, at a drop off site or in a voter assistance center.
First, ballots can be returned through the U.S. Postal Service mail system in the pre-paid envelope provided with the ballot. Envelopes must be signed by the voter. All ballots postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received up to 17 days after the election will be counted.
Second, ballots can be cast at any one of the 80 ballot drop off locations, including specific city halls, libraries and community centers. These drop off locations are already accepting ballots throughout Riverside County.
Lastly, if someone requires in person assistance with their ballot, such as a need for a replacement ballot or to use the ballot marking machine, a voter may visit an in-person voter assistance center from Oct. 31 – Nov. 3. Unlike polling places, voters are not assigned to a specific location and may visit any one of the 130 voter assistance centers. Visit VoteInfo.net for a complete listing of all voter assistance centers in Riverside County.
 Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari provided an important data update that looked at the excess mortality rate in Riverside County.
The analysis looked at the number of deaths that have occurred over a period of time. The findings concluded that Riverside County has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of deaths between 2015-2019 within the same time frame.
Saruwatari noted that the coronavirus pandemic has played a role in the increase and encouraged residents to “stay the course” and continue to wash hands, wear a mask and stay six feet apart from others.
For continued coronavirus updates, visit www.rivcoph.org/coronavirus.
 Riverside County health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated against influenza and have planned three drive-up flu-shot clinics at different locations throughout the county.
The first drive-up clinic is Friday (Oct. 16) at the Lake Elsinore Stadium; the second is Monday (Oct. 19) at the old Sears location in Riverside (5265 Arlington Ave.); and the third is Oct. 26 at the Indio Fairgrounds.
All three clinics start at 9 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. There is no cost and no appointment necessary.
In late September, a man in his 80s from the San Jacinto Valley was reported as Riverside County’s first flu-related death of the 2020-21 flu season. There were eight flu-related deaths in the 2019-20 flu season and nine deaths in 2018-2019 for residents under age 65, which is the required age range for reporting by California Department of Public Health.
Flu season comes as health officials and the community cope with the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 1,200 lives in Riverside County. There have been more than 62,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county and 56,000 recoveries.
For more information about influenza, click www.rivcoimm.org.
 Feeling "zoomed" out lately? Not to worry, you are not alone.
Although working from home has long been a sought-after perk for many, a new occupational hazard associated with telework has emerged. Labeled as “Zoom fatigue,” it is a catch-all phrase that is meant to explain the exhaustion that occurs from hopping from one video call to the next during the workday.
One of the reasons why Zoom fatigue or video call burnout occurs is that we rely on visual cues to follow conversations, but when staring at a gallery view of multiple faces, with lag time, makes watching for those clues an enormous effort that can trigger mental exhaustion.
What to do?
- Keep meetings brief.
- Try not to schedule back-to-back calls.
- Take a break away from screen between meetings.
- Focus on listening and taking notes by hand rather than doing “double screen duty”.
- Make sure your home office feels different than your living space.
Some experts suggest that Zoom fatigue can eventually lead to job burnout.
Job burnout syndrome, while not a specific medical diagnosis according to the World Health Organization, is an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
Symptoms can include energy depletion, depression, cynicism and excessive stress or anxiety levels.
Workplace burnout of any kind can also be aggravated by external factors as well. The Mayo Clinic suggests that work-life balance, extremes of activity, and lack of social support can contribute. All of this can point to the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the massive changes we all have gone through in what seems like a short amount of time.
Several ways to alleviate burnout include discussing concerns with a supervisor, seeking support, getting exercise, practicing good sleep hygiene and trying a relaxing activity.
It is also recommended that those whose symptoms are interfering with their work performance or sense of well-being consider reaching out to a mental health professional.
 Riverside County residents need to be tested for coronavirus to help the county continue to advance in the state's reopening metrics, and help slow the spread of the virus.
Coronavirus tests for active infections slows the spread of the disease by identifying infected individuals who can then be isolated as well as their close contacts. This process disrupts the disease, slows the spread of the disease and preserves space in our acute care hospitals.
While Riverside County has the volume to test 4,000 people a day, less than half that number have been getting tested at county and state testing sites in recent weeks. There are also mobile teams that support testing in specific communities, businesses or organizations by testing for one or two days.
Testing is free. There are 12 testing sites spread throughout Riverside County, both walk-in and drive-up services. To find locations and make an appointment, go online to gettested.ruhealth.org. For a list of COVID-19 test sites throughout California, click https://covid19.ca.gov/get-tested/
 Riverside County households that receive CalFresh should look for a seventh round of supplemental benefits to arrive Sunday, Oct. 18, as the state works to eases economic hardships from the coronavirus pandemic.
The CalFresh Program, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), improves the health and wellbeing of recipients by supporting access to healthy food. The extra benefits also help the community. For every CalFresh dollar spent, $1.79 is generated in local economic activity, according to the California Department of Social Services.
The benefit will be automatically deposited Sunday onto customers’ Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The state will issue another supplemental benefit November 15.
Qualified households could qualify for the maximum allowable benefit during the pandemic. For example, a household of two that typically receives $53 in CalFresh benefits could be temporarily eligible to receive the monthly maximum of $355.
Since April, the state has dispersed more than $82 million in supplemental allotments to about 75,000 households in Riverside County.
Customers can apply at GetCalFresh.org or by calling the DPSS Customer Service Center at 1-877-410-8827.
Since the end of April, CalFresh customers have been able to use their benefits on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to buy groceries online at Amazon and Walmart.
 More than 500 job seekers connected with dozens of prospective employers on Thursday (Oct. 15) during the 25th Annual Valley-Wide Employment Expo, which moved this year to an online platform to deter the spread of coronavirus.
Applicants who registered for free visited local businesses in digital booths, viewed available jobs and networked with some 45 employers. More than 2,500 job opportunities in the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas were offered.
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) was one of the participating employers. The statewide program pays in-home caregivers to support senior and disabled individuals. The Riverside County Public Authority has 1,000 IHSS positions open that it hoped to help fill during the day.
“We are expanding our registry as the need for in-home caregivers continues to soar, especially in communities with high needs such as the Coachella Valley”, said Eva Krottmayer, executive director of IHSS Public Authority.
Riverside County has a growing aging population with approximately 33,000 caregivers serving more than 39,200 seniors and dependent adults.
Krottmayer says even those unable to attend the job expo can get more information at RiversideIHSS.org and apply by calling 888-960-4477.
 The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has released guidance for Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations.
This guidance outlines safer alternative ways to celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Read: Ideas for SAFELY celebrating Halloween and Día de los Muertos
COVID-19 continues to pose a severe risk to communities and requires all Californians to follow necessary precautions in light of this ongoing risk. Some of the traditional holiday activities promote congregating and mixing of households, which increase the risk of transmitting COVID-19.
School sites have inquired about the feasibility of car parades through a campus: those activities could be supported provided that there is minimal to no different household member mixing in a particular vehicle, and that the parade route does not facilitate or promote congregating on a campus.
Questions? Email chawebmaster@ruhealth.org.
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