RivCo COVID-19 Update - Issued December 23, 2020
  Healthcare and frontline workers are currently receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a process that began Thursday, Dec. 17 in Riverside County.
Read: Vaccination distribution phases in Riverside County
The vaccinations will be achieved in phases and over the course of several months. The timeline of who receives the vaccine and when will be determined by a number of factors, including the projected arrival and amount of vaccines provided to Riverside County.
High risk individuals, such as the elderly and those living in congregant care organizations are part of Phase 2.
It will take some time before the vaccine is available to everyone, and while experts learn more about the protection vaccines provide, it’s important to keep using all the tools available to help stop the pandemic. This includes wearing masks, washing hands and staying 6 feet apart.
For updated information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine
For questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, call 833.502.1245 or email COVIDCallCenter@CDPH.ca.gov. You may also email: rivco.vaccines@ruhealth.org.
 Riverside County social workers on Monday delivered holiday bags loaded with goodies and gifts to Anahi Reyes and 160 young adults who are preparing to leave foster care for independent living.
Outside her apartment, Anahi, 20, said youth in foster care can experience feelings of isolation during the holidays when celebrations center on family gatherings. This year, she said she thinks the pandemic has increased those feelings of isolation and loneliness even more.
Anahi and her brother Gerardo, 19, are just two of hundreds of Riverside County youth you have chosen to participate in Extended Foster Care. Foster youth can choose to exit at 18, however the extended program helps young adults between age 18 and 21 learn life skills, including budgeting, job assistance and finding community resources.
Church groups and community organizations contributed to the gift bags, which traditionally have been shared at a sit-down holiday dinner.
Older youth and young adults in foster care overcome significant obstacles to successfully transition to adulthood, said Charity Douglas, assistant director of Children’s Services, a division of the county’s Department of Public Social Services.
 Riverside County residents who are enrolled in the CalFresh program saw another round of emergency food assistance show up Sunday, Dec. 20 on their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.
Nearly $113 million in emergency food assistance has been issued to approximately 75,000 households in Riverside County since the pandemic began in March. CalFresh improves the health and well-being of low-income children and adult recipients by providing food-purchasing assistance.
Qualified households are eligible for the maximum CalFresh benefit. For example, a household of two that typically receives $53 in CalFresh benefits could be temporarily eligible to receive the monthly maximum of $374.
Another emergency allotment is scheduled for Jan. 10. The average CalFresh customer receives an extra $190 in emergency benefits at each distribution. The extra benefits are needed to sustain households hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic.
Anyone can apply for CalFresh by visiting GetCalFresh.org, the C4Yourself mobile app or by calling the DPSS Customer Service Center at 1-877-410-8827.
 During this time of the pandemic crisis, it’s understandable that some people may feel hesitant to step into an emergency department.
However, health officials urge that if you are having a medical emergency, you must not delay your care. Doing so could only make matters worse for your health.
The good news is, California hospitals are doing everything necessary to keep patients and health care workers safe from the spread of COVID-19.
So, wash your hands, socially distance and go to the hospital if you have symptoms of heart attack, stroke or another medical emergency.
 Riverside County’s mobile testing team and the Desert Healthcare Foundation are partnering to provide community COVID testing and education at churches in Cathedral City and Blythe this weekend.
Coronavirus testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, December 26 at the St. Louis Catholic Church in Cathedral City, 68-633 C St. A testing event will also be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, December 27 at the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Blythe, 875 E Chanslor Way.
Testing is open to anyone. Appointments are encouraged and can be made through the following links:
Cathedral City (Dec. 26), http://bit.ly/StLouisTesting
Blythe (Dec. 27), http://bit.ly/StJoanofArcTesting
All residents are encouraged to get tested, which helps public health officials identify cases and ultimately slow the spread of the virus by more effectively isolating those who are COVID-positive so they can recover without passing the virus to others. Testing is for everyone, regardless of immigration status, insurance, or whether one has symptoms or not. There is no charge to the individual.
Testing should not be done in order to gather for the holidays. A negative test result is only from the point of time one got tested and the virus could be incubating. One can still catch COVID-19 from people who are COVID-positive and may not know it. As the hospitals are under immense strain, it is important everyone keep their guard up and follow the public health requirements.
These temporary testing locations supplement the testing site at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio, and state-operated testing sites at the Palm Springs Convention Center and in Desert Hot Springs. Riverside County residents are also getting tested at pharmacies, community health centers, nonprofit health clinics, hospitals, private testing sites and urgent cares.
The Riverside County mobile testing team and Desert Healthcare Foundation are also conducting testing at Oasis Mobile Home Park today, Wednesday, December 23, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for residents. This event is an effort to prevent outbreaks, amid concerns of rising case numbers throughout the eastern Coachella Valley.
For information on testing and county and state-operated testing sites, visit https://gettested.ruhealth.org.
 Dozens of local children received a happy holiday surprise this year as part of Community Action Partnership’s (CAP) annual bike giveaway.
Families were invited to nominate a child 17 and younger who would benefit from a new bicycle by submitting an application to CAP offices.
The 2020 Holiday Bike Giveaway gifted 54 Riverside County kids with a new bicycle and a helmet, courtesy of a partnership with Bicycles for Children. Public Health’s Injury Prevention Services program provided a virtual bike safety training to offer guidance to each child receiving a bike.
All the bicycles were delivered to their homes just in time for Christmas.
To learn more about Community Action Partnership of Riverside County and its programs, visit www.capriverside.org.
 One of 2020’s biggest lessons has been how important it is to be kind to ourselves when things are hard. Self-care is an important part of moving through grief, getting through difficult times, and restoring yourself so that you can show up for others.
Now, during the holiday season, is a good time to check in on your self-care routine and see what additions or changes you can make. To get started, check out the self-care resources below and keep these tips in mind:
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Have fun. Pick self-care strategies that seem fun, not things you think you “should” do. You’re more likely to do things that make you happy, and when you’re happy you’re more likely to do things that make you healthy.
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Link up. Try adding your new habit to something that you already do routinely, like doing a 1-minute meditation after you brush your teeth or taking a walk around the block after you get out of your car.
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Make a safety net. There will be days when you just can’t. The important thing is not to “keep doing all the things” -- that just makes self-care another stressor. Instead make yourself a list of nearly automatic things you can do to help yourself. What matters is that you keep the habit of caring for yourself in some way as a regular practice.
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Experience joy. Consciously experience small moments of joy. Research has found that small moments of positivity, the little things that make us happy throughout the day, can accumulate over time. A quick smile, a good laugh, a friendly hello, feeling touched by a kind word or gesture together form new pathways in our brains and, as a result, feelings of positivity and gratitude become easier the more we practice.
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Have a plan. For individuals with mental health challenges, and people recovering from trauma or living with chronic health conditions, a more comprehensive self-care planning approach may be helpful. Try Wellness Recovery Action Planning developed by Dr. Mary Ellen Copeland.
Each Mind Matters is offered courtesy of Tom Peterson, public information officer with Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health.
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