 Find a Cool Space Indoors during this Heat Wave
We are in the middle of an Excessive Heat Warning and we want everyone to be safe! The County website has this list of indoor cooling centers, each with their own operating hours and restrictions. With conditions constantly in flux due to COVID-19, be sure to call the venue before visiting. Seniors can also take advantage of the Senior Information and Assistance Hotline at 1-800-510-2020.
Please stay inside as much as possible, especially during the hottest time of day between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Limit your exposure to the sun, and if you do go outside, take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water, find shade, and wear light clothing and a hat.
Children, older adults, and pets tend to be more vulnerable to extreme heat, so monitor family members and check-in with friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they’re okay. This is especially important for those that don’t have air conditioning.
State Issues Guidance for Youth Sports
On Aug. 5 the California Department of Public Health issued new guidance for youth sports, designed to maintain a safe environment for student-athletes, coaches, trainers, families, spectators and facility managers.
The new rules apply to school sports, club sports and recreational programs, and they forbid activities that require close contact or promote congregating, including high-risk events such as competitions and tournaments. Teams or classes that are limited to a “stable cohort” may gather for training and conditioning, so long as they remain outdoors and maintain physical distancing (six feet or more).
While the guidance does not ban indoor workouts statewide, indoor activities are not allowed in those counties currently on the state Monitoring List (such as San Bernardino County). In these counties, indoor gyms and fitness centers are under state orders to remain closed until the county can come off the Monitoring List.
Adult team sports are still not allowed in California, with the exception of professional teams.
“Unless you are involved in non-team sports, the best alternative for young athletes is conditioning and training exercises that allow for distancing,” said Corwin Porter, Director of Public Health for San Bernardino County. “All of us recognize how difficult these state restrictions are for our youth, but the alternative is possibly spreading the virus and bringing it home to family members.”
 Too Hot to Cook? Get Take Out from a New Restaurant
A heat wave is the perfect excuse to give your oven a break, and maybe try something new from the many restaurants we have here in San Bernardino County.
To support our local economy, the Economic Development team has created an interactive map to showcase our many local restaurants. Take time today to visit our online “Eat Local WebMap” to find your new favorite eatery!
If you are restaurant owner or operator, it’s easy to be included by filling out our easy Eat Local WebMap survey.
 Coin Shortages: An Unexpected Consequence of COVID
If you’ve recently visited a grocery store or restaurant, you may have noticed that businesses are asking customers to provide exact change or use a card to pay for their transaction. This trend isn’t unique to San Bernardino County -- across the nation businesses are struggling to provide adequate change due to a national coin shortage.
According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, business and bank closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly disrupted the supply chain and normal circulation for coins. In addition, early stay-at-home safety orders for employees of the Fed also caused coin production to slow down.
It is unclear when the issue will be resolved, but the Fed has been working with industry sectors and banks to take steps to ease the shortage.
In early June, the Fed began imposing strict limits on bank requests for dimes, nickels, quarters, and pennies, as part of a “temporary coin order allocation.” Large retailers such as Walmart have adapted to this shortage by retrofitting self-checkout registers to card-only, and many small businesses are asking for exact change or card payments. Kroger markets (e.g. Ralphs), ask customers if their change can be applied to their customer loyalty card.
San Manuel Casino took a novel approach to the shortage, announcing a Flip Your Coins Into Cash promotion, whereby patrons that exchange coins can receive gaming credits.
Along with the temporary coin order allocation, the Fed announced the formation of a U.S. Coin Task Force. The goal of the task force is to identify, implement, and promote actions to address circulation disruptions caused by COVID-19. The Fed also returned to full staffing and is operating at full production capacity, upping its usual production of coins to eventually make up the temporary deficit.
If you would like to do your part in assisting with the shortage, now would be an excellent time to collect coins lying around your house and exchange them for dollars or rewards at a local Coinstar Kiosk. You can also check in with your bank or credit union and see if they are offering rewards for exchanging coins for dollars or reward cards.
Free Webinars Hosted by the Workforce Development Board
San Bernardino County’s Workforce Development Board has partnered with regional business experts to provide employers in San Bernardino County access to free and informative business webinars. A number of topics are scheduled for August. To see what is coming up and to register, go to https://wp.sbcounty.gov/workforce/events/
Register now for these upcoming webinars:
In addition, the County is still offering COVID-Compliant Business Partnership informational webinars for anyone interested in joining. Learn more and get your questions answered at either of these two upcoming events.
County Jail Update; One Additional Sheriff’s Employee
A total of 289 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. To date, 267 inmates have recovered from the illness.
All inmates continue to be provided with face coverings, cleaning supplies, soap, and are urged to wash their hands repeatedly throughout the day. They are routinely reminded of the need to practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19.
One additional department employee has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home. A total of 164 department employees have tested positive; with 152 employees recovered from the virus.
Latest Stats
42,150 Confirmed Cases (up 1.4% from the previous day)
616 Deaths (up 8.5% from the previous day)
324,476 Tested (up 0.9% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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