General Information
COVID-19 Shelter in Place Order (Alameda County)
Alameda County announced a new Shelter in Place order with tighter restrictions. This order was put into place to further protect the residents of Alameda County and help "flatten the curve", meaning lower the peak number of cases of COVID-19. These efforts will help to ensure our healthcare facilities can continue to treat patients that require more intensive care.
The new order comes into effect April 1, 2020 and extends through May 3, 2020. The order is subject to possible extension.
Major new restrictions include:
1. Social distancing requirements are mandatory. Unless explicitly waived, everyone must comply with the social distancing requirements AT ALL times.
2. Before Friday, April 3, 2020, essential businesses that continue to operate facilities in the County must complete, post, and implement a social distancing protocol for each facility that remains open, using the template attached to the Order.
3. Essential businesses must maximize the number of employees who work from home, excepting only those employees who cannot perform their job duties from home.
4. Essential businesses that continue to operate facilities in the County must scale down operations to their essential component only.
5. Businesses that supply products needed for people to work from home are no longer essential businesses under the Order, and must cease operations (except minimum basic operations) at facilities in the County.
6. Use of playgrounds, dog parks, public picnic areas, and similar recreational areas is prohibited. These areas must be closed to public use.
7. Use of shared public recreational facilities such as golf courses, tennis and basketball courts, pools, and rock walls is prohibited. These facilities must be closed for recreational use.
8. Sports or activities that require use of shared equipment, like frisbees, basketballs, baseballs, and soccer balls, may only be engaged in by members of the same household.
9. Most construction—residential and commercial—is prohibited. Exceptions are made for healthcare facility construction directly related to the COVID-19 response; affordable housing; public works projects when designated as essential by the lead governmental agency; shelters and temporary housing; projects necessary to provide critical services to certain vulnerable individuals; construction necessary to secure an existing construction site; and limited essential residential or business repairs.
The new Order also makes important clarifications:
1. Crowding at beaches, public parks, and open spaces has been a problem. The Health Officer, government, or entity that manages the space may adopt restrictions to reduce crowding and risk of COVID-19 transmission, including limiting number of entrants, restricting vehicular access, or complete closure.
2. Essential businesses must follow industry-specific guidance issued by the County Health Officer related to COVID-19.
3. Childcare facilities may only provide care to children or dependents of individuals working for essential businesses, providing essential governmental functions, or performing minimum basic operations for non-essential businesses.
4. Individuals may move residences only if it is not possible to wait until the Order expires, such as if a move is already planned or if it is necessary for safety or habitability.
5. Landscapers and similar service professionals may only provide services necessary to maintain the sanitation, habitability, or operation of residences or businesses, or for safety reasons. They MAY NOT provide services that are cosmetic or for general upkeep.
Read full order HERE.
As we continue to navigate this unprecedented public health crisis, please feel free to contact the District 4 office at district4@oaklandca.gov
Local - City of Oakland, Alameda County
City of Oakland Homeless Response
- Hotels for the Unsheltered Community – The Radisson is reporting 15 clients, and the Comfort Inn is reporting 23 clients at this time. Both hotels are being filled by referral only, and referral information can be found at http://www.acphd.org/2019-ncov/operation-comfort.aspx There are some challenges with people declining services at the hotel after a referral is made.
- State Trailers – 55 trailers have been received. The City expects to receive all 91 by Thursday.
- Additional Staffing & Service Needs - Shelter and service providers are concerned about staffing levels as the crisis persists. Staff continue to work on plans to address a potential gap in service delivery by utilizing volunteers and the exploring the potential activation of City staff.
Other City Resources
Updated Service Impacts and Revisions
Support for Oakland Residents
- General social service issues: 211
- Public Health issues and questions about the Shelter-in-Place order: County Public Health
- The City’s 311 phone line and OAK311 website continue to be a resource to request routine maintenance and report urgent infrastructure issues
- The City website’s COVID-19 page is updated daily with information on this rapidly evolving situation: https://bit.ly/39bhAsA
Alameda County Numbers (April 9, 2020)
As of April 9, 2020 there are a total of 713 positive cases and 17 deaths in Alameda County. The City of Berkeley has it's own Health Department.
- Alameda County: 681 cases, 16 deaths
- City of Berkeley: 31 cases, 1 deaths
- 79 hospitalized as of April 5, 43 are ICU beds
Alameda County Public Health Updates
Use of Face Coverings: Bay Area health officials are recommending residents cover their nose and mouth with cloth when leaving home for essential travel such as to doctor appointments, grocery shopping or pharmacy visits. Read the complete Press Release here.
Blanket Isolation and Quarantine Orders for COVID-19: On April 3, 2020, the Health Officer issued blanket isolation orders that will apply to all persons diagnosed with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and blanket quarantine orders that will apply to close contacts of cases.
Source: http://www.acphd.org/2019-ncov/resources/quarantine-and-isolation.aspx
AC Transit
AC Transit is implementing rear-door boarding on buses with multiple doors. Fare payment is not required until further notice.
Passengers requiring ADA ramps, utilizing mobility devices or need priority seating may continue to use the front door for boarding. Wheelchair riders may be allowed onboard without securements by bus operators.
Service Changes Effective March 31, 2020: AC Transit will begin operating a modified service schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although similar to the existing Sunday service, arrival times will differ from it.
Please continue to stay informed by checking COVID-19 service updates at www.actransit.org.
BART
Starting Wednesday, April 8, Monday-Friday service will run every 30 minutes systemwide all day, with 3-line service beginning earlier in the evening and single tracking in San Francisco starting at around 8pm.
- Effectively, every other train is being cancelled Monday-Friday.
- Weekend service remains unchanged at this time.
The online Trip Planner has been updated and PDF's of the new schedule that begins 4/8/20 are posted here https://www.bart.gov/schedules/pdf
Support our Small Businesses
I want to stress how important it is that we support our small businesses during this crisis. Please, purchase meals to-go and/or purchase gift cards for future use from local restaurants and shops. We must come together to support our local businesses!
Follow me on Facebook or Twitter to find updates and deals from our local businesses.
To see which local businesses are open check out the Small Business and Worker Resources page.
State of California
90 Day Moratorium for Mortgage Payments
March 25, Governor Newsom announced more than 200 banks, including Wells Fargo, Citi Bank, JPMorgan Chase and US Bank, agreed to the 90-day moratorium for mortgage payments.
State Response for Unsheltered Neighbors
Additionally around 4,000 hotel rooms have been activated to be used for housing the homeless statewide, 350 of which will be here in Oakland. The state is rapidly working to secure more and expand resources for our unhoused residents.
California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation COVID-19 Response
On March 24, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order directing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Secretary to temporarily halt the intake and/or transfer of inmates and youth into the state’s 35 prisons and four youth correctional facilities.
Inmates and youth that otherwise would have been transferred into the state system will remain in county custody for the next 30 days.
The Executive Order also directs the Board of Parole Hearings to develop a process to conduct all scheduled parole suitability hearings through videoconferencing starting no later than April 13, 2020, and for the next 60 days.
State of California COVID-19 Medical Supply Contributions
Please use this form to describe resources you have to contribute, either for donation or purchase, to support California’s response to COVID-19.
If you are an individual looking for an avenue to donate a smaller amount of resources, please consider donating to your local community COVID-19 response efforts.
As of April 8, 2020, there are a total of 18,309 positive cases and 492 deaths in California.
Ages of all confirmed positive cases:
- Age 0-17: 252 cases
- Age 18-49: 8,939 cases
- Age 50-64: 5,003 cases
- Age 65 and older: 4,056 cases
- Unknown/Missing: 59 cases
Gender of all confirmed positive cases:
- Female: 8,776 cases
- Male: 9,130 cases
- Unknown: 403 cases
Governor Newsom has also announced that over 1.9 million Californians have filed for unemployment since March 13th.
April 4, 2020 update: there are 13,438 positive cases and 319 deaths in California. Approximately 94,800 tests had been conducted. At least 32,944 results have been received and another 59,500 are pending as of April 1
This is a reminder that even if you do not fall under the higher risk demographic to be symptomatic for COVID19, does not mean you cannot contract the virus. It is important for everyone to remain indoors as much as possible.
Informacion por el departamento de salud publico de California
Other California News and Important Resources
Latest news
For all news go to https://covid19.ca.gov/latest-... 2, 2020) Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order Protecting Homes, Small Businesses from Water Shutoffs
(April 1, 2020) Governor Newsom Announces Agreement Between Teachers, Classified Employees and School System Management to Support Student Instruction During COVID-19 Outbreak(April 1, 2020) Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order Providing for Expedited Resources for COVID-19 Response
Important Links
National Resources
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- CDC Guidance for Retired Communities and Indepent Living
- CDC Covid-19 News Feed
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The federal government continues taking aggressive and proactive steps to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Under the direction of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, FEMA, HHS and federal partners are working with state, local, tribal and territorial governments to execute a Whole-of-America response to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the public. For the latest updates and information on how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, visit www.coronavirus.gov. Visit this FEMA page in Español