Contra Costa Contra Costa to Postpone COVID-19 Reopening Timeline
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Bay Area Residents Urged to Stay Home, Stay Safe from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July With COVID-19 spreading rapidly in many Bay Area neighborhoods, health officials across the region urge residents to protect themselves and the community by celebrating from home this holiday weekend. The Fourth of July is traditionally a time for firework displays, cookouts and parades, but this year the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many communities to cancel public events. Gatherings with others from outside your household, such as members of the extended family, are potentially risky. Health officers from across the greater Bay Area say staying home this year is a healthy choice. “Nobody wants to be cooped up, or to miss out on the holiday,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer. “But the more we come together in groups, the more COVID-19 spreads in the community. And the more it spreads, the more it endangers older adults and others at high risk of serious illness.” You can spread COVID-19 even if you don’t feel that sick. You can pass the disease to someone else before you have symptoms, and even if you never develop any symptoms at all. When infected people come in contact with others who are high-risk, there can be deadly consequences. That is why Bay Area health officers recommend people who are not members of the same household remain physically distant. The best ways to protect yourself and slow the spread of COVID-19 include: - Continuing to stay home as much as possible
- Practicing physical distancing outside the home
- Wearing face coverings or masks when outside your home
- Avoiding gatherings with people outside your immediate household
- Washing your hands thoroughly and frequently
- Staying home from work, school or daycare if you feel sick
All Bay Area residents are also encouraged to get tested for COVID-19, and to do so immediately if they have symptoms. Check with your local health department for more information about testing and about efforts in your community to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please visit cchealth.org/coronavirus. |
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Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services
- Places for Seniors and People with Disabilities to COOL OFF
- To cool off on days of extreme heat, Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) has the below locations open. Please note that during the COVID-19 shelter in place, EHSD’s regular programs and services are currently NOT available at these offices.
Currently open from May 27 – 29, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Water and charging stations available. EHSD District Office | 4545 Delta Fair Blvd. | Antioch | | EHSD District Office | 400 Ellinwood Way | Pleasant Hill | | EHSD District Office | 151 Linus Pauling | Hercules | | EHSD District Office | 1305 Macdonald | Richmond | |
Social distancing and face covering requirements are in place at the above locations. Capacity may be limited in order to comply with County health orders. DO NOT go to any of these places to cool off if you have been exposed to or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been ordered to quarantine. All visitors to EHSD offices will be asked screening questions before they can enter the buildings. For further information, please call Information & Assistance at 1(800) 510-2020 (from within Contra Costa County, using a land line) or (925) 229-8434 (when using a cell phone or from outside Contra Costa County)
Contra Costa County Extends a Modified Ordinance for Eviction Protection and Rent Freeze
At a special Board meeting on May 26, 2020, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an urgency ordinance that continues an eviction moratorium for residential tenants and small businesses in the County through July 15, 2020. The urgency ordinance also continues a moratorium on certain residential rent increases through July 15, 2020. The new ordinance temporarily prohibits evictions of residential tenants in Contra Costa County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The eviction moratorium also applies to tenants who are small businesses or non-profit organizations. A small business is an independently owned and operated business that is not dominant in its field of operation, has its principal office in California, has 100 or fewer employees, and has average annual gross receipts of $15 million or less over the previous three years. “The economic difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have not gone away. The fear of eviction brought on by job losses remains a real one for many of our residents,” said Supervisor Candace Andersen, Board Chair. “We hope the passage of this new ordinance continues to protect renters and small businesses, including nonprofit organizations, against eviction and the freeze on rent increases will give residents the support they need during this unprecedented emergency.” “We continue to recognize the impact on landlords and urge them to work together with tenants to have the owed rent paid over a longer period of time,” said Supervisor Andersen. “We’re counting on renters to pay what they can and when they can. We’re counting on landlords to do their part and to work with renters fairly.” This law applies to properties in all 19 cities in the County and in all unincorporated areas. To the extent that a city has adopted a law on the same subject matter, then its provisions would apply in that city. Protections granted to residential renters and small businesses include: - Prohibition on Evictions Due to Unpaid Rent - A property owner cannot evict a residential tenant or small business tenant for failure to pay rent if a tenant demonstrates loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19. This prohibition lasts through July 15, 2020.
- Ban on No-Fault Evictions - A property owner cannot evict a residential tenant or small business tenant for any "no-fault" reason except to protect the health and safety of the owner or another tenant, or to allow the owner or their immediate family to move into the residential unit. This ban lasts through July 15, 2020.
- Grace Period to Pay Back Rent – Residential tenants or small business tenants who demonstrate loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19 have until November 15, 2020 to pay past due rent. This does not relieve a tenant of their obligation to pay rent.
- No Late Fees – A property owner may not charge or collect late fees for unpaid rent from a residential tenant or small business tenant who demonstrates loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19. This ban on late fees extends until November 15, 2020.
- Moratorium on Residential Rent Increases – A property owner may not increase rent on a residential property through July 15, 2020. State law prevents this freeze from applying to commercial tenancies and to certain residential properties, including residences built within the last 15 years and single family homes.
Read the full document Ordinance No. 2020-16 (PDF). Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding this ordinance will be available and updated on the County website soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contra Costa Offers COVID-19 Testing for all County Residents Contra Costa is first county in Bay Area to offer testing to anyone even if they don’t have symptoms. Contra Costa County will now offer an appointment for COVID-19 testing to any resident who believes they need one, regardless of insurance, ability to pay or whether they have symptoms or not. Residents can make an appointment to visit one of eight sites throughout the county. The county is operating five drive-through testing sites while the state provides walk-up testing locations at three additional locations. Testing is available by appointment only. Call 1-844-421-0804 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily for an appointment at any Contra Costa site. Visit coronavirus.cchealth.org/testing for details about community testing, including site locations. | 