FLASH REPORT #139 – COVID-19

FLASH REPORT #139 – COVID-19 Response and Recovery

Post Date: 12/02/2020 4:00 PM

The following is information about the City of San José’s response to slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support our most at-risk communities.

SOURCE:
City of San José
Emergency Operations Center

Contact:
Carolina Camarena/Colin Heyne, City of San José Media Line: 408-535-7777
City of San José Customer Contact Center: 3-1-1 or 408-535-3500

Email:
News/Media: EOC_PIO
Residents: 311
Businesses: covid19sjbusiness
Non-Profits: covid19sjcbo

County of Santa Clara Issues Revised Health Order Directives: A recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the county puts our local health system at risk of running out of beds and exhausting our medical professionals. To keep residents healthy, the County health officer ordered more restrictions for residents and businesses, which went into effect at 12 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 30 and will stay in effect through Dec. 21. By following these requirements, we can prevent people from contracting the virus, getting sick, and spreading it to others.

BUSINESSES
There is a new Capacity Limitation Requirement:

  • Stores and other facilities open to the public will be limited to 10% capacity indoors.  
  • Grocery stores, drug stores, and pharmacies, however, will be allowed to operate at 25% capacity indoors to ensure adequate access to food and medicine. 
  • Gyms and fitness facilities remain closed for indoor operations.
  • Card rooms are closed for all operations.
  • Hotels are limited to essential travel and COVID-19-related quarantine/isolation. 
  • If your business is open to the public:
    • You must develop and implement written procedures to “meter” or track the number of people entering and exiting so the maximum capacity is not exceeded.
    • For example, an employee may be posted at each entrance to the facility to count people coming and going. 
    • You must also make sure all members of the public entering the facility who are required to wear face coverings are wearing them properly to cover both their nose and mouth.
  • Social distancing protocols submitted prior to Oct. 11 are no longer valid. The revised social distancing protocols must be filled out using an updated template at COVID19Prepared.org.

RESIDENTS:

  • Travel: Leisure and non-essential travel are strongly discouraged, and a new Mandatory Directive on Travel will require people to quarantine for 14 days upon return to the county from travel of more than 150 miles. Hotels will only be open for essential travel and quarantine.
  • Outdoor Gatherings: Certain gatherings are still allowed outdoors, with a maximum of 100 people. The State limits such gatherings to First Amendment protected activities, such as religious services or protests.
  • Professional, College and Youth Sports: All recreational activities that involve physical contact with or close proximity to persons outside one’s household, including all contact sports, will be temporarily prohibited. 
  • Here is a summary of changes under this order that apply to residents.
  • These changes will be in effect at least through Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. By complying with these health orders, we can keep ourselves and our loved ones well and help our essential workers get through this crisis.

State of California Issues Limited Stay at Home Order: On November 19th, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health announced a new “Limited Stay At Home Order” for all Purple tier counties throughout California. The order takes effect at 10 p.m. this Saturday, November 21 and will remain in effect until 5 a.m. Monday, December 21. It prohibits non-essential work and gatherings from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in an effort to reduce opportunities for COVID-19 transmission and flatten the curve.

What This Means For Residents

  • Gatherings are not allowed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. starting Saturday, November 21 at 10 p.m.
    • This applies to gatherings with other households and any activities that happen outside your residence.
    • People are free to leave their residence as long as they do not interact with people from other households.
    • Does not apply to people experiencing homelessness.
  • This Stay at Home Order does not apply to those activities associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or required by law, for instance, an individual can go to an open grocery store after 10 p.m. Consult this webpage for what constitutes essential activity – https://covid19.ca.gov/essential-workforce/

What This Means For Businesses

  • Non-essential work and gatherings must stop from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Santa Clara County, starting Saturday, Nov. 21 and continuing for one month.
    • You can pick up take out from restaurants after 10 p.m.
  • The curfew does not apply to those activities associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or required by law. Consult this webpage for what constitutes essential business activity – https://covid19.ca.gov/essential-workforce/
  • Non-essential businesses in Downtown San José that had been allowed to stay open until 12 a.m. must also comply with this curfew, closing before 10 p.m. as described above.

Updates on City of San José Services and/or Operations

  • San José 311 (SJ311) Services Now Available in Spanish and Vietnamese: Residents can now access online SJ311 services in Spanish or Vietnamese thanks to advanced translation technology. You can visit SJ311 at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/311 through your desktop computer or mobile device.
  • Holiday Laptop Donation Drive: In partnership with Hewlett Packard, the San José Public Library (SJPL) and the Library Foundation are hosting a donation drive to refresh and re-purpose used Windows laptops. Donations will provide students, families, and other Library program participants with access to the technology they need to thrive As we approach the holiday season, if you’re thinking of upgrading your devices, please consider paying it forward by dropping off your used device between now and Jan. 9, 2021 at any SJPL Express Pickup location, Monday-Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. You can receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.

NOTE: Windows-equipped laptops or tablets preferred. We cannot re-purpose Apple devices. Don’t forget to include any power cords and other device accessories. For more details, visit: sjpl.org/LaptopDrive.

  • BeautifySJ Study Session: The San José City Council is hosting a study session on Friday, Dec. 4, at 9 a.m. to discuss the Beautify San José (BeautifySJ) initiative. The public is invited to participate in this virtual meeting via Zoom, and share comments and suggestions to address the issues of trash, debris, and blight across the City. The meeting agenda and instructions for participating in the meeting are available here.

COVID-19 Testing, Tracing, and Support Services

If you need a COVID-19 test, don’t wait! A high rate of testing helps identify and stop the spread of COVID-19 cases, and is one of the factors that is helping our county reopen under the new State regulations. Some testing sites are listed below, but there are many more throughout the county. For a full list of COVID-19 testing sites in Santa Clara County, go to www.sccfreetest.org or call 2-1-1.

The County offers support options for people who test positive or have been in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive. If you need help with food, bills, or a place to stay while you isolate or quarantine, please call 408-808-7770 to learn about support services from the County of Santa Clara.

  • Appointments Available for Testing in San José, Campbell, and Palo Alto: Getting tested for COVID-19 is convenient and easy, and now there’s more lead time offered for scheduling an appointment through an improved online portal. Appointments can be made at the rotating city-based sites a week in advance, and five days in advance at the ongoing Santa Clara County Fairgrounds operation. Appointments can be made at www.sccfreetest.org, where you can also find a complete list of testing options. Valley Medical Center testing sites can now provide automated results via text message – often as soon as the day after the test is administered.
    • San José
      Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Parking Lot A
      344 Tully Rd., San José, CA 95111 (across from the blue arch)

      Drive-through, bike, and walk-up appointments

      By appointment only Tuesday-Friday, Dec. 1 – Dec. 4, 11:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    • Campbell
      Orchard City Banquet Hall, 1 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell
      Drive-through, bike, and walk-up appointments
      By appointment only Thursday, Dec. 3, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    • Palo Alto
      Art Center Auditorium, 1313 Newell Rd., Palo Alto
      Drive-through, bike, and walk-up appointments
      By appointment only Friday, Dec. 4, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Pop-Up Testing Sites: No appointments needed and only for people without symptoms:
    • San José
      Emmanuel Baptist Church
      467 N. White Rd., San José, 95127
      Tuesday-Friday, Dec. 1 – Dec. 4, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    • Gilroy
      South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary)
      9300 Wren Ave., Gilroy, 95020
      Tuesday-Friday, Dec. 1 – Dec. 4, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    • Public Health Resource Hub in East San José
      1775 Story Rd., San José, 95122
      Friday, Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Updates from the County of Santa Clara

  • Free Flu Shots Every Saturday: The County will continue to offer free flu shots from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday through Dec. 12 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. The car entrance for general parking at the Fairgrounds site is Gate D, 2542 Monterey Rd., San José. No appointments are needed. Masks are required and all are welcome regardless of insurance or immigration status. Flu shots are recommended every year, but they are even more critical in the time of COVID. Get your flu shot right away to prevent catching the flu and spreading it to coworkers, family members, or people you live with. For more information in multiple languages see here: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese. Flu shots are also available at Valley Medical Center pharmacies on weekdays. No appointment is needed. See here for more information and a schedule.

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A person’s risk for COVID-19 is not related to race, ethnicity or culture. City employees must abide by the Discrimination and Harassment policy, and treat colleagues and members of the public with courtesy and respect. Discrimination and/or Harassment of any kind is a violation of the policies and will not be tolerated.