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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The town hall will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 9.
It will be broadcast live on Lake County PEG TV, and online at the county’s Facebook page, with both English and Spanish livestreams, and on the county’s Web site (available once the meeting starts – refresh your browser until you see, “In progress”). American Sign Language interpretation will be available on the English-language feeds.
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The COVID-19 crisis has affected nearly every facet of daily life. Business owners have been among the hardest hit.
Categories of businesses being determined non-essential, demands to rapidly change the way services are delivered, and a web of state and federal programs offering support have understandably left many with questions.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, wants to ensure the most critical questions are answered, and business owners can continue to invest in the communities they serve, both now and when we emerge from the pandemic.
He invites community members to join the special virtual town hall this Thursday.
Those supporting Supervisor Brown in presenting this important meeting will include moderator Michelle Scully, deputy county administrative officer, who has a track record of successful leadership in a cross-section of Lake County private industries and service sectors.
The panel will likewise include Jeff and Andy Lucas of Community Development Services, which has been providing a variety of supports to local businesses for decades, including facilitating access to state and federal funding opportunities. Representatives from the financial services sector and others have likewise been invited.
“Every one of us is affected by the health and success of local businesses,” said Brown. “Business owners create jobs, and their activity drives revenue for those in the government and service sectors, as well. I hope as many people as possible will tune in to this meeting, to understand a little better what business leaders in our communities are facing. I consider it a privilege to be a part of the local business community, and am looking forward to connecting people with the information they need.”
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“We’re working with all levels of government to ensure a unified response to the coronavirus here in Lake and Mendocino counties and all throughout Northern California,” McGuire said. “It’s critically important folks have the latest, most accurate information needed to protect themselves and their families, which is why we hope neighbors can join us for this informative Telephone Town Hall Wednesday evening.”
To attend, dial 844-767-5679, enter code 204015 and follow the prompts. You will be connected to the live town hall via telephone and you will be able to listen to the officials providing critical updates.
Email your questions and comments in advance and in real-time on Wednesday evening to
Stay up to date on coronavirus efforts across the state and here at home via the California COVID-19 response website, the county of Mendocino’s web page and the county of Lake’s web page.
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On Monday at the former Sleep Train Arena, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that California has already secured up to 4,613 additional beds at alternate care sites and shuttered hospitals to care for an anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients, with even more capacity being finalized.
He said the state has aggressively planned for a surge in hospitalizations in the coming weeks and aims to add 50,000 beds to our existing hospital capacity of nearly 75,000 beds.
At least 60 percent of those additional beds, or 30,000, will come from within existing hospitals, and the state will secure the remaining beds, up to 20,000.
“California has been working closely with hospitals to aggressively expand our state’s ability to treat the coming surge in COVID-19 patients,” said Newsom. “As a result, California is adding tens of thousands more hospital beds, sourcing and distributing lifesaving medical supplies and ventilators, and significantly expanding our health care workforce. This is an all hands on deck effort, and I am extremely grateful to all of our partners in the medical community, the private sector and across government for helping us get this far. All of these efforts will only pay off if we continue to slow the spread of the virus. Staying home will save lives.”
The former Sleep Train Arena, now known as Natomas Arena, in Sacramento is one of several alternate care sites that will provide care for less sick patients, thus allowing hospitals to focus their resources on those with the most acute needs.
The state’s alternate care sites to date include:
– Eight federal medical stations operating or being set up across the state, each with a maximum of 250 beds;
– The former Sleep Train Arena, which has a maximum capacity of 400 beds;
– Fairview Developmental Center, with a maximum capacity of 520 beds;
– Porterville Developmental Center, with a maximum capacity of 246 beds;
– San Carlos Hotel, with a maximum capacity of 120 beds; and
– CPMC - Pacific Campus, with a maximum capacity of 291 beds.
Alternate care sites will be staffed using a number of resources, including the newly established California Health Corps. The Health Corps is made up of health care providers, behavioral health professionals, and health care administrators who sign up to work at alternate care sites. They will add to the existing state health care workforce with underutilized and underemployed professionals, and with qualified student, retiree and out-of-state health care providers.
In addition, the state has leased two hospitals and received a naval medical ship from the federal government as surge facilities:
Seton Medical Center in Daly City, which has a maximum capacity of 220 beds;
St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, which has a maximum capacity of 266 beds; and
USNS Mercy, which has an easily-accessible maximum capacity of up to 550 beds.
Visit www.covid19.ca.gov for critical steps Californians can take to stay healthy, and resources available to those affected by the outbreak.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Pace said the updated order will extend through May 3.
The order, which went into effect on March 19, had an original end date of April 10.
However, Pace said Monday that, with Lake County now having two confirmed cases of COVID-19, there are clear indications regional activity of the virus continues to escalate.
As of Monday morning, Pace said the California Department of Public Health had confirmed 15,158 total positive cases in California, and 350 deaths.
“Effects in cities and rural areas, alike, around the country have been truly sobering, and it has never been more important that we remain vigilant to protect those close to us, and those most vulnerable in our communities,” Pace said.
At the recommendation of Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, the Lake County Office of Education acted on Friday, April 3, to extend its distance-based instruction “through the end of the school year, unless the situation improves and warrants a safe return to the classroom.”
Pace said he’s been in regular contact with Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg and others, and strongly believes this move reflects the actual conditions brought by the COVID-19 epidemic.
As a result, Pace said he issued an addendum to his school operations order and to the shelter in place order and its two addenda.
Through May 3, 2020, all individuals currently living within Lake County – including the incorporated cities of Clearlake and Lakeport – are ordered to shelter at their place of residence, unless leaving for essential activities, essential government functions, to work for essential businesses or to perform minimum basic operations for non-essential businesses. Each of these terms is defined as indicated in his Addendum 3 to Public Health Order No. C20-3.
“Individuals experiencing homelessness remain exempt, but are strongly urged to find shelter, and I am grateful for the work of Pastor Shannon and the Warming Center to expand their services, and provide shelter for many at this critical time,” said Pace.
Anyone ignoring the shelter in place order is breaking the law and is subject to a misdemeanor citation and fine.
Precautions must be taken, especially for those leaving their residence to perform essential activities. Any individual leaving their place of residence, for any purpose allowed by the order, must strictly comply with the order’s social distancing and hygiene requirements, Pace said.
“Essentially all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or living unit are prohibited,” he said.
Pace said individuals working exclusively from home can continue work-related activities. However, all businesses with a facility in Lake County, except essential businesses, must suspend all activities at their facility, except minimum basic operations.
Essential businesses must prepare, post, and implement social distancing protocols and follow industry-specific guidance from the California Department of Public Health, and businesses with nonessential components to their business operation must scale down operations to only essential business operations, Pace said.
Pace offered some further clarifications of limited exceptions.
Real estate, for example, has been deemed an “essential business,” per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s supplemental guidance to Executive Order N-33-20, issued March 20. Pace said this order addendum requires that appointments and other residential viewings occur virtually, unless an exemption is specifically provided by the Health Department.
To discourage travel, and to protect those sheltering in place, exemptions will only be considered for local residents, and only when the unit is unoccupied. Hand washing and disinfecting of surfaces are likewise required, Pace said.
In the interest of limiting wildfire risk to Lake County, Pace said essential workers now explicitly include landscapers and tree trimmers that are working on wildfire abatement, to include vegetation services, tree maintenance, landscapers, gardeners and property managers.
Directives for hotels have likewise been clarified, noting Lake County residents with special medical or other needs for temporary residence outside of the home may be accommodated when specifically exempted by the Health Department, Pace said.
“Please know I am aware how disruptive these mandates are, and that many facets of basic family life and business activity have become more difficult, or been precluded, altogether,” Pace said. “Fortunately, there are some positive signs that statewide shelter-in-place orders are having a positive benefit, and slowing the spread of the virus. We were proactive, even anticipating the governor’s mandate, in the interest of giving our local healthcare system the best possible chance to keep Lake County’s cases at a manageable level.”
Pace added, “Thanks to the cooperation of so many residents, we were able to buy valuable time, and there remains no evidence of community spread in Lake County, which is a great positive.”
With the virus now confirmed in Lake County, Pace said everyone must commit to these primary strategies to limit entry and spread of the virus:
– Stay at home (and in contact with those in your immediate household, only) except for essential business;
– Isolate, even from family, if you develop symptoms;
– Wash your hands frequently; and
– Use cloth masks (not N95 or surgical masks) when out of the house.
Guidance and options for making your own cloth masks are provided here.
For Lake County-specific Coronavirus information, visit the Lake County Health Services Department’s website, email
2020-04-06 Lake County Order of the Public Health Officer C20-1 (A2) by LakeCoNews on Scribd