[00:00:02]
[Call to Order]
I THINK WE'RE ALL READY.WELCOME TO THE JULY 14, 2020 MERCED COUNTY BOARD MEETING.
IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 VIRUS? THE COUNTY IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS WITH CITY AND FOR THE PUBLIC, LIMITED TO TWENTY FIVE.
WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED SOME OVERFLOW SPACE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.
WILL ANYBODY LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO DO THE INVOCATION? NO ONE IF NOT, WE'LL JUST--OH, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
EVERYBODY PLEASE STAND. AND AFTER THAT, [INAUDIBLE], THE ATTORNEY, WILL BE DOING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. SHOULD BE ON . IF YOU WOULD BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME, PLEASE.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE TODAY FOR THIS MEETING THAT WE MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THAT THAT WOULD BE WITHIN YOUR WILL. LORD, I ASK THAT YOU PROTECT EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN OF MERCED COUNTY.
COVID-19 IS HERE, AS YOU WELL KNOW.
AND WE JUST ASK THAT YOU WOULD PROTECT US FROM ITS EFFECTS AND THAT YOU WOULD HELP US TO GET BACK TO WHAT COULD BE A NORMAL LIFE AND THAT YOU PROTECT ALL THOSE THAT HAVE BUSINESSES, LORD, THAT HAVE VERY, VERY DIRE ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT YOU WOULD COME ALONG AND COMFORT THEM AND THAT YOUR WILL BE DONE IN JESUS NAME, WE PRAY AMEN.
THE PLEDGE, BEGIN: JUST LOOKING FOR EVERYBODY IN HERE IS WEARING A MASK, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
AND EVERYBODY'S KEEPING SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THIS MORNING WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION MEETING AND INSTEAD WAS GIVEN DIRECTION.
[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]
NOW WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.AND IT'S NOW TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULED AS PUBLIC HEARINGS, TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. OK, [INAUDIBLE], ONE PERSON.
COX. I'M A RESIDENT OF MERCED COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR PROBABLY TWENTY SEVEN YEARS AND NEVER ADDRESSED THE BOARD BEFORE.
THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UNBELIEVABLE STATEMENT OF GAVIN NEWSOM YESTERDAY WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING, AND I HOPE THE COUNTY CAN ASSURE THAT NO ONE IN THIS COUNTY WOULD BE ARRESTED NOR DETAINED FOR WORSHIPING IN A HOUSE OF GOD.
OUR GOVERNOR HAS SAID WE MUST CLOSE CHURCHES DOWN AGAIN.
BUT MY CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME SICK.
I COME INTO MY CHURCH, THEY TAKE MY TEMPERATURE.
WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO WEAR A MASK.
WE DON'T HAVE CHILDREN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
SO FAMILIES AREN'T COMING BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE CHILDREN MIXING WITH EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT COVID-19.
YES, I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN COVID-19.
I KNOW IT'S RIGHT. I KNOW IT'S THERE.
BUT I ALSO KNOW IT'S A REAL THING THAT WHEN WE CAN'T TEACH OUR CHILDREN RIGHT FROM WRONG, WHEN WE CAN'T STAND UP, WHEN OUR GOVERNOR MAKES ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UNBIBLICAL DECREES THAT WE NEED TO STAND UP.
IF WE HAVE TO, WE'LL CALL OUR CHURCH SERVICES THIS WEEKEND, PROTEST.
WE'RE GOING TO PROTEST [INAUDIBLE] GOVERNOR AGAINST THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
WE HAVE EVERY YEAR WHERE A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA INTRODUCES ASKING FOR CHURCHES.
TO BE CENSORED, FOR PASTORS TO NOT BE ABLE TO SAY CERTAIN THINGS FROM THE PULPIT THAT ARE BIBLICALLY TRUTH AND IT'S GOT TO STOP.
[00:05:04]
CANADA, YOU CANNOT READ PARTS OF THE BIBLE.PARTS OF EUROPE, YOU GO THERE, YOU CAN BE ARRESTED FOR SAYING CERTAIN THINGS, EVEN IF YOU'RE A MINISTER. WHEN DOES IT STOP? OUR COUNTRY IS THE LAST COUNTRY THAT HAS FREEDOM OF SPEECH THAT ALLOWS FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. WE CAN'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN ASSURE US AS A BOARD, LET THE SHERIFF ASSURE EVERY PERSON THAT THEY IF GO TO CHURCH THIS SATURDAY IF THEY WORSHIP ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE DETAINED, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ARRESTED, AND OUR RIGHTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE TAKEN AWAY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, COME ON DOWN, PLEASE.
GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, STAFF, CEO AND THE MERCED COUNTY COMMUNITY.
MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I AM ONE OF THE THREE INTERNS, FOUR SUPERVISORY LEE LOR, AND I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'M A RECENT UC MERCED ALUMNI.
I GRADUATED IN THIS MAY WITH A MAJOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND A MINOR IN ECONOMICS, AND I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT INSURING AND PROMOTING EQUITY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE REST OF THE INTERNS AND MYSELF ARE HIGHLY INTERESTED IN MEETING WITH EACH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS INDIVIDUALLY.
THEREFORE, WE ARE EXTENDING AN INVITATION VIA EMAIL TO EACH ONE OF YOU TO SEE IF WE CAN MEET VIA ZOOM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS KENNY [INAUDIBLE].
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF IS I AM A SENIOR CURRENTLY ATTENDING UC MERCED PURSUING A DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE.
LIVING IN MERCED FOR ALMOST HALF A DECADE NOW.
I SEE THE ONGOING DISPARITIES AFFECT THE MERCED COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITIES I TRAVEL TO WITHIN THE COUNTY.
AS INTERNS, WE HOPE TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THESE DISPARITIES.
OUR CURRENT WORK IS IT'S ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
THE WORK AHEAD OF US WILL BE DIFFICULT CONSIDERING THE ONGOING SITUATION WITH COVID-19.
BUT NONETHELESS, WE HOPE TO WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE AND [INAUDIBLE] THE ONGOING DISPARITIES THAT WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WITHIN OUR COUNTY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I AM ALSO ONE OF THE THREE INTERNS, FOUR SUPERVISOR LEE LOR.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MERCED.
I AM A BUSINESS STUDENT AT CSU [INAUDIBLE] COMPLETING MY LAST YEAR WITH TWO BUSINESS CONCENTRATIONS IN FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES.
GROWING UP IN A LOW INCOME FAMILY IN MERCED, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES THAT LOW INCOME RESIDENTS LIKE ME FACE.
THAT IS WHY I'M HERE WORKING TO HELP IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE THREE OF US, PART-TIME INTERNS, BUT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT PROGRESS AND CHANGE WILL TAKE TIME.
WE THREE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING OUR COMMUNITY AND WE STRIVE TO DO OUR VERY BEST. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR TIME AND WE WILL CONNECT WITH THIS SOON.
ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
WE DID RECEIVE SOME EMAILS ON PUBLIC COMMENTS AND STACY, DO WE HAVE ANY RECORDED? NO, NONE? OK, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL MOVE ON.
[COVID-19 UPDATE]
NEXT, WE HAVE A COVID-19 UPDATE.GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD COUNTY COUNCIL, [INAUDIBLE] CEO BROWN. MY NAME IS REBECCA NANYONJO-KEMP.
I'M THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR FOR MERCED COUNTY.
AND I AM PLEASED TO BE RETURNING TO THE PODIUM TO SHARE UPDATED INFORMATION ON COVID-19
[00:10:02]
AND THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE UNDERWAY, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION WE'VE CONTINUED TO HAVE WITH THE STATE TODAY PRESENTING.KRISTEN SULLIVAN, OUR SUPERVISING EPIDEMIOLOGIST, ALSO THE OPERATIONS CHIEF IN THE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER, THOUGH, HE'S NOT PRESENTING TODAY, WE ALSO HAVE DR.
SALVADOR SANDOVAL, WHO IS OUR COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER.
OK, SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, WE WANT TO START AS A GENERAL REMINDER ABOUT WHAT THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 ARE, AS YOU'RE AWARE, AND IN MERCED COUNTY, THE NUMBER OF CASES HAVE GONE UP. IS IT EASIER TO HEAR ME LIKE THIS? YES. OK. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE CAN HEAR ME ALL THAT WELL.
SORRY. I'LL PUT IT RIGHT BACK ON ONCE I COMPLETE.
THE COVID-19 SYMPTOMS ARE COUGH, SHORTNESS OF BREATH OR DIFFICULTY BREATHING.
THOSE ARE THE GENERAL CORE OUTLINING GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE REPORT THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY HAVE A SHORTNESS OF BREATH OR THEY WERE COUGHING AND THEY COULDN'T STOP.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ALLERGIES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE REPORT HAVING JUST PRESSURE AROUND THEIR FACIAL AREAS.
AND SO AS WE KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S SPREADING, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE MINDFUL OF THESE SYMPTOMS, BUT ALSO NOT TO CONFUSE THEM WITH SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE ASSOCIATED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION FROM HAVING TO STAY IN UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE, THE ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT THE NATION, THE GLOBE IS EXPERIENCING AT THIS MOMENT.
IN ADDITION TO THESE THREE CORE OUTLINING SYMPTOMS, THERE COULD BE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS AS WELL. FOR MOST ORGANIZATIONS, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE COUNTY, THEY HAVE STARTED TO DO SCREENING OF INDIVIDUALS WALKING INTO THEIR FACILITIES TO ENSURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE FEVER. SO A FEVER GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO ONE HUNDRED POINT FOUR DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. PEOPLE WITH CHILLS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED JUST GENERALIZED BODY ACHES.
I'M FATIGUED, REPEATED, SHAKING WITH CHILLS.
PEOPLE HAVE MUSCLE OR BODY ACHES.
ALSO HAVE HAD HEADACHES AS WELL.
SORE THROAT CAN BE ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS.
THERE'S A SUDDEN AND NEW LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL.
ACTUALLY, QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE ASYMPTOMATIC, JUST QUALITATIVELY, JUST LOOKING AT SOME OF THE ARTICLES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND REPORT ONE OF THE FIRST SYMPTOMS BEING A SUDDEN A NEW LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL.
THERE'S ALSO CONGESTION OR A RUNNY NOSE, NAUSEA, VOMITING AND DIARRHEA.
AND THE REASON THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE DISCUSSED ON THE PHONE, IS JUST A GENERAL REMINDER, WE ALSO WANT TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY APPRISED OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN JULY AND WE ARE SHORTLY GOING TO BE ENTERING OUR FALL SEASON WHERE WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COLDS AND FLU AND YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THESE SYMPTOMS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND SO DELINEATING BETWEEN THE TWO NOT OVERWHELMING OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS OF CARE AND UNDERSTANDING THE EASE OF TRANSMISSION.
COVID-19 WE HAVE FOUND, IT'S JUST VERY EASY TO CATCH VERY, VERY EASY.
AND THAT'S WHY THE SIMPLEST MEASURES HAVE PROVEN TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE IN THE ABSENCE OF A VACCINE. SO HOW DO YOU GET IT? SO THOSE ARE THE SYMPTOMS YOU PRESENT WITH, BUT HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED? AND TYPICALLY THE IMPORTANCE OF WEARING SHIELDS, FACE SHIELDS OR CLOTH FACE MASKS OR DISPOSABLE MASKS IS BECAUSE IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH TALKING, SINGING, SNEEZING.
DROPLETS ARE THE BIGGER DROPS THAT YOU EXPEL WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING, THE ONES THAT ARE VISIBLE, THE ONES THAT ARE AEROSOLIZED OR THE ONES REMAIN SUSPENDED IN THE AIR.
AND IF YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH IT ENOUGH, IT'S EASILY ACQUIRED FROM THAT AS A METHOD.
PERSON DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO TRANSMIT COVID.
IN FACT, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE THAT UP TO 40 PERCENT OF THE KNOWN CASES WERE FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ASYMPTOMATIC.
I DON'T KNOW HOW COMPLETE THAT DATA SET IS, BUT WE KNOW THAT ASYMPTOMATIC CONTRIBUTE A LARGE PART TO THE INFECTIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY.
THE PRIMARY DRIVERS OF TRANSMISSION RATE, AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE LOCALLY HERE IN MERCED COUNTY IS INCREASED COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION AND WE'LL BE GOING TO THE DATA SHORTLY.
BUT MORE THAN HALF OF OUR CASES HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST FOUR WEEK PERIOD.
AND SO WE'RE SEEING AN EXPLOSION IN THE AMOUNT OF CASES.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE RATES FROM WE WERE HERE LAST WHEN WE WERE HERE AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING AND WHAT WE WERE PRESENTING TO WHERE WE ARE IN CASE COUNT. NOW, THERE'S ALSO INCREASED OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE.
WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS SEEN, MANY WORKPLACE EXPOSURES, WHETHER IT'S FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRESENTING AND NOT MAKING A DECLARATION OR OWNERS OR MANAGERS REQUIRING THAT THEY REMAIN WORKING DESPITE FEELING ILL BECAUSE OF THE ISOLATION PERIOD,
[00:15:01]
THE QUARANTINE PERIOD IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT.AND SO IF SOMEBODY IS EXPRESSING SYMPTOMS, THEIR COMPLIANCE WOULD REQUIRE 14 DAYS REMOVED FROM WORK. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF WORK FOR OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT MORE AND MORE AND MORE IN MERCED COUNTY.
HOUSEHOLD CLUSTERS WHERE WE SEE MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS OR GET TOGETHERS THAT EXCEED BEYOND 10 INDIVIDUALS.
SO HOUSEHOLD CLUSTERS COULD ALSO WORK WITH GATHERINGS OF GREATER THAN 10 INDIVIDUALS.
BECAUSE THEY'RE A KNOWN PERSON TO YOU DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY DO NOT CARRY COVID.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MESSAGES THAT WE'VE HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME EXPLAINING TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT YOUR IMMEDIATE HOUSEHOLD, YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, WHO LIVE THERE WITH YOU, NOT THE EXTENDED FAMILY, YOUR COUSINS, YOUR AUNTS, YOUR UNCLES, YOUR GRANDPARENTS.
THE BIGGER THE CLUSTER OF INDIVIDUALS AROUND, THE HIGHER THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE CARING COVID-19 DEPENDING ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT CLUSTER, YOU MAY BE PLACING SOMEBODY AT RISK.
IF SOMEBODY IS RECOVERING FROM CANCER, EXPERIENCING CANCER, IF SOMEBODY HAS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER, THEY'RE DIABETIC.
IF THEY ARE ASTHMATIC, ALL OF THESE PLACE YOU AT A SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED RISK.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE SAY PREVENTION ACTUALLY HAS TO BE A KIND OF EVERYBODY OR NOBODY, BECAUSE IT TAKES EVERYBODY DOING THEIR PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOES NOT SPREAD.
SO WE THOUGHT ONE OF THE SIMPLE ACRONYMS THAT PEOPLE COULD UTILIZE WOULD BE THE SMART ACRONYM. SO SMART REPRESENTING SPACE AND SMART, THIS IS IN TERMS OF HOW TO PREVENT YOURSELF FROM CATCHING COVID.
SO MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY SOCIAL DISTANCING, THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A SIX FOOT INTERVAL BETWEEN YOU AND THE PERSON YOU'RE NEXT TO, MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR MASK ON. I KNOW THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO BE WEARING A MASK ESPECIALLY, AND ONE HUNDRED PLUS DEGREE TEMPERATURES AND JUST FEELING LIKE IT'S MUGGY AND INTERIORS, BUT IT'S MASKS IS ONLY AS USEFUL AS HOW MUCH IT'S WORN, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE WORN AND APPROPRIATE WAY TO WEAR A MASK IS MAKING SURE THAT IT COVERS THE MOUTH AS WELL AS THE NOSE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN EXPEL DROPLETS, NOT WHAT WE TYPICALLY SEE, WHERE IT'S UNDER THE CHIN OR ON THE HEAD OR AROUND THE NECK OR BEING STYLED UP AS A PIECE OF JEWELRY. IT'S MOST EFFECTIVE USE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT EXPOSING OTHERS WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING AND THERE ARE FORCEFUL TALKERS, WE ALL KNOW FORCEFUL TALKERS.
WE ALL KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TENDENCY OF EXPELLING MORE THAN WORDS WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING WITH YOU. THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE COVID, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO PREVENT FROM TAKING PLACE. SO KEEPING YOUR SIX FOOT INTERVAL, KEEPING YOUR MASK ON, MAKING SURE THAT THE AIR IS ACTUALLY CIRCULATING, THAT'S WHY THEY SAY THAT INDOOR SETTINGS POSE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT RISK BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF CIRCULATION OF AIR AND THE RECYCLING EFFECT AS WELL, RESTRICTING IT, MAKING SURE THAT THE GROUPS YOU'RE ASSOCIATING WITH ARE SMALL AND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE THERE TO ENSURE SOCIAL OR ADEQUATE SOCIAL DISTANCING AS WELL. AND THE MORE PEOPLE YOU HAVE, AGAIN, THE HIGHER THE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO PASS COVID ON UNINTENTIONALLY OR QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT WE'VE SEEN ARE PEOPLE INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T TAKE IT ALL THAT SERIOUS TO BEGIN WITH.
WELL, I THINK THAT NARRATIVE FROM WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST HAS CHANGED OVER THE MONTH.
PEOPLE ARE TAKING IT MORE SERIOUS.
THERE ARE MORE DEATHS. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAKS.
IT IS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND IT IMPACTS US HERE ALSO IN MERCED COUNTY. AND ALSO KEEP IT SHORT.
THE LESS TIME YOU SPEND WITH PEOPLE, THE LESS LIKELY THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO CIRCULATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN AN INDOOR SETTING.
ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.
SULLIVAN TO QUICKLY DISCUSS SOME OF OUR DATA AND THEN SHE'LL HAND IT BACK TO ME.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE AN UPDATE FROM WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST ON JUNE 9TH.
SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OVER A MONTH SINCE I WAS HERE IN FRONT OF YOU SHARING DATA WITH YOU. AND SO THINGS HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME.
SO WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS IS WHERE WE WERE ON JUNE 9TH AND WHERE WE ARE AS OF YESTERDAY AT 4:00 PM JULY 13TH.
SO ON JUNE 9TH, WE HAD THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASES.
AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD TWO THOUSAND EIGHTY TWO LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASES.
THAT'S A FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE PERCENT INCREASE.
ON JUNE 9TH, WE HAD 107 CONFIRMED ACTIVE.
BECAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION OF CASES THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE COUNTY, WE'RE NO LONGER ABLE TO ACTIVELY CLEAR PEOPLE.
SO WE'RE NO LONGER, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR OPERATIONAL CHANGES LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT JUST FOR THIS DATA, KNOW THAT THESE ARE NOT DIRECTLY COMPARABLE.
ON JUNE 9TH, THESE WERE CONFIRMED ACTIVE.
NOW WE HAVE A PROXY OF ACTIVE AND BASICALLY WE'RE ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY WHO HAS- ALL
[00:20:08]
THE CASES WE'VE RECEIVED WITHIN THE LAST 14 DAYS ARE ACTIVE.AND SO THAT NUMBER IS ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX PERCENT.
ON JUNE 9TH, WE HAD SEVEN FATALITIES.
AS OF FOUR P.M. YESTERDAY, WE HAD 12 FATALITIES.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF SEVENTY ONE PERCENT.
THE NEXT TWO ARE HOSPITALIZATION DATA.
AND JUST AS A CLARIFICATION, THESE ARE OUR RESIDENTS IN ANY COUNTY, NOT OUR HOSPITALS IN MERCED COUNTY.
ON JUNE SIXTH, WE HAD SIX MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS HOSPITALIZED IN ANY COUNTY.
AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD THIRTY SEVEN RESIDENTS HOSPITALIZED IN ANY COUNTY.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN PERCENT.
AND THEN SIMILARLY OUR EVER HOSPITALIZED, HAVE INCREASED.
ON JUNE 9TH, WE HAD FORTY THREE RESIDENTS WHO HAD EVER BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR COVID RELATED ISSUES.
AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT.
SO THERE HAD BEEN A REQUEST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR COVID DEATHS.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD 12 TOTAL DEATHS.
SEVEN OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IN MALES, FIVE HAVE BEEN IN FEMALES.
THE MAJORITY HAVE BEEN IN OUR POPULATION SIXTY FIVE PLUS.
WE'VE HAD TWO PEOPLE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF SIXTY FIVE.
EIGHT OF THOSE FATALITIES HAPPENED IN MERCED COUNTY, FOUR HAPPENED OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY, TWO WERE AT HOME WHEN THEY PASSED, 10 PASSED IN A HOSPITAL.
SO JUST AS A CLARIFICATION HERE FOR COUNTY MORBIDITY VERSUS OUT OF COUNTY MORTALITY, WE RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION OF ANY POSITIVE COVID TEST NO MATTER WHAT COUNTY THE INDIVIDUAL IS TESTED IN. IF THEY LIVE IN MERCED COUNTY, WE RECEIVE THEIR POSITIVE COVID RESULTS.
AND THEN WE FOLLOW UP WITH ALL OF THOSE CASES, IF WE CAN.
THERE HAVE BEEN A HANDFUL THAT WE CAN'T REACH FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND SO WE FIND OUT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS HOSPITALIZED BY DOING THAT CASE INVESTIGATION.
OFTENTIMES WE HAVE REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR TWO HOSPITALS IN COUNTY AND THEN WE HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUT OF COUNTY HOSPITALS.
AND SO SOMETIMES WE WON'T HEAR ABOUT OUT OF COUNTY HOSPITALIZATIONS OR OUT OF COUNTY FATALITIES AS QUICKLY AS WE DO THOSE THAT HAPPEN IN COUNTY BECAUSE THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE DEATH OCCURS OWNS THE DEATH.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IT'S REPORTED THROUGH THE COUNTY THAT THE DEATH OCCURS IN REGARDLESS OF THE RESIDENCY OF THAT PERSON.
SO WE DO FOLLOW UP ON ALL OF OUR POSITIVE CASES.
BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T GET AN AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATION OF A MERCED COUNTY DEATH OR FATALITY THAT'S OUT OF COUNTY, THERE COULD BE A DELAY IN REPORTING THOSE.
ALSO, IMPORTANTLY, IT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT OF CLARIFICATION, IF A MERCED COUNTY RESIDENT IS HOUSED IN A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY FOR LONG TERM CARE OUTSIDE OF COUNTY, NEITHER THOSE CASES NOR THOSE FATALITIES WILL COUNT AS A MERCED COUNTY CASE.
THEY WOULD COUNT AS THE COUNTY IN WHICH THAT PERSON IS HOUSED.
JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION ON OUR DEATH PROCESS.
SO WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
BUT THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS IN THAT DEATH DATA JUST BECAUSE OF JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES.
I THINK BOARD MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] HAS A QUESTION.
SO ON THE HOSPITALIZATION AND I JUST WANTED SOME CLARIFICATION BECAUSE UNDERSTANDING I'VE HEARD FROM THE HOSPITAL AS WELL.
AND WE WERE REPORTING THIRTY SEVEN HERE ON JULY 13.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, ONLY FIVE WERE IN THE HOSPITAL AND THE REST WERE THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM. SO IF THEY'RE RUNNING THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM, WE'RE COUNTING THEM AS A HOSPITALIZATION. NO, THE HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE ADMITTED.
OK, SO THAT WAS A LITTLE CONFLICTING INFORMATION I HAD FROM THE HOSPITAL.
AND THEN, AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT JUST OUR COUNTY HOSPITALS.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OUT OF COUNTY.
AND SO WITH THE ONE HUNDRED- AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE I- EVER HOSPITALIZED, SO THE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE TOTAL, SO, I'M JUST MAKING SURE THOSE AREN'T RUNNING THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND WE'RE COUNTING THEM AS HOSPITALIZATIONS.
NO, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANYBODY WHO HAS DONE--HAD ONLY AN ED VISIT OR AN URGENT CARE; IT REQUIRES ADMITTANCE.
SO IT IS JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE THIRTY SEVEN HERE AND WE HAD THIRTY SEVEN OVER THE WEEKEND WITH FIVE IN THE HOSPITAL AND THE REST WERE THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, BUT--.
[00:25:01]
I'M JUST SAYING I HEARD A REPORT THAT WE HAD THIRTY SEVEN THIS WEEKEND.IT WAS THE HIGHEST EVER AT ONE TIME IN OUR HOSPITAL, BUT FIVE WERE ACTUALLY ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE OTHER ONES WERE GONE THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
WE DON'T GET THAT INFORMATION.
WE ONLY GET INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTIVELY HOSPITALIZED.
AND WE ALSO DO NOT COUNT THE HOSPITAL REPORTS THE PERSONS UNDER INVESTIGATION TO US.
THESE ARE LABORATORY CONFIRMED COVID POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN ADMITTED FOR AT LEAST ONE NIGHT. SO LABORATORY CONFIRMED THROUGH THE STATE OR--.
THROUGH LABORATORY, HOSPITAL OR OTHERWISE.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
I THINK THAT THIRTY SEVEN JUST STUCK OUT TO ME AND IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THIS WEEKEND.
SO THANK YOU. YEP. OK, SO JUST AN UPDATE ON OUR DEMOGRAPHICS SO FAR, AGE DISTRIBUTION, WE HAVE SEEN A SHIFT YOUNGER IN OUR CASES, WHICH REFLECTS WHAT THE STATE HAS SEEN AND DOES ALSO REFLECT WHAT THE NATION IS SEEING. SO, THIRTY NINE PERCENT OF OUR CASES ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 34.
WE'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR CASES THAT ARE PEDIATRIC THAT ARE LESS THAN 18. WE'VE BEEN AROUND 10 PERCENT THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT.
I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY AN UNDER-REPORT BECAUSE WE'RE NO LONGER ACTIVELY RECOMMENDING THAT YOUNG CHILDREN BE TESTED WHEN THEIR PARENTS AND FAMILY ARE TESTED BECAUSE IT IS A VERY INVASIVE TEST.
SO, THE PEDIATRICIANS, ESSENTIALLY PRESUME THAT THEY'RE POSITIVELY QUARANTINED THE ENTIRE FAMILY AND PRESUME THAT THE CHILD IS POSITIVE WITHOUT DOING THE INVASIVE TEST, UNLESS THE DOCTOR OR PARENT WANTS TO.
AND SO THAT IS ALMOST CERTAINLY AN UNDERREPRESENTATION OF THE TRUE NUMBERS, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT LABORATORY CONFIRMED PCR TEST.
TWENTY TWO PERCENT OF OUR CASES ARE THIRTY FIVE TO FORTY NINE.
20 PERCENT ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 50 AND SIXTY FOUR, AND ONLY EIGHT PERCENT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE AGE GROUP OF SIXTY FIVE PLUS.
OUR GENDER DISTRIBUTION HASN'T CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.
WE DO HAVE UPDATED RACE, ETHNICITY, STATISTICS, AND THE SAME PATTERN THAT WE HAD EXPLAINED EARLIER IS HOLDING IN THAT WE HAVE AN OVER REPRESENTATIVE IN OUR LATINO POPULATION AND AN UNDERREPRESENTING IN OUR WHITE POPULATION, ASIAN, OUR ASIAN COMMUNITIES, BLACK COMMUNITIES ARE ABOUT REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR POPULATION.
SO IT'S REALLY THE DISCREPANCY THERE IS BETWEEN OUR LATINO HISPANIC POPULATION, WHICH IS ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION IS ACCOUNTING FOR SEVENTY SIX PERCENT OF OUR COVID CASES. AND THEN FOR THE OCCUPATION, HERE WE ARE ALSO WE'RE A BIT DELAYED ON THIS ONE BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST LABOR INTENSIVE IN IDENTIFYING AND ALSO DATA PROCESSING.
AND THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO PEDIATRIC CASES THAT WE HAVE.
BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT STILL THE THE TOP REPORTED OCCUPATIONS ARE AGRICULTURAL WORK, HEALTH CARE, SITTING HEALTH CARE SETTINGS AND OTHER JUST KIND OF SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T FALL INTO THESE DIRECT CATEGORIES, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED OR ARE NOT WORKING OUTSIDE OF THE HOME.
THANK YOU. AGAIN, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS SLIDE.
SO WE HAVE THE OCCUPATION BREAKDOWN.
SO WHAT DOES THE PERCENTAGE OF FAMILY GATHERINGS OR FAMILY SOCIALIZING, HOW DOES THAT BREAK OUT ACCORDING TO THE POPULATIONS OR THE OCCUPATIONS? ACCORDING TO THE OCCUPATION? YEAH, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT FAMILY GATHERINGS BY OCCUPATION--.
WELL, NOT BY OCCUPATION, BUT IT IS A GATHERING AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE USING THESE OCCUPATIONS AS GATHERINGS.
OH, NO. SO THIS IS NOT RELATED TO GATHERING AT ALL.
THIS IS JUST INFORMATIONAL ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE COVID POSITIVE ARE WORKING.
BUT THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, THIS IS WHERE THE PERSON WAS EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS.
THIS IS JUST OCCUPATIONAL DATA.
OK, THIS HAPPENED IN THESE OCCUPATIONS.
AND ANOTHER THING I WANT TO KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE ASKED FOR THIS, THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND ETHNICITY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, A LOT OF THE DATA WE'RE RECEIVING IS INCOMPLETE.
YES. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PROVIDERS AND LABS TO GET MORE COMPLETE DATA.
AND THEN WE ALSO ASK RACE [INAUDIBLE] INTERVIEWS.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET MORE DATA ON THAT.
[00:30:02]
AND THEN FOR A SUBSET OF THE CASES, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE INFERENCES BASED ON LANGUAGE PREFERENCE, BUT PREDOMINANTLY ITSELF REPORT.AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETIMES WE'RE REPORTING THIS AT THE TENTH OR ONE HUNDRED DECIMAL POINT. AND I THINK THAT IF WE'RE I THINK SOMETIMES WE'RE USING SURNAMES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I JUST WANT TO AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU ARE HERE.
I KNOW WHAT'S BEING DONE AT THE STATE.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE REALLY NEED TO BE DILIGENT IN OUR REPORTING OF DATA BECAUSE WE'RE USING SCIENCE. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO USE SCIENCE.
AND I DON'T LIKE TO GO OFF ASSUMPTIONS.
THANKS. I APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S FOR THE CONSTITUENCY TO UNDERSTAND ON THESE NUMBERS.
SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? YES. I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO SAY A PERSON IS SELF-EMPLOYED AND OWNS A RESTAURANT AND THEY BECOME COVID POSITIVE.
WOULD THEY BE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY OR IN SELF-EMPLOYED COLUMN? FOOD INDUSTRY. OK, THANK YOU.
AND JUST TO GO BACK TO THE RACE ETHNICITY, ANOTHER WAY THAT WE DO VERIFY IS WE PULL BY ZIP CODE AND ZIP CODE HAS A RELIABLE CENSUS DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND THAT CAN HELP US VERIFY IF WE'RE SEEING HOT SPOTS GEOGRAPHICALLY TO GET AN IDEA OF THE POPULATION THAT'S LIVING IN THOSE ZIP CODES AS WELL.
IT'S NOT IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU. DO CONTINUE.
OK, SO THE NEXT PART OF THIS PRESENTATION IS AN UPDATE ON STATE METRICS AND THE VARIOUS THINGS ON WHICH THEY ARE MONITORING US AND WATCHING WATCHING OUR PERFORMANCE.
ONE THING THAT HAS LED TO SOME CONFUSION, BOTH INTERNALLY AND I THINK WITH THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THE STATE HAS SLIGHTLY CHANGED THE METRICS BY WHICH THEY ARE MEASURING PERFORMANCE. AND SO WE ATTESTED TO ONE SET OF OF METRICS THAT I'M GOING TO DISCUSS.
AND THEN THE WATCH LIST IS ACTUALLY A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SET OF METRICS.
THERE'S OVERLAP, BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT.
AND SO I WANTED TO JUST BE VERY CLEAR HERE WITH WHAT WE ATTESTED TO VERSUS WHAT IS BEING MONITORED AND BY THE STATE ACTIVELY ON THEIR WATCH LIST.
AND I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IN BOTH SITUATIONS, OUR DATA DOESN'T LOOK GREAT.
SO IT'S NOT A HUGE CHANGE IN STORY.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR SO THAT WE YOU KNOW, I THINK IT HAS CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION, BOTH INTERNALLY AND FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO THE FIRST SET OF METRICS THAT I'M GOING TO GO OVER IS OUR ATTESTATION METRICS.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE ATTESTED TO ON MAY 19TH.
THIS IS WHAT WE SENT TO THE STATE.
AT THAT TIME, THE STATE HAD TWO SETS OF CRITERIA EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STABILITY AND INCREASING HOSPITALIZATIONS.
SO THEY MEASURED EPIDEMICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STABILITY BY EITHER INCIDENTS PER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND IN THE PAST 14 DAYS OR THE TEST POSITIVITY RATE OF THE LAST SEVEN DAYS THAT NEEDED TO BE LESS THAN EIGHT PERCENT.
THEIR THRESHOLDS AT THIS TIME WERE LESS THAN TWENTY FIVE PERCENT FOR THE INCIDENTS AND LESS THAN EIGHT PER CENT FOR TEST POSITIVITY.
SO WE ARE WHEN WE ARE TESTED, WE WERE JUST BARELY OVER THAT THRESHOLD.
WE WERE AT TWENTY FIVE POINT NINE CASES PER HUNDRED THOUSAND IN THE PAST 14 DAYS.
CURRENTLY WE'RE AT FOUR HUNDRED AND SIX POINT FIVE IN THE PAST 14 DAYS PER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND. SO IT'S ALMOST 16 TIMES HIGHER THAN WHAT WE WERE IN MAY.
THE TESTING POSITIVITY RATE, MAY 19TH WAS FIVE POINT ONE.
WE'RE NOW AT SIXTEEN POINT SEVEN, WHICH IS THREE, JUST OVER THREE TIMES HIGHER.
THE HOSPITALIZATION METRICS THAT WE ATTESTED TO WERE THE AVERAGE INCREASE IN SEVEN DAY AVERAGE CHANGE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND THIS WAS OF MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS.
SO AGAIN, THE HOSPITALIZATIONS GET A LITTLE BIT TRICKY BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKED AT IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN A HOSPITAL IN ANY COUNTY AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN OUR HOSPITALS REGARDLESS OF RESIDENCY.
SO BOTH WAYS ARE ADDRESSED BY THE STATE AT THIS TIME.
THEY WERE LOOKING AT OUR RESIDENTS.
WE ATTESTED TO OUR RESIDENTS IN ANY HOSPITALS.
OUR AVERAGE CHANGE IN HOSPITALIZATION AT THAT TIME WAS NEGATIVE POINT FOUR PERCENT SO LESS THAN ONE PERCENT, LESS THAN NEGATIVE ONE PERCENT, BASICALLY ZERO.
AND WE JUST NEEDED TO BE NOT GREATER THAN 10 PERCENT.
WE'RE NOW AT THE LAST SEVEN DAYS, FOUR POINT ONE PERCENT CHANGE, WHICH IS TEN TIMES HIGHER, BUT DOES STILL MEET THIS METRIC.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S RESIDENTS IN ANY HOSPITAL.
[00:35:02]
WE HAVE PLATEAUED.SO WE AS I'VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE HAD HAD A ZERO TO ONE PLATEAU AND THEN A SIX TO EIGHT PLATEAU AND THEN AN 8 PLATEAU AND THEN AN 18 TO 20 PLATEAU.
NOW WE'RE IN THE THIRTY FIVE TO FORTY PLATEAU.
SO WE ARE SEEING THESE KIND OF STAIRSTEP JUMPS.
AND SO FOR THE LAST SEVEN DAYS, WE'VE BEEN IN MORE OF THAT PLATEAU RATHER THAN A CLIMB.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD TO ATTEST THAT THERE ARE NO MORE THAN TWENTY COVID-19 PATIENTS IN ONE DAY. AGAIN, THIS IS MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF COUNTY.
OUR HIGHEST CENSUS AT THAT TIME HAD BEEN ELEVEN.
OUR HIGHEST CENSUS AS OF YESTERDAY IS THIRTY SEVEN, WHICH IS AGAIN TRIPLE.
THAT'S THIRTY SEVEN PER DAY IS THE AVERAGE.
SO JUST THE HIGHEST WE'VE HAD IN ANY CENSUS DAY.
AND PREVIOUSLY IT COULDN'T BE MORE THAN TWENTY, NO MORE THAN 20 COVID PATIENTS IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.
OUR HIGHEST CENSUS DAY EVER WAS ELEVEN COVID PATIENTS.
AND NOW OUR HIGHEST COVID CENSUS DAY IS THIRTY SEVEN.
BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD AN UNDER TWENTY CENSUS DAY IN PROBABLY TWO WEEKS.
SO THAT MEANS THE AVERAGE--I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THIRTY SEVEN, ONE DAY? IT'S ONE DAY. IT'S NOT AN AVERAGE, JUST ONE DAY.
THE HIGHEST WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS IS THIRTY SEVEN? CORRECT. YEAH. OK, THANK YOU.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ATTESTED TO AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO OVER THE MONITORING OR THE WATCH LIST METRICS NOW.
SO I'LL GO TO THE ELEVATED DISEASE COLUMN, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH UNCHANGED.
THESE TWO STAYED THE SAME, BUT THEY DID SET THE THRESHOLD AS HIGHER.
SO PREVIOUSLY IT HAD TO BE LESS THAN TWENTY FIVE.
NOW IT NEEDS TO BE LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED REGARDLESS OF THRESHOLD.
WE SURPASS IT. BUT THEY DID ADD IN A TESTING CAPACITY METRIC THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
AND WHAT THEY WANT IS THEY WANT US TO BE CONDUCTING ONE POINT FIVE TESTS PER THOUSAND OR ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TESTS PER HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO INCREASE TESTING CAPACITY, AS YOU GUYS ALL KNOW.
AND BECKY WILL BE TALKING LATER ABOUT ANOTHER TESTING RESOURCE THAT WE'RE BRINGING INTO THE COMMUNITY. BUT WE HAVE NOT QUITE MET THIS THRESHOLD.
SO WE'RE AT ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR POINT FOUR PER HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO INCREASING HOSPITALIZATIONS IS NOW NOT OUR OVERALL PATIENTS, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY OUR IN COUNTY HOSPITALS.
SO IT'S SHRUNK FROM A SEVEN DAY AVERAGE CHANGE IN HOSPITALIZATION TO A THREE DAY AVERAGE CHANGE IN HOSPITALIZATION.
SO USING THAT METRIC FOR ONLY OUR OWN COUNTY HOSPITALS THE LAST THREE DAYS AND THERE IS A LAG ON THIS, ALSO, THE STATE PULLS SLIGHTLY DELAYED DATA.
BUT AS OF YESTERDAY ON THEIR MONITORING LIST, THE DATA THAT THEY WERE REPORTING WAS THAT OUR CHANGE IN HOSPITALIZATION RATE OVER THE LAST THREE MONITORING DAYS WAS FORTY SIX POINT EIGHT PERCENT.
AND THEN THEY'VE ADDED THIS ENTIRE LAST CATEGORY ABOUT HOSPITAL CAPACITY BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, THE THE BIGGEST RISK FOR COVID IS OVERWHELMING THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
AND SO THEY LOOK AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF MEASURING THIS.
AND THE TWO THAT ARE TRACKED MOST CLOSELY ARE THE PERCENTAGE OF ICU BEDS AVAILABLE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WITHIN OUR COUNTY ONLY AND THE PERCENTAGE OF VENTILATORS AVAILABLE, AGAIN, ONLY WITHIN OUR COUNTY.
SO WE ARE PRETTY CONSISTENTLY BELOW THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION OF 20 PERCENT ICU BEDS.
THE AT LAST REPORT YESTERDAY, WE WERE AT FIFTEEN POINT EIGHT PERCENT.
SO THERE'S A BIT OF A DELAY IN THE HOSPITALS REPORTING TO THE STATE AND THEN THE STATE PUTTING IT ONTO THE WATCHLIST DATABASE.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY GOOD ON VENTILATOR UTILIZATION AND VENTILATOR-- SOMEBODY HAD A QUESTION. SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
DR SULLIVAN, SO IT'S AN ALL OR NOTHING.
IF YOU DON'T MEET EVERY ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, IT TRIGGERS THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN NOW. CORRECT? SO, YES, IT BASICALLY IF YOU FAIL TO MEET ONE OF THE CATEGORIES, YOU'RE PUT ONTO THE WATCH LIST.
YES. OK, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
THANK YOU. AND SO, I GUESS GLASS HALF FULL, AT LEAST IN THE LIMITED HOSPITAL CAPACITY CATEGORY, WE'RE DOING OK.
WE'RE UNDER THOSE THRESHOLDS? SO WE'RE GOOD ON VENTILATORS, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY NOT MEETING THE THRESHOLD.
I'M SORRY. THAT SHOULD SAY GREATER THAN TWENTY PERCENT ICU BEDS.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT.
[00:40:01]
AND RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE SIXTEEN PERCENT OF OUR ICU BEDS ARE AVAILABLE.ONLY ONE POSITIVE CATEGORY FOR US IS VENTILATORS.
WE HAVE MORE VENTILATORS THAN THE MINIMUM REQUIRED.
THE REST OF THEM WE'RE DOING POORLY IN? YES.
THANK YOU. ARE THE REQUESTS NOT WORKING? NO, I THINK YOU HAVE IT ON, UM-- YEAH. AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS, IS AND I KNOW THAT, UH, DR.
[INAUDIBLE] IS GOING TO COME UP [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU. SPEAK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TESTS, THE AVERAGE TEST PER DAY PER HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION. I MEAN, WE CAN WE CAN OFFER ALL THE TESTING WE WANT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, REALLY IT'S UP TO I MEAN, I GET IT THAT THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS GOING TO SEND A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THROUGH.
BUT YOU'RE REQUIRING FOLKS TO, ON THEIR OWN, JUST GO TO SOME OF THESE POP UP TEST SITES.
THESE ARE ONES THAT YOU COULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR SOME YOU CAN JUST DRIVE UP.
AND I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT--I GET THE MORE TESTS, THE BETTER THAT WE ARE.
BUT TO HOLD THAT AGAINST US, THAT'S OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
AND SO, I GUESS IS THE MY QUESTION THE QUESTION IN THERE IS, IS ARE WE WORKING ON THINGS TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE TO FOLKS TO , YOU KNOW, REQUIRE LIKE--NOT GOING TO REQUIRE THEM, BUT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO TEST, TEST EARLY TEST OFTEN? AND THE OTHER THE AVERAGE TEST PER DAY QUESTION IS, IF A PERSON TESTS MULTIPLE TIMES, DID THEY GET COUNTED EVERY TIME? SO PEOPLE CANNOT GET TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE SAME DAY, AT LEAST AT THE SAME LOCATION.
IF SOMEONE WERE TO GO TO MULTIPLE PLACES AND GET TESTED, I'VE BEEN TESTED.
IT'S NOT PLEASANT. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WOULD REALLY DO THAT VERY OFTEN.
BUT IT POTENTIALLY, OUR DATA WOULDN'T CAPTURE THAT.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT THIS THE TESTING CAPACITY IS INFORMATIONAL.
THE STATE REALLY WANTS TO SEE WE HAVE THE TESTING CAPACITY LESS SO THAN THE TESTING VOLUME, AND WE DO MEET THEIR TESTING CAPACITY, THRESHOLD LEVEL.
SO THEY RELEASED THIS INFORMATION ONCE THE COUNTY IS ON THE WATCH LIST.
BUT THIS CATEGORY BY ITSELF IS NOT ENOUGH TO GET SOMEONE ON THE WATCH LIST.
IT'S THE OTHER THREE THAT WILL GET YOU ONTO THE WATCH LIST UNLESS YOUR TESTING CAPACITY IS SUCH THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT OFFERING ANY TESTING, ESSENTIALLY, BUT THAT PRETTY MUCH ALL THE COUNTIES ON THE WATCH LIST ARE ON THE WATCH LIST FOR ONE OF THE LAST THREE.
AND THEN THE TESTING CAPACITY IS MONITORED AS AN INFORMATIONAL COMPONENT.
UM, BUT YES, WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING MESSAGING AROUND TESTING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE TESTS BECAUSE OF THE INUNDATION IN CASES STATEWIDE AND BECAUSE MOST TESTING FACILITIES FILTER UP THROUGH ONLY A HANDFUL OF COMMERCIAL LABS.
THE TESTING TURNAROUND TIME RIGHT NOW IS REALLY BAD.
SO WE HAD GOTTEN DOWN TO ABOUT TWO DAYS, 48 HOURS FOR TESTING TURNAROUND TIME CONSISTENTLY. WE'RE NOW ABOUT AT SEVEN TO EIGHT DAYS, WHICH REALLY LIMITS THE, YOU KNOW, THE UTILITY OF TESTING, HONESTLY.
BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, ALSO, THE STATE HAS ACTUALLY PUT OUT PROCESSING GUIDELINES.
THEY'RE NOT DISCOURAGING TESTING, BUT INDIVIDUALS WHO GO TEST WHEN THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC AND DON'T HAVE UNKNOWN EXPOSURE AND AREN'T, SAY, A HEALTH CARE WORKER, THEY GET PUT TO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AND THEY END UP NOT GETTING THEIR TEST RESULTS FOR 13 TO 14 DAYS SOMETIMES. AND SO THE MESSAGING OF ENCOURAGING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO GO TEST WHEN BY THE TIME THEY GET THEIR TEST RESULTS BACK, THEY WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE PERIOD OF THAT TEST BEING VALID ANYWAY IS A BIT MIXED AT THIS POINT.
SO WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THE STATE TO GET THAT TURNAROUND TIME DOWN SO THAT WE CAN THEN GO BACK TO MORE WIDESPREAD TESTING TO EVERYBODY.
OK, AND THEN I KNOW RECENTLY THAT, UM, IN TURLOCK, WHICH IS OUR NEIGHBOR, A LITTLE BIT TO THE NORTH OF US, THEY HAVE A TESTING FACILITY.
AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? IF MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE GOING OVER THERE, ARE THEY TRACKING THE TESTING SO THAT IF A PERSON THAT WOULD COUNT IS THE TEST AVAILABLE IN STANISLAUS COUNTY AND NOT IN MERCED COUNTY? YES, BUT WE DO HAVE OUT OF COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO TEST HERE AS WELL, AND WE GET CREDIT FOR THEM. SO IT IS BASED ON THE TESTS PERFORMED IN THE COUNTY.
BUT WE DO ALSO STILL GET THOSE RESULTS FROM ANY FROM ANY OTHER COUNTY.
SO IF OUR RESIDENT GOES TO THAT TURLOCK SITE, WE STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR RESULTS.
OK, LET ME ASK A QUESTION REGARDING IMMUNITY.
IF SOMEBODY TESTED POSITIVE IN MARCH, HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW I'VE HAD ANOTHER PERSON TEST
[00:45:07]
POSITIVE AGAIN AFTER THEY'VE GONE THROUGH TWO MONTHS AND HAS IT BEEN CONFIRMED? SO, YES, THE PCR, WE NO LONGER RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE ARE CLEARED BY TWO NEGATIVE PCR TESTS BECAUSE WE'RE FINDING THAT PEOPLE CAN BE SYMPTOM FREE AND NO LONGER SYMPTOMATIC, BUT STILL RETURNING A POSITIVE PCR RESULT FOR WEEKS.AND THAT IS A PRETTY CONSISTENT FINDING, IT'S NOT EVERYBODY, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS NOT ONLY ONE PERSON. WE'RE FINDING THAT CERTAIN BUSINESSES ARE REQUIRING A NEGATIVE TEST BEFORE RETURN TO WORK AND THAT AND THAT IS THEIR RIGHT.
WE DON'T WEIGH IN EITHER WAY ON THAT, BUT WE'VE HAD TO, BUT THEN WE'VE HAD CASES COME AND SAY, YOU KNOW, MY WORK ISN'T LETTING ME BACK UNTIL I GET A POSITIVE TEST, A NEGATIVE TEST. I'M CONTINUING TO TEST POSITIVE.
AND WE REALLY, WE REACH OUT TO THE EMPLOYER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT REQUIRING THAT THAT'S NOT A HEALTH DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENT.
BUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO THAT, THAT, AGAIN, IS THEIR RIGHT TO DO AS A BUSINESS.
BUT, YES, WE ARE SEEING THAT PEOPLE ARE TESTING POSITIVE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, EVEN AFTER THEIR SYMPTOMS HAVE RESOLVED.
BUT I MEAN THAT THEY TESTED NEGATIVE AND THEN LATER ON THEY GOT, WERE THEY IMMUNE OR HAVE YOU HAD ANY THAT TESTED POSITIVE AGAIN? YES, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE HAD ONE NEGATIVE TEST WITH IN BETWEEN THEIR POSITIVE TESTS, BUT WE WOULD TEND TO BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A FALSE NEGATIVE THAN A TRUE IMMUNITY AND A REINFECTION.
BUT WE HAVE HAD THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO REQUIRE THE TWO NEGATIVES BEFORE RETURN TO WORK.
I THINK WHERE SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA WAS GOING IS, IS THERE IMMUNITY? OK, SO THAT WOULD BE THE ANTIBODY TEST.
THAT'S THE SEROLOGY TEST, WHICH IS VIA BLOOD WORK.
AND SO WE HAVE FOUND THAT SOME OF OUR INDIVIDUALS ARE AND IN FACT, WE STARTED RUNNING INTO THIS BECAUSE WE WERE ENCOURAGING PLASMA DONATION.
ONE OF THE MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS IS PLASMA DONATED FROM A COVID POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL WHO THEN HAS THE ANTIBODIES IN THEIR BLOOD.
IN FACT, IF YOU DONATE BLOOD, THEY'LL TEST YOU FOR COVID JUST TO SEE IF THEY CAN UTILIZE YOUR BLOOD FOR THAT REASON.
SO TEST YOUR BLOOD, NOT YOU'RE, NOT ACTIVELY.
SO WE STARTED DISCOVERING THAT PEOPLE WERE STILL TESTING POSITIVE VIA THE NASAL THE PCR, THE ACTIVE INFECTION, WHEN WE WERE ENCOURAGING THEM TO DONATE PLASMA.
THE PLASMA DONATION HAS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED THAT AS A REQUIREMENT BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE WERE STILL TESTING POSITIVE IN THAT PCR WHILE HAVING ANTIBODIES, AN ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN THEIR BLOOD. SO, YES, THERE ARE ANTIBODIES WITHIN OUR POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS, BUT THE COVID DISEASE IS SO NEW WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THOSE ANTIBODIES WILL LAST.
SOME PRELIMINARY STUDIES ARE SHOWING THAT THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE DECREASES OVER TIME.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT ONLY SEVEN MONTHS REALLY WITH THIS DISEASE.
SO THERE'S JUST A LOT WE DON'T KNOW, INCLUDING HOW LONG THAT IMMUNITY LASTS.
BUT, YES, WE ARE SEEING THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RECOVERED DO HAVE THE ANTIBODIES WITHIN THEIR BLOOD. RIGHT.
NO FURTHER THE QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD. OK, I'M GOING TO KICK IT BACK OVER TO DR.
JUST TO ADD TO WHAT CHRISTINE EARLIER STATED REGARDING IMMUNITY, SO THEY DON'T KNOW AND IN FACT, AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, DR.
FAUCI SAYS THAT EVEN IF PEOPLE HAVE AN ANTIBODY PRESENCE, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INFER THAT SOMEBODY IS IMMUNE TO REINFECTION OR THAT THE VIRAL LOAD IS TOO SENSITIVE, THAT UNLESS YOU ARE COMPLETELY YOU HAVE IT NOT IN YOUR SYSTEM, WILL YOU EVER TEST NEGATIVE.
SO THEY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REINFECTION, THEY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RESIDUAL VIRAL LOAD.
BUT ONE THING THAT THEY DO KNOW IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN REINFECTED.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY CASES OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT ENOUGH BECAUSE IT'S SO NEW TO IDENTIFY WHAT TAKES PLACE.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IS THERE IMMUNITY? RIGHT NOW I WOULD ASSUME NOT UNTIL WE'RE TOLD SCIENTIFICALLY OTHERWISE THERE IS, BECAUSE EVEN IF IT IS, IT MIGHT BE SO TINY AN IMMUNITY THAT IT'S NOT EVEN EFFECTIVE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
OK, SO CONTINUING FORWARD ON THE HEELS OF THE STATE WATCH LIST DISCUSSION, MERCED COUNTY IS ONE OF THIRTY ONE COUNTIES THAT ARE ON THE STATE WATCH LIST.
AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THOSE 31 COUNTIES REPRESENT 80 PERCENT OF THE STATE'S POPULATION. AND ALL THE COUNTIES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARE NOW ON THAT STATE WATCH
[00:50:02]
LIST. SO JUST WITHIN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.AND WE'VE SEEN OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH AND NORTH OF US ALSO EXPERIENCE, IF NOT HAVE GREATER INCREASES IN THEIR CASE COUNTS AND THEIR PERCENTAGES THAN WE HAVE EVEN IN THIS COUNTY. AND SO WHILE THINGS ARE BAD, WE'RE SEEING THINGS BAD EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY VERY SOUTH OF US IN TULARE COUNTY, WHERE THEY'VE JUST REALLY HAD ISSUES WITH MITIGATION STEPS.
THE GOVERNOR MANDATED CLOSURES UNTIL DATA IMPROVES, SO FOR ALL OF THOSE COUNTIES THAT WERE ON THE STATE WATCH LIST PREVIOUSLY REFERRED TO THOSE ATTESTATION DOCUMENTS.
SO EVERYTHING WE ATTESTED TO, WHICH DR.
SULLIVAN SPOKE ABOUT JUST MOMENTS AGO, IF WE ARE NOT MEETING THE NEW REQUIREMENTS OR THE NEW METRICS, REMEMBER, HISTORICALLY WHEN WE SPOKE, I THINK THIS WAS JUST TO THE BOARD AT THE TIME THAT WE HAD THREE WEEKS FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT HAS SINCE BEEN ELIMINATED.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT 21 DAY PERIOD.
IT'S UNTIL YOUR DATA METRICS IMPROVE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE ONES THAT WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE WE OPERATE WITHIN, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO UNTIL WE ACHIEVE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY FAR FROM WHAT THE GOALS ARE.
TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE, THE STATE HAS LAUNCHED A STRIKE TEAM AND SO THE STRIKE TEAM INCLUDES ALCOHOL AND BEVERAGE CONTROL.
SO ABC, THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, SO CAL/OSHA, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS OVERSIGHT, DCA, THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND CHP.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING AROUND TO COUNTIES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE OF COMPLIANCE OR BUSINESSES FALLING OUTSIDE OF THE REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS NOW A HEALTH ORDER. SO IT'S NOT A HEALTH REQUIREMENT.
IT'S NOT A HEALTH RECOMMENDATION.
THE STATE HEALTH ORDER, IT MAKES IT MANDATORY FOR US TO COMPLY.
AND BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP BETWEEN WHAT'S TAKING PLACE AND WHAT HAS BEEN ORDERED, THEY HAVE DEPLOYED THEIR STRIKE TEAMS. THEY, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH FULLY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE STRIKE TEAMS, WHICH, TO OUR CREDIT, IS PROBABLY NOT SUCH A BAD THING BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT IN FULL EFFECT WITH THOSE COUNTIES THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE HEALTH ORDER REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO WE KNOW WHO THE CONTACT IS.
THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO US, BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT AS YET WITH RESPECT TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING. WE DO KNOW THAT IN SOME OF THE CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY, THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A STRIKE TEAM PRESENCE AND THEY MADE IT A POINT ON ONE OF THE STATE DISCUSSIONS TO ADVISE US THAT THEY DO LOOK AT OUR MEDIA.
THEY DO REFER TO WHAT'S BEEN PUBLISHED SO THEY CAN IDENTIFY WHERE IT'S NOT TAKING PLACE.
SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING TO TODAY'S PRESENTATION AND OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, IT MAY NOT BE THE COUNTY'S ENFORCEMENT, BUT THE STATE MAY COME DOWN.
AND I HEARD THEY'RE COMING DOWN PRETTY HARD.
WE ARE IN DAILY COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATE LITERALLY DAILY.
SOMETIMES THEY LET US KNOW STILL 10 MINUTES OR 20 MINUTES BEFOREHAND OF THE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS BECAUSE THE STATE IN AND OF ITSELF IS EXPLODING WITH CASES AND WHICH IS, IT IS SHAMEFUL BECAUSE WE WERE DOING SO WELL.
WE WERE KIND OF THE LEAD IN THE NATION.
AND NOW WE'RE ONE OF THOSE FOUR STATES WHO SEEMINGLY CAN'T GET A HANDLE ON WHAT'S TAKING PLACE. I THINK THEY'RE COMING DOWN PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY.
SO THE STATE HEALTH OFFICER MAKES IT A POINT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COUNTY AND THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS QUITE FREQUENTLY AND FOR WHERE WE WERE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR STAGES THAT WERE REQUIRED BEFORE YOU REOPENED YOUR ECONOMY, REOPENED YOUR COMMUNITIES WHERE WE WERE BEFORE. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE, STAGE ONE WAS THE SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS SIDE.
STAGE TWO WAS LOWER RISK WORKPLACES AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE THAT INHERENTLY ARE HIGHER RISK BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE, THEY'RE INDOORS, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PREVENTION ACTIVITIES THAT CAN OCCUR IN THOSE WORKPLACES.
STAGE TWO AND A HALF, IF YOU RECALL, WHERE THE LOWER RISK WORKPLACES WITH THE MODIFICATIONS, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN STAGE TWO, STAGE THREE WERE HIGH RISK WORKPLACES.
THAT'S WHERE OUR EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON.
AND STAGE FOUR WOULD BE THE END OF THE STAY AT HOME ORDER BEFORE WE WERE MOVING ALONG TO THE END OF THE STAY AT HOME ORDER, WHERE WE WERE IDENTIFYING WHAT RISKS WERE IN HIGHER RISK WORKPLACES AND ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE.
BUT BECAUSE WE'VE NOW GONE INTO COMMUNITY SPREAD, WE'VE NOW GONE BACK TO STAGE TWO.
SO WE'RE NOT NO LONGER EVEN AT STAGE TWO POINT FIVE.
AND MOMENTARILY I'LL GET TO A LIST OF WHAT IS CLOSED.
I DID NOT INCLUDE WHAT WAS OPEN BECAUSE THAT LIST IS MUCH MORE ABBREVIATED AND IT'S COMING UP RIGHT NOW. SO WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, AS WAS STATED IN THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS RELEASE OR THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS SESSION YESTERDAY, AS WELL AS IN THE STATE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER, ALL BARS ARE TO BE CLOSED IMMEDIATELY.
THEY HAVE FOUND, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S MORE PRONOUNCED PRESENCE OF BARS AND THOSE TYPES OF OF VENUES, THAT IT'S JUST BEEN TOO DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE SOCIAL
[00:55:02]
DISTANCING WHEN PEOPLE HAVE ONE TOO MANY, YOU KNOW, THINGS TAKE PLACE.AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING UP POSITIVE SAID THEY WENT TO THIS BAR AT THAT BAR AND THEY TEND TO GET VERY, VERY PACKED BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO HAVE FUN. SO THOSE ARE CLOSED WITH IMMEDIATE.
THOSE WERE ALREADY CLOSED. BUT THOSE ARE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THAT WAS JULY 3RD.
BUT THERE WAS A RE-EMPHASIS THAT THEY NEED TO REMAIN CLOSED BECAUSE SOME OF THE OPERATIONS ARE SHIFTING TO BEING ANYWHERE WITH ADEQUATE SOCIAL DISTANCING TO NO MORE INDOOR OPERATIONS. AND THOSE INCLUDE THEATERS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS, ZOOS AND MUSEUMS, WINERIES, TASTING ROOMS, CARD ROOMS, ALL WHICH WERE THERE BEFORE. BUT IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE LOWEST QUADRANT, THAT ALSO INCLUDES NOW INDOOR OPERATIONS OF THE GYMS AND FITNESS CENTERS, WORSHIP SERVICES, OFFICES FOR NON-CRITICAL SECTORS, PERSONAL CARE SERVICES AND HAIR SALONS AND BARBERSHOPS.
SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE DATE OF WHERE OPERATIONS WERE MOVED, WERE REMOVED INDOOR FROM JULY 3RD TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
THEY'VE ADDED TO THE LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE CLOSED.
YES SUPERVISOR? [INAUDIBLE] HAS A QUESTION. [INAUDIBLE].
SO I HAD SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YESTERDAY REGARDING SOME SOME LOCAL FITNESS PLACES IN MY DISTRICT THAT THEY HAVE LIKE, THEY HAVE OUTDOOR TENNIS COURTS AND THEY PLAY PICKLEBALL AND THEY HAVE AN OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL.
ARE THOSE IN THE WAY THAT I READ IT AND I WANT YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE INDOOR OPERATIONS OF IF THOSE FOLKS CAN PRACTICE THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS. BUT BUT KEEP SOME OF THAT STUFF OUTDOORS? THAT'S PERMISSIBLE. THAT'S STILL PERMISSIBLE. OK, THANK YOU.
YOU'RE WELCOME. AND THEN LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WHICH I KNOW HAS BEEN A POINT OF CONTENTION EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE STATE, ARE YOUTH SPORTS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP THAT'S MOST IMPACTED, BECOMING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER AND YOUNGER. THAT DOES MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE.
SO YOUTH SPORTS ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED, AND THEY WERE VERY CLEAR THAT THOSE ARE NOT PERMITTED IN ANY CAPACITY.
OK, SO THE STATE ACTION STEPS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO REDUCE TRANSMISSION, THIS WAS, I BELIEVE, INCLUDED ON THEIR WEBSITE.
BUT IT'S ESPECIALLY YIELD'S TRUE IN MERCED COUNTY, WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF CASES DEVELOP.
INCREASED MARKETING OF TESTING AMONG PRIORITY POPULATIONS.
SO WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THOSE PRIORITY POPULATIONS ARE, THE COHORT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S SIXTY FIVE OR OLDER IN CONGREGATE CARE SETTINGS, THOSE WHO ARE ACTIVELY SYMPTOMATIC AND DISPLAYING THE SYMPTOMS I SPOKE OF EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION.
BUT THEN ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNO-COMPROMISED LIVE IN, YOU KNOW, HOUSEHOLD COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE'S, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A GATHERING OF LESS THAN 10 OR TO ADEQUATELY SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
AND SO THESE ARE ACTUALLY IN LINE WITH THE CDC RECOMMENDATIONS.
DR SULLIVAN REFERRED TO IT EARLIER ABOUT THE TESTING AND THE TURNAROUND TIME BEING IMPACTED. BECAUSE THERE IS A PRIORITY, THERE'S AN ISSUE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN WITH RESPECT TO HOW MANY LABS ARE ABLE TO TURN AROUND TESTS TO THAT EXTENT THAT QUICKLY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FALSE NEGATIVES OR FALSE NEGATIVES ARE FALSE.
I'M MEAN SORRY THE TRUE NEGATIVES ARE TRUE NEGATIVES, AND THE TRUE POSITIVES ARE TRUE POSITIVES. SO WE DON'T WANT WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT SO QUICKLY THAT THE TEST IS LESS RELIABLE AND AND LESS VALID BECAUSE THAT REALLY IMPACTS THE PERSON WHO'S BEING DISCLOSED TO, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS SPECIFICALLY IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT INCLUDES CULTURAL ETHNIC POPULATIONS WITH THE LATINO SUBGROUP ENSURING THAT THERE IS ACTIVE OUTREACH TAKING PLACE BECAUSE THERE IS OVER REPRESENTATION OF DISEASE AND WE WANT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISEASE, WE DON'T WANT ONE POPULATION MORE ADVERSELY IMPACTED THAN ANY OTHER.
INCREASING THE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PUBLIC MESSAGING AND EDUCATION ARE ASSISTANT CEO MR. MARIANI. DAVE MARIANI WILL SPEAK TO THAT LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION.
OUTREACH BEING CONDUCTED TO BUSINESSES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY MEASURES IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE SHUTDOWN, IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE.
IF YOU LOOK ANYWHERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PEOPLE GETTING INTO FIGHTS ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT OF WEARING FACE MASKS OR A FACE SHIELD, PEOPLE GETTING VERY OFFENSIVE.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LEVEL OF PARTIZANSHIP THAT'S BEING REDUCED, WHICH I THINK IS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, MAKING SURE THAT BUSINESSES FEEL EMPOWERED TO IMPOSE WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS FOR THEIR THEIR PLACES OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS AND FEELING LIKE THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT IN DOING SO AND INCREASED MESSAGING ABOUT THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF GATHERINGS.
WE'RE NOT BLIND TO THIS. I MEAN, WE'RE TIRED OF IT, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY IS SICK OF THIS. EVERYBODY'S TIRED, EVEN MYSELF.
OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND, I WAS LIKE, I DEFINITELY WANT TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND DO SOMETHING. AND I ENDED UP, AFTER A LOT OF REASONING, WATCHING NETFLIX BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT'S OPEN.
[01:00:02]
THERE'S A LOT BEING ASKED FOR.BUT THE ASK IS FOR A SHORTENED AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO WE GET BEYOND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S WE DON'T WANT THIS PROLONGED MISERY.
AND IF WE WERE TO LOOK BACK HISTORICALLY ABOUT WHAT MAYBE WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER IF WE MAYBE HAD EXTENDED TWO TO THREE WEEKS WHEN EVERYBODY WANTED TO REOPEN, WE HOPEFULLY COULD HAVE AVOIDED WHERE WE ARE NOW.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS SECOND CHANCE BEING ABLE TO DO IT RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AND YOU HEAR AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, YOU HEAR FROM EVERY GOVERNOR NOW THAT WE WANT TO STAMP THIS OUT WITHIN THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR WEEK PERIOD, BECAUSE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHEN YOU HAVE SICK PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T OPEN UP CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.
AND WE WANT EVERYTHING AS A COLLECTIVE TO BE HEALTHIER THAN WHERE WE ARE NOW, OK? OH, AND THEN LAST BUT YEAH, ABOUT REDUCED GATHERINGS, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT ACTUALLY SCALING BACK SOME OF OUR OPERATION.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE NUMBER OF CASES HAS NOT REALLY PERMITTED OR ALLOWED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND SO THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH SEVERAL OF OUR PARTNERS, EITHER IN CITY CAPACITY, OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE, AND IDENTIFYING AND SECURING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO ASSIST WITH THE MITIGATION OF THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND THE MAJORITY OF WHERE THESE RESOURCES WILL BE UTILIZED AND WILL BE WITHIN OUR OPERATIONAL SECTION.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE ACTUAL CASE COMES TO LIFE.
SO BEFORE IT'S JUST A PIECE OF PAPER WITH A NAME ON IT.
BUT WHAT TAKES PLACE AFTER THAT IS TYPICALLY DONE WITHIN OPERATIONS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY MORE OF HAVING OUR CONTACT INVESTIGATORS TO BE STATIONED AT THE HSA ANNEX SITE OVER OFF OF WARDROBE.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND THE INABILITY TO ADEQUATELY SOCIALLY DISTANCE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND BECAUSE OF THE SCALE OF THE OPERATION, IT REALLY IS ITS OWN BEHEMOTH.
IT'S BETTER PROBABLY NOT SITUATED IN THE SAME SPACE BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH ACTIVITY GOING ON AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
THERE'S ALSO THE NEED FOR ENHANCING COMMUNICATION AND ALL CAPACITIES, WHETHER IT'S DONE THROUGH OUTREACH EFFORTS OR MEDIA CAMPAIGNS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND AGAIN, BEING ASSISTED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE IN IDENTIFYING RESOURCES TO ADD TO OUR OUTREACH TEAMS, AS WELL AS REINSTATING THE USE OF THE ON CALL CENTER.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AS WE WERE SCALING BACK, WE ADOPTED INTO JUST NORMAL DEPARTMENTAL FUNCTIONS.
AND THAT'S TURNED INTO A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WE RECEIVE ARE GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY AND HAPPEN AND ALSO IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
SO ALL THE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS THAT ENABLE THE COMMUNICATION AND THE MESSAGING TO GO OUT, THE OPERATIONS TO CONTINUE THE DATA TO BE UPDATED THE WAY IT IS AND QUITE FRANKLY, NOT TO FALL BEHIND ON THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'RE GETTING, BECAUSE THAT ALSO IS A CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE A QUESTION. [INAUDIBLE] YES? YEAH. SO ARE YOU GOING TO BE HIRING LIKE NEW EXTRA HELP PEOPLE TO SERVE IN THOSE CAPACITIES? WE WILL.
BUT I WILL LEAVE THAT TO MR. MORONEY BECAUSE HE WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT LATER WITH RESPECT TO THE EXTRA HELP POSITIONS. OK, SO I WILL CONTINUE.
SO WE'VE SPOKEN QUITE A BIT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, THIS GRAPH HASN'T CHANGED IN THE, I THINK IT'S LITERALLY BEEN ON EVERY PRESENTATION SINCE COVID BEGAN.
BUT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY, HOW MUCH CONTACT TRACING WE'RE DOING, WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTACT TRACING, THE EFFICIENCY OF CONTACT TRACING.
AND SO THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GO OVER THESE EPIDEMIC PHASES AND THE RESPONSE INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY, DEPENDING ON THE PHASE THAT YOU'RE IN.
SO INITIALLY, MERCED COUNTY WAS MORE IN THE EARLY DETECTION AND CONTAINMENT, WHICH IS MORE LOCALIZED TRANSMISSION.
THE NUMBERS WERE EASY TO CONTROL.
THE CONTACT TRACING WAS ACHIEVABLE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER THAT HAD BEEN DELIVERED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND SO IT WAS EASY TO ACCOUNT FROM THE TIME OF EXPOSURE TO WHEN THEY TESTED POSITIVE, WHERE THAT COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE WERE WARNED.
THE IDEA BEHIND CONTACT TRACING IS TO ENSURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, THE PERSON HAS COME INTO CONTACT WITH ARE AWARE SO THEY DON'T FURTHER SPREAD DISEASE AND INFECT OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THAT IS MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU HAVE LESS NUMBERS AND WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOUR TRANSMISSION IS LOCALIZED.
WHERE WE ARE NOW IS IN COMMUNITY WIDE TRANSMISSION.
SO WE NO LONGER HAVE THESE SMALL GROUPS WITH SMALL NUMBERS.
WE KNOW THAT ACTUALLY OUR CASE COUNT IS PROBABLY LIKELY A LITTLE LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE IF WE HAD MORE ACCESS TO TESTING WITH A SUFFICIENT TURNAROUND TIME, WHICH WE KNOW IS NOT THE CASE. SO WE ARE IN OUR CONTROL AND MITIGATION STAGES.
WE WANT TO RETURN TO ELIMINATION OR EVEN REDUCTION AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GO UP. OUR RATES HAVE NOT SUBSIDED IN ANY CAPACITY.
AND SO BECAUSE WE'RE HERE, WE ARE FOCUSING ON GETTING AS MUCH COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION
[01:05:02]
AS WE CAN FROM THE CASE INVESTIGATION.SOME OF THOSE METRICS REFERRED TO IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC SLIDES.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE OF AN ISSUE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OUR BORDERS REMAIN FLUID WITH PLACES. WE ALSO NOW ARE EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH COVID-19.
AND SO I DID WANT TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONTACT TRACING AND CONTACT INVESTIGATION, AS WELL AS CASE INVESTIGATION, BECAUSE THERE DOES SEEM TO BE CONFUSION, SOME CONFUSION. IF EVERY CASE, ESPECIALLY NOW FOR EVERY CASE THAT COMES IN AND WE'VE REQUESTED MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED CASES ON MULTIPLE DAYS OVER THE PAST FOUR WEEK PERIOD, AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAS 20 CONTACTS THAT THEY CAN REMEMBER AND THE NUMBER OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.
AND ALSO, WHAT IS ITS OVERALL VALUE? IS THE JUICE WORTH THE SQUEEZE? OH, SORRY, I HAVE ONE EXTRA SLIDE, SO NOW I WILL BE TURNING IT BACK OVER TO DR.
KRISTYNN SULLIVAN, BUT WE'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE LEAVING THE PODIUM.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO ON THE CONTACT TRACING AND SO IS IT PRESUME THAT BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH RESOURCES TO DO THE TRACING AND THE FOLLOW UP WORK AND ALL THAT.
SO IS IT PRESUMED THAT AFTER 14 DAYS A POSITIVE CASE GOES INTO A RECOVERED CASE? THAT'S THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE GOING UNDER? YOU KNOW, WHEN KRISTYNN COMES UP HERE, I'LL LET HER GIVE THE CASE DEFINITION.
BUT BROADLY, FOR THE MOST PART, YES, BUT ALSO NO, BECAUSE WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF THESE CASES, BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY BEING SO CLOSELY MONITORED, MAY ACTUALLY MATERIALIZE INTO SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS.
RIGHT. AND SOME WE KNOW OF CASES A DAY LATER OR TWO, THEY'RE ALSO DEAD.
BUT THE GENERAL RULE OF THUMB IS BECAUSE THERE IS A 14 DAY QUARANTINE PERIOD, THAT WHEN YOU'RE BEYOND THAT, THAT THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS RECOVERED.
BUT THE CASE DEFINITION, IT'S VERY LOOSE AND IT DOES NOT ONLY REQUIRE THAT INTERVAL OF TIME, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
OK. SO BECAUSE IT DOES REQUIRE THE NEGATIVE TESTS, IT REQUIRES A LOT.
IT'S QUITE ONEROUS TO GET AN ACTUAL RECOVER, RECOVERED CASE.
OK, SO AND I WILL BE DISCUSSING IN THIS SECTION HOW WE'VE CHANGED OUR RECOVERY PROCESS AS WELL, SO I THINK THAT WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
BUT IF NOT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE MORE.
SO WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO STOP DOING CONTACT TRACING OF EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS.
I THINK THERE IS A THERE HAS BEEN A MISCONCEPTION THAT THAT MEANS IT WILL STOP DOING ANY SORT OF REACH OUT OR CONTACT TO OUR POSITIVE CASES.
SO I WANT TO JUST BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN WHAT COUNTS AS KIND OF THE INITIAL CASE INTERVIEW AND CASE INVESTIGATION VERSUS CONTACT TRACING AND WHAT WILL BE NO LONGER DOING BOTH FOR RESOURCES, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS DR.
NANYONJO JUST POINTED OUT, THAT IT JUST IS NOT A VALID TOOL IN THE TOOLKIT ANYMORE WHEN WE HAVE THE DELAYED TESTING THAT WE HAVE, AS WELL AS THE WIDESPREAD SPREAD THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE COMMUNITY. SO CASE INVESTIGATION IS STILL BEING PERFORMED AND THAT IS VIA PHONE FROM A REAL LIFE PERSON, REACHES OUT TO A LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASE.
THEY ASSESS THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC OR NOT.
AND THEIR DISEASE PROGRESSION, WHAT THEIR SYMPTOMS ARE, IF THEY'RE AT HOME, IF THEY'VE HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, IF THEY'VE HAD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, ALL OF THAT.
THEY ALSO GATHER DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE GET OR CONFIRM THE RACE, ETHNICITY DATA, AGE, ALL OF THAT.
AS WELL AS WHAT THEY THINK THEIR CAUSE OF EXPOSURE IS.
SO WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT HAVE YOU BEEN AROUND ANYBODY THAT YOU KNOW WHO IS COVID POSITIVE? HAVE YOU BEEN AROUND ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN SICK? HAVE YOU GONE TO ANY EVENTS LATELY? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHERE DO YOU WORK? ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS GATHERED WITHIN THIS INITIAL CASE INTERVIEW. WE THEN TELL THEM THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD QUARANTINED WITH THEM. PREVIOUSLY, WE WERE ACTUALLY SERVING OUR CASES WITH QUARANTINE ORDERS, WITH A SHERIFF DELIVERY, WITH THE CASES THAT WE'VE HAD.
WE'VE HAD TO CEASE THAT OPERATION.
AND I'LL SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO WE DO JUST DO A BLANKET QUARANTINE VERBALLY OVER THE PHONE AND THEN ALSO VIA EMAIL FOR THEM AND THEN AND SEE IF THEY NEED ANY SUPPORT THROUGH THAT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A WORK RELEASE OR WORK EXCUSE, AND THEN WE DO HELP THAT CASE TRACE THEIR
[01:10:01]
CONTACTS SO THAT THEY KNOW WHO THEY NEED TO ALERT, THAT THEY'RE COVID POSITIVE AND SAY, HEY, I'VE BEEN I'VE, YOU'VE HAD A POTENTIAL EXPOSURE.AND THEN AT THIS POINT, THE CHANGE THAT WE'VE MADE IS THAT RATHER THAN US OR OUR STAFF CALLING EACH OF THOSE CONTACTS TO LET THEM KNOW THEY'VE HAD AN EXPOSURE, THAT'S THE COMPONENT THAT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE WORK FLOW, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO IMPORTANT SECTORS BEING HEALTH CARE EXPOSURE.
SO IF THEY'VE BEEN TO A HEALTH CARE FACILITY, WE DO ALERT THE HEALTH CARE FACILITY AND THE EMPLOYER. SO WE DO ALSO ALERT THE EMPLOYER SO THAT THE EMPLOYER CAN DO A CONTACT INVESTIGATION WITHIN THEIR WORKPLACE.
SO THAT IS WHAT CASE INVESTIGATION LOOKS LIKE, AND THEN I'M ALSO GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO OUR NEW OPERATION WORKFLOW.
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES IS WHAT I JUST OUTLINED IN THAT PREVIOUSLY WE WERE PERSONALLY CALLING ALL OF THE CONTACTS IDENTIFIED IN THE CASE INTERVIEW AND ACTUALLY QUARANTINING THEM AS WELL.
AND WE'RE NO LONGER DOING THAT.
WE'RE ONLY DOING THE HEALTH CARE EXPOSURE IN THE WORKPLACE EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION.
PREVIOUSLY, AS I MENTIONED, WE WERE SERVING QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION ORDERS IN PERSON VIA LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SHERIFF DEPUTIES HELP.
THEY HELPED US FOR, EVEN THROUGH THE INITIAL PART OF OUR SEARCH.
AND THEN IT BECAME, WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO SEE 50 CASES A DAY, 60 CASES A DAY, 100 CASES A DAY, IT BECAME COMPLETELY UNMANAGEABLE FOR BOTH US AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS. SO WE DID CEASE THAT AND CASES ARE TOLD BY THE CASE INVESTIGATOR TO SELF QUARANTINE. WE DO STILL HAVE AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO WE HAVE VERY PROBLEMATIC CASES WHO ARE BLATANTLY TELLING US, WELL, I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU, YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME, I'M GOING TO LEAVE.
I'M PLANNING ON GOING ON THIS TRIP.
I'M PLANNING ON DOING THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING.
WE WILL STILL SERVE THEM WITH AN OFFICIAL QUARANTINE ORDER WITH THE SHERIFF, AND THAT DOES HELP WITH COMPLIANCE.
SO CASE MANAGEMENT, PREVIOUSLY, WE WERE MAKING DAILY CALLS TO EVERY CASE, AS WELL AS ALL OF THEIR QUARANTINED HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS TO DO ACUITY CHECKS, TO DO SYMPTOM CHECKS AND ALSO TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE CEASED THAT, IT BECAME AGAIN UNMANAGEABLE.
BUT WE HAVE PROVIDED A NURSE TRIAGE LINE TO OUR CASES SO THAT THEY CAN CALL WITH QUESTIONS BOTH ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS OR ACUITY OR IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN THEIR ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE PERIOD WILL BE OVER.
IN ADDITION, WE HAD BEEN DOING DAILY CHECKS WITH EACH HOSPITAL TO GET STATUS UPDATES ON PATIENTS. INSTEAD, WE, THE HOSPITALS, WE'VE CHANGED THE WORKFLOW TO WHERE THE HOSPITALS CALL US WITH ADMITS DISCHARGES AND ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF ACUITY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A PATIENT IS PUT ON A VENTILATOR.
AGAIN, DIFFERENT HOSPITALS WILL HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPLIANCE WITH THIS.
OUR COUNTY HOSPITALS ARE EXCELLENT.
WE HAVE VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND THEY MAKE THOSE CALLS TO US MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY EVEN.
SOME OF THE OUT OF COUNTY HOSPITALS, LESS SO.
AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME DELAYS IN GETTING THOSE ACUITY CHECKS AND EVEN SOME OF THE REPORTS OF FATALITY AS WELL.
SO PREVIOUSLY WE WERE PROVIDING WORK EXCUSES TO ALL CASES, ALL OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS AND ALL OF THEIR CONTACTS THAT WE QUARANTINED.
AND IT WAS OCCURRING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO WE DID THAT SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN PROVIDING A BLANKET QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION ORDER SO THAT THE WHOLE HOUSEHOLD IS QUARANTINED FOR 14 DAYS.
PREVIOUSLY WE WERE DOING 14 DAYS, WE WERE WAITING UNTIL WE COULD VERIFY THAT THE CASE WAS RECOVERED AND THEN QUARANTINED THE HOUSEHOLD FOR AN ADDITIONAL 14 DAYS.
THAT WAS BECOMING TOO LABOR INTENSIVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TAILORED SERVICE.
AND SO WE PROVIDE A 14 DAY OVERALL QUARANTINE FROM THE DATE OF TESTING, AND WE PROVIDE WORK EXCUSES AS NEEDED FOR THE HOUSEHOLD.
BUT WE DON'T PROVIDE ANY EXCUSES FOR ANY OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS UNLESS THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED.
AND WE CAN VERIFY THAT THERE ARE NO CONTACT AND WE'VE CEASED DOING THAT ON THE WEEKENDS.
AGAIN, THOUGH, WE DO PROVIDE THAT NURSE TRIAGE LINE TO ALL OF OUR CASES SO THAT THEY CAN CALL IF A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER BECOMES SYMPTOMATIC AND THEN WE HELP FACILITATE TESTING.
AND SO THE BIG CHANGE THAT, BUT THAT ACTIVE RECOVERY PROCESS IN CASE MANAGEMENT, ELIMINATING THAT COMPONENT HAS ALSO ELIMINATED OUR ABILITY TO DO ACTUAL RECOVERIES.
NANYONJO ALLUDED TO, AN ACTIVE RECOVERY REQUIRES A 72 HOUR SYMPTOM FREE OR TEN DAYS POST
[01:15:07]
THE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS, WHICHEVER IS LONGER.SO IT REQUIRED MULTIPLE CALLS TO THE CASE TO VERIFY THAT THEY ARE SYMPTOM FREE, TO VERIFY WHEN THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS. AND THEN ONCE THAT ONCE THE CASE WAS CLEARED, THEN THE HOUSEHOLD QUARANTINE BEGAN.
SO IT WAS A VERY IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED MATRIX TO GIVE AN OFFICIAL RECOVERY.
AND SO WE HAVE MOVED INTO THAT PRESUMED 14 DAYS WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT IF A CASE IS STILL SYMPTOMATIC, THEY CAN CALL US AND WE WILL EXTEND THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GIVE FULLY ACCURATE RECOVERIES OR ACTIVE CASES.
AND WE'VE MOVED OVER INTO THIS PRESUMED ACTIVE, PRESUMED RECOVERED.
AND SO I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SUPERVISORS QUESTION? THERE'S NO QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
OK, GREAT. AND THEN BACK TO DR.
OK, SO ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE A STATE SPONSORED COVID TESTING FACILITY ON THE WEST SIDE IN LOS BANOS THAT WILL BE STOOD UP NEXT WEEK, MONDAY, JULY 20TH, AND THERE WILL BE ACCOMPANYING MEDIA TO GIVE MORE DETAILS.
HOW WE ACQUIRED THE SITE WAS THAT THE STATE HAD PROCURED SIX RECREATIONAL VEHICLES FOR TESTING IN RURAL REGIONS, ESPECIALLY LIKE THOSE NORTHERN RURAL CALIFORNIA COUNTIES.
THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY WERE USED.
BUT THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THEY ONLY NEEDED FIVE.
AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A VERILY TEST SITE, WHICH WILL BE A SELF-ADMINISTERED MID-TERBINATE SWAB.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY UP.
NOBODY'S, YOU KNOW, AS THEY SAY, SCRUBBING YOUR BRAIN.
IT'S JUST GOING TO GO TO THE [INAUDIBLE] AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CONDUCT TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY TESTS PER DAY OR MORE IF NECESSARY.
THIS IS THE VERILY SITE WAS, THOSE TEST SITES ARE THE ONES WHERE THEY WORK WITH GOOGLE AS WELL. AND SO TECHNICALLY, THEY'RE PRETTY SAVVY.
THEY WILL BE ACCEPTING WALK INS.
AND BUT HOWEVER, THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE A REGISTRATION WEBSITE WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR YOU TO GET THROUGH MUCH QUICKER IF YOU'RE PREREGISTERED.
AND SO THE SERVICE IS GOING TO BE OFFERED TWO DAYS A WEEK AT THE LOS BANOS FAIRGROUND BEGINNING THIS UPCOMING MONDAY, AND IT WILL BE AN 8:00 A.M.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE DETAILS ARE STILL BEING KIND OF IRONED OUT.
AND SO WANTED TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
[INAUDIBLE] DO WE KNOW THAT TWO DAYS A WEEK OR IS THAT FLUID? MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
[INAUDIBLE] I DID ASK FOR WEEKENDS AND THEY SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, BECAUSE THE IDEA OF THIS RV IS THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY REGION THAT WILL BE RECEIVING IT.
THEY'RE GOING TO KINGS AS WELL AS A SITE IN FRESNO COUNTY.
SO AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS TESTING DESERTS IN THE STATE.
PERFECT. THANK YOU. AND AS OUR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GO UP, WE NEED TO BE MORE MINDFUL OF STANDING UP OUR OWN FACILITIES WHEN OUR NEIGHBORS ALL AROUND US ARE SATURATED AND WE DON'T HAVE RESOURCES TO REACH OUT TO.
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR OWN ALTERNATE CARE SITE PLAN FOR THOSE WHO RECALL WE WERE TO IT AS A SURGE PLAN, OUR COUNTYWIDE SURGE PLANNING.
THE STATE HAS ALREADY BECOME INVOLVED IN STANDING UP SOME OF THESE MOBILE FIELD SITES WITH THE COTS THAT ARE LAID OUT THERE.
THESE ARE RESOURCES FOR THE REGION THAT YOU RESIDE IN.
WE IN MERCED COUNTY ARE PART OF REGION FIVE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT IS A RESOURCE FOR REGION FIVE, WHICH WE'RE WIDE IN TERMS OF GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE.
THE [INAUDIBLE] THAT HAS BEEN STOOD UP FOR REGION FIVE IS LOCATED IN PORTERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS QUITE A DISTANCE, AND THEY CURRENTLY HAVE 50 AND ARE ABLE TO HAVE UP TO 150 BEDS.
BUT IT IS COMPLETELY THE DECISION MAKING IS DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO OUR HOSPITALS, OUR TWO MAJOR HOSPITALS IN THIS COUNTY PREFER TO ACTUALLY ABSORB THE PATIENTS WITHIN THEIR OWN SYSTEM.
AND SO BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE NUMBER OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS COUNTYWIDE GO UP, WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF REDUNDANCY FOR WHEN OUR HOSPITALS CAN NO LONGER TAKE IT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE AMOUNT OF BEDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
IT'S A STAFFING THAT'S REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE IN THOSE BEDS. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A PERCENT CAPACITY.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT DO YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO TO TAKE CARE OF THESE
[01:20:04]
INDIVIDUALS? AND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INTENSIVE CARE, THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES THAT ARE REQUIRED GO UP SIGNIFICANTLY.AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THE BACKDROP THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY WHEN AND IF THAT TIME ARRIVES.
[INAUDIBLE] HAS A QUESTION, REAL QUICK.
THANK YOU. THIS WASN'T THE CHAIR'S FAULT, THIS WAS MY FAULT I WAS A LITTLE SLOW TO THE BUTTON, BUT IT ACTUALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE TESTING AHEAD OF TIME.
I WAS SO ENTHRALLED WITH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING THAT I WAS LISTENING INTENTLY AND FORGOT TO ASK THE QUESTION. BUT WHAT I'M WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MY CONSTITUENCY IS THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO GET THEIR TESTS DONE.
AND AND THESE ARE FROM BUSINESSES AND EVERYBODY WHO ARE REACHING OUT TO ME.
AND THEY'RE SAYING IT'S TAKING OVER SOMETIMES ABOUT A WEEK FOR THEM TO GET IN IF THEY MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET TESTED.
BUT THEN OTHER FOLKS ARE JUST SHOWING UP AND WAITING AN HOUR OR LESS AND GETTING RIGHT IN AND GETTING TESTED. IS THIS AT THE OPTUMSERVE? YES, IT IS. AND SO ARE WE ADDRESSING THAT OR WHAT'S WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.
OPTIMSERVE RECENTLY ADVISED US THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER TAKING WALKING IN INDIVIDUALS.
WHICH HAS CREATED ITS OWN ISSUES BY WAY OF PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO JUST GO UP AND BE ABLE TO GET TESTED RIGHT AWAY.
I'M GOING TO LET KRISTYNN SPEAK ABOUT THE ACTUAL LOGISTICS, BECAUSE I STAY OUT OF THAT AND IT'S MORE THE PLANNING PART OF IT.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HER MOMENTARILY AND THEN I'LL RETURN.
OK, THANKS. SO, YES, OPTUMSERVE TOOK AWAY OUR WALK IN ABILITY, AND THEY HAD SAID THAT THEY HAD ACCOMMODATED TO THAT BY GIVING US AN EXTRA 12 SLOTS, WHICH IS ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN A 10 PERCENT NO SHOW RATE.
BUT IN THIS COUNTY, WE HAD WE EXPERIENCED A 30 TO 40 PERCENT NO SHOW RATE.
AND SO WE ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AND REOPEN APPOINTMENTS FOR PEOPLE ONLINE.
THEY SAID NO. SO THEN WE ASKED IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO.
WE'VE ASKED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY SAID NO ALL THE TIME.
SO BASICALLY, THE ONLY MIDDLE GROUND THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH THEM IS THAT THEY'LL CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, OUR STAFF ON SITE BECAUSE WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR STAFF ON SITE.
THEY ASSESS HOUR BY HOUR HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAKING AND AND THEN THEY'LL ALLOW THAT MANY WALK INS.
BUT IT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL WALK IN CAPACITY.
IT'S IT'S KIND OF A CRAP SHOOT, UNFORTUNATELY.
RIGHT. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD SAID IS THAT IF THERE IS A NO SHOW AT 7:00 A.M., THAT APPOINTMENT IS GONE FOREVER.
IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T REOPEN FOR LATER IN THE DAY, EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE IT.
AND OPTUMSERVE BASICALLY WAS LIKE, YEP.
SO WE JUST, THIS IS OUR WORK AROUND.
AND SO THEY ARE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE LATER IN THE DAY WALK INS TO CATCH UP FOR ALL OF THE NO SHOWS. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TOO OR [INAUDIBLE] I DON'T THINK THEY'RE A NO SHOW.
I THINK THEY'RE MAKING THEIR APPOINTMENT AND IT'S A WEEK AND THEN THEY'RE HEARING ON THE STREET THAT THEY CAN JUST SHOW UP AND THEY'RE JUST SHOWING UP AND GETTING THEIR TEST DONE AND THEN NOT SHOWING UP FOR THE FOR THEIR APPOINTMENT TIME.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO ALSO SAY THAT IF THAT IF PEOPLE ARE DOING THAT, IF THEY CANCEL THEIR APPOINTMENT. THEY GO ONLINE AND CANCEL.
YEAH. THEY CAN CANCEL AND THEN THAT WILL REOPEN IT.
SO IF PEOPLE CAN DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
BUT, YES, WE'RE HAVING TO DO WORKAROUNDS AROUND, AROUND THIS SYSTEM.
AND I FIELDED A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
SO THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
[INAUDIBLE] HAS ANOTHER QUESTION AND THEN.
FOR TESTING OR? OK. SUPERVISOR LOR, DO STILL THE QUESTION? OK. THANK YOU.
[INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU. SO OPTUMSERVE FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION.
IS IT A STATE OPERATOR TESTING SITE OR COUNTY? YES, IT IS STATE OPERATED.
SO WE DO NOT CONTROL ANY OF THEIR OPERATING DECISIONS.
WE DO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE STAFF WHO ARE ON THE GROUND BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE FOUND THAT THERE ARE GAPS IN THE SUPPORT FROM THE COMPANY, THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT'S BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE STATE TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES HERE.
SO WE DON'T, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEED UP TESTING RESULTS OR TO CHANGE APPOINTMENT TIMES OR ANY OF THAT.
THAT'S ALL DONE THROUGH THE CONTRACTOR.
AND THEN WE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THEM IF THEY RUN OUT OF SUPPLIES OR OR HAVE OTHER ISSUES.
THANK YOU. AND WE ARE PROVIDING FEEDBACK, CORRECT? YES. THANK YOU. AND THEN ONE LAST QUESTION FOR NOW IS, DOES THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAVE THE CAPACITY AND OR THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO OPEN ITS OWN TESTING SITE? DEFINITIVELY NO, WE DO NOT HAVE THE PEOPLE RESOURCES FOR THAT.
IT IS VERY, VERY PERSON INTENSIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING.
[01:25:06]
THANK YOU. IS THAT THE ONLY OBSTACLE.IT WOULD REQUIRE A DIVERSITY OF RESOURCES, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF THE SECOND WAVE AS WELL AS ANTICIPATION OF FALL, WE DON'T HAVE SUPPLIES, SO WE WOULD EVENTUALLY RUN OUT OF THOSE. WE HAVE BARELY ENOUGH CLINICAL STAFFING FOR OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS AS IT STANDS. AND SO REMOVING THEM WHERE THOSE ARE FUNDED TO CONDUCT THIS WOULD JUST BE INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING AND UNFEASIBLE.
THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? YES.
SO JUST KIND OF A FOLLOW UP TO SUPERVISOR MACDANIEL'S POINT.
SO IF PEOPLE ARE WALKING IN TO THE OPSUMSERVE SITE, ARE THEY ASKING THEM IF THEY HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED AND THEN THEY COULD GO BACK AND TAKE THEM OFF OF THE SCHEDULE IF THEY'VE BEEN TESTED? THEY DO ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED.
BUT THE PEOPLE ON SITE ACTUALLY CAN'T REGISTER OR AMEND APPOINTMENTS.
IT'S BECAUSE IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON.
IT'S TIED TO AN INDIVIDUAL PATIENT ACCOUNT.
SO THE PATIENT THEM SELF HAS TO GO IN AND REMOVE THE APPOINTMENT.
BUT CAN'T THEY IF THEY WALK IN AND THEY SAY, YES, I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK, CAN'T THEY SAY WE'LL GO IN AND DELETE THAT AND THEN WE WILL TEST YOU? YEAH, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT.
WE CAN PROVIDE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE STAFF.
[INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU. AND ALSO WITH THE TEST SITE, JUST BECAUSE IT'S LOCATED IN ONE AREA DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE CAN'T GO ELSEWHERE.
AND SO THESE ARE STATE RUN SITES THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
BUT ANY RESIDENT OF ANY CITY IS ABLE TO GO TO LOS BANOS TO GET THEIR TESTS DONE OR LIKEWISE COME TO MERCED.
IF SOMEBODY ON THE WEST SIDE OR ANYWHERE WOULD LIKE TO GET THEIR TESTS DONE, INCLUDING OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY. SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR ASSISTANT COUNTY CEO, MR. DAVID MORONEY, WHO WILL BE HERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE] YEAH, THANK YOU, REBECCA.
THIS IS A, I THINK IT'S A QUESTION I'VE ASKED, BUT I KIND OF I WANTED TO GET OUT TO THE CONSTITUENCY. SO OUT OF THE 12 DEATHS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, THOSE ARE ALL CORONAVIRUS DEATHS OR ARE THEY CORONAVIRUS DEATHS BY SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE WERE TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS, SO CORONAVIRUS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THAT DEATH? SO THOSE ARE COVID-19 DEATHS.
I DID SEE THIS MORNING BECAUSE I TRY AND KEEP UPDATED IN TERMS OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE, AND THE WAY THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL BUMP THEIR CHEST, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, AND THERE WILL BE A PAIN OR SOMETHING DULLING AND THEN THEY'LL GO TO THE DOCTOR.
ARE THEY THERE FOR THEIR BUMP OR THE FURTHER DIAGNOSIS, WHICH FOR SOME WOMEN CAN BE CANCEROUS? YOU KNOW, MY SISTER, WHO'S A PHYSICIAN, TELLS ME THAT ALL THE TIME.
IT'S LIKE THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG.
FOR THE DEATH THAT WE HAVE HAD, THEY HAVE BEEN DUE TO COVID-19.
BUT ALL 12 OF THOSE DEATHS HAD UNDERLYING HEALTH ISSUES? DID THEY ALL HAVE UNDERLYING HEALTH? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
NO. WE'VE HAD DEATHS WHERE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE UNDERLYING HEALTH ISSUES.
BUT THE ONLY THING THAT THEY DID HAVE THAT COULD EXPLAIN THEIR DEATH WAS COVID.
[INAUDIBLE] I'VE BEEN GETTING CALLS FROM RESIDENTS REGARDING FRUIT PROCESSING FACILITIES WITH OUTBREAKS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL.
AND I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN.
OR HAVE YOU HAD TO SHUT DOWN ANY PROCESSORS YET OR FARMS? NOT YET. OH, ONE ACTUALLY WE DID.
BUT WE'RE NOT AVERSE TO NECESSARILY NEEDING TO CLOSE IF WE CANNOT GAIN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OWNERS OR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN HUMAN RESOURCES.
A LOT OF THE TIMES AND I'M GLAD THIS QUESTION HAS COME UP, A LOT OF THE TIME THESE FACILITIES KNOW THAT THEY HAVE ISSUES AND THEY'RE KEEPING THAT INFORMATION FROM US.
BUT WE GET THE DATA AND WE'RE ABLE TO SAY, OH, THERE'S AN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS FACILITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF RETICENCE, ESPECIALLY AS THE SEASONS ARE COMING UPON US AND THEY NEED THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR OPERATION UNDERWAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND A SWEET SPOT OF WHAT'S ACHIEVABLE SO WE CAN FOREGO HAVING ANY FACILITY SHUT DOWN VERSUS WHAT WE'RE NOT HEARING OF AND I HAVE TO THINK A LOT OF THE MAYORS AND CITY MANAGERS FOR GETTING INVOLVED AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE THE FULL STORY.
BUT WE AS A TEAM PART OF YOUR TEAM, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING IN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT
[01:30:04]
THEY ARE CLEANING AND PROVIDING, ARE WE MAKING THEM PROVIDE MASKS TO THE EMPLOYEES OR NOT? BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE MASKS FOR YOU KNOW, THOSE WORKING ON LINES. ARE THEY PROVIDING ADEQUATE MASKING? SO WE DON'T MANDATE THAT THEY PROVIDE MASKS.WE MANDATE THAT THEY ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING THERE ARE WEARING MASKS.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE AND THAT IS GOING TO BE PART OF SOME OF OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH MR. MORONEY. WE'LL GET TO SHORTLY, BUT WE MANDATE THE HEALTH COMPONENT OF IT, NOT HOW TO ACHIEVE THAT A LOT OF THE TIME.
AND I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DO THAT.
BUT THEN IT BECOMES A HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY.
IF THEY SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T AFFORD IT, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET IT, WE'RE OUT OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THEN IT NOW BECOMES OUR ISSUE TO RESOLVE FOR THAT BUSINESS. AND WE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO BE REALISTIC WITH HOW MUCH WE'RE OFFERING SO WE DON'T GET INUNDATED WITH THINGS THAT ARE EXTRAS THAT EVERYBODY STARTS TO TO EXPECT.
AND BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IN THE BEGINNING MASKS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
NOW, THERE'S MASKS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT THEY WERE VERY HIGH.
BUT NOW, AGAIN, THOSE [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH MASKS.
AND THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE PRICE GOUGING THAT WENT ON.
BUT KNOW AT SOME POINT, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO MANDATE THAT THEY PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE MASKS SO THAT WE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE FEAR OF GOING BACK TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYERS WILL PROBABLY LOSE MORE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ON, YOU KNOW, NOT WORKING OR IF THEY CAN BE LAID OFF OR FOR WHATEVER REASON.
BUT I THINK IT IS A LOT MORE FEASIBLE IF THEY PROVIDE THE MASKS.
AND SO THAT WAY THEY DON'T LOSE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY NEED THOSE EMPLOYEES TO GET THE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER SERVICES ARE PROVIDING FOOD, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NOT A DELAY IN PROCESSING THAT.
[INAUDIBLE] GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS, DAVID MORONY ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AND SO I'M NOW GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUTREACH PROJECTS.
WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE STATE'S ACTION STEPS AND THE REQUIREMENTS AND THESE ALIGN WITH THOSE ACTION STEPS.
AND SO THE FIRST ONE I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS MASK UP MERCED COUNTY.
WE HAVE LAUNCHED THIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS.
THIS LOGO WILL BE BRANDED FOR THE CITIES AS WELL AS IN SPANISH AND HMONG.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ROLLING THAT OUT.
IN SUPPORT OF THAT WILL BE A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN WITH RADIO SPOTS, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, BILLBOARDS SIGNAGE, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE PASS OUT AS WE DO COMMUNITY EDUCATION.
EDUCATION AT MIGRANT CAMPS AND THE FLEA MARKETS.
SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WE'VE WE'VE STARTED THOSE EFFORTS ALREADY.
JUST OVER THE LAST WEEK, WE HAVE CONNECTED WITH OVER 700 PEOPLE THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF HSA AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND THEIR NETWORK OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH AGENCIES THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING WITH THE MIGRANT SEASONAL FARM WORKER COMMUNITY.
AND HOW CAN WE EXPAND UPON THOSE EFFORTS AND PARTNER AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD AND SCALE UP THOSE EFFORTS. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE THAT EFFORT, DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS TO LOCAL BUSINESS.
THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL GET TO READY TO OPEN CAMPAIGN AND DOVE INTO THAT.
AND SO WITH THAT, READY2OPEN MERCED COUNTY, SO OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED MONDAY, WE WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH A BUSINESS SELF CERTIFICATION PROGRAM AGAIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SIX CITY PARTNERS. AND SO BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO GO ON TO REOPENMERCEDCOUNTY.COM/READYTOOPEN.
OR IF YOU JUST GO TO THE MAIN SITE, THERE'S THERE'S INFORMATION RIGHT ON THE MAIN PAGE AS WELL, WHERE BUSINESSES CAN ATTEST THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE FIVE OUTLINED PROTOCOLS, WHICH IS SIGNAGE, EMPLOYEE TRAINING, EMPLOYEE HEALTH, PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND ROUTINE SANITATION. WHEN THAT IS DONE, THEY WILL RECEIVE, IF YOU WERE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF MERCED COUNTY, YOU WOULD RECEIVE THIS LOGO AND THIS BADGE TO PRINT AND HANG IN YOUR STOREFRONT. LIKEWISE, IF YOUR BUSINESS IS IN ANY OF THE OTHER CITIES, THIS WOULD BE PROVIDED AND BRANDED FOR YOUR CITY.
THAT GETS SENT WITH AN EMAIL WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO PUT LINKS TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
[01:35:02]
FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY BUSINESS THAT IS CERTIFYING THEY'RE GETTING INFORMATION ON THE REOPENED MERCED COUNTY FUND THAT WE DID LAST MONTH TO HELP BUSINESSES RECOUP SOME OF THE COST FROM COVID-19 RELATED EXPENSES, THE SANITIZER, THE PLEXIGLAS, SOFTWARE THAT THEY MAY HAVE HAD TO PURCHASE FOR FOR REMOTE MEETINGS, THAT TYPE OF THING.I'M PLEASED TO REPORT WITH THAT, OUR FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING WAS ALREADY SPENT, WHICH WAS SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, OUR SECOND ROUND, WHICH WE WERE LAUNCHING ON THE 15TH.
WE ARE ALREADY AT ANOTHER 11000.
WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING APPLICATIONS AS WE WAIT FOR THOSE FUNDS TO BE OPEN.
SO THERE ARE GRANTS AVAILABLE STILL.
WE'RE STILL GETTING APPLICATIONS.
BUT FOR ANY BUSINESSES OUT THERE, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK THERE AT REOPENMERCEDCOUNTY.COM.
IN SOME OF THE SELECT CITIES AND THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, WE WILL BE PROVIDING A COURTESY WALK THROUGH TO TALK WITH BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS PROVIDE EDUCATION ON THE CAMPAIGN AND TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS THAT ARE PERTINENT TO THE CITIES AS WELL.
SO IF A CITY WANTED TO, IF THEY HAD THEIR OWN PROGRAM OR WANTED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ALL OF THAT IN ONE SWOOP.
SO AS I SAID, THAT WAS LAUNCHED JULY 12TH AND WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN OVER 70 BUSINESSES REGISTER. JUST SITTING IN HERE, I'M SEEING THEM CONTINUE TO REGISTER.
SO WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO REGISTER, SELF ATTEST, GET YOUR CERTIFICATION, HANG IT IN THE WINDOW AND HELP US ALL AS A COMMUNITY, BRING THOSE NUMBERS DOWN AND GET OFF THE WATCH LIST AND START OPENING OUR BUSINESSES BACK UP.
LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST TOUCH ON THE GRANT FUNDING, THE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN AGGRESSIVELY APPLYING FOR FUNDING THAT CAN BE USED FOR THE COVID-19 RESPONSE.
SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF SIX DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE SECURED FUNDING.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS ONE THAT WILL BE ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY TO ACCEPT.
BUT OVERALL CURRENTLY SECURED TWO POINT EIGHT DOLLARS MILLION WITH ANOTHER TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS GOING THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS AND GOING THROUGH THOSE IN THE APPROVAL CHAIN.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT WORK.
THE DEPARTMENTS ARE ALL KEEPING THEIR EYES OPEN FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AS THEY COME IN AND APPLYING WHERE IT MAKES MOST SENSE.
IF THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE SEEING THEM, THEY'RE GOING FOR THEM.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED WITH THAT.
THAT'LL BE OVER THREE MILLION DOLLARS AND COUNTING.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF. COMMENTS? NO, THANK YOU.
[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, LET'S DO A FIVE MINUTE BREAK, OK? THANK YOU. COME BACK IN FIVE MINUTES.
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH CONSENT CALENDAR.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
NEXT IS APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH TWENTY TWO, PLEASE NOTE FOUR FIFTHS VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEM TWO AND ITEM EIGHT HAS BEEN PULLED.ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND THE SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
I HAVE, JUST A COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS JUST A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE NEXT MEETING. I GUESS THIS IS AN OLD DEVELOPMENT AND THEN IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE AREA OF [INAUDIBLE]. [INAUDIBLE] ARE WE GONNA GET A MAP? IT'S AN OLD MAP. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET A MAP AND MORE INFORMATION, THE ACREAGE.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE ANY PARKS.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT [INAUDIBLE] PROVIDING A DECENT SIZED PARK AND MORE AMENITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU.
OTHER THAN THAT. SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE.
RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO, I THINK PUBLIC COMMENT WAS ALREADY IN
[01:40:03]
THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, SO THAT'S I DIDN'T ASK.NEXT IS BOARD ACTION PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS TWENTY THREE AND TWENTY FOUR, PLEASE NOTE A FOUR
[BOARD ACTION]
FIFTHS VOTE IS REQUIRED ON BOTH ITEMS. ON 23 AND 24 COMMENTS OR MOTIONS ? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. NO FURTHER COMMENTS, WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.GO AHEAD AND RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
HEALTH ITEMS, TWENTY FIVE AND TWENTY SIX.
TWENTY FIVE AND TWENTY SIX COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTIONED BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
NO OTHER COMMENTS WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
[INAUDIBLE] RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
NEXT IS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES.
ITEM 27, 28 COMMENTS BY THE BOARD, MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC WERE GIVEN ALREADY.
SO GO AHEAD AND RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 29 AND 30.
COMMENTS, MOTIONS ON 29, 30? NO COMMENTS. WE HAVE MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES AGAIN FIVE ZERO.
NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS THIRTY ONE THROUGH THIRTY FOUR.
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS ON ITEMS THIRTY ONE THROUGH THIRTY FOUR? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
NO FURTHER COMMENTS WE'LL GO AHEAD VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM THIRTY FIVE FROM ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA.
NEXT IS ITEM THIRTY SIX FROM THE AUDITOR CONTROLLER.
COMMENTS ON ITEM THIRTY SIX OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
NO FURTHER COMMENTS BY THE BOARD, BY THE PUBLIC, IT'S BEEN TAKEN ALREADY, SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
NEXT IS FIRE ITEMS THIRTY SEVEN AND THIRTY EIGHT.
COMMENTS BY THE BOARD ON ITEM THIRTY SEVEN, 38, OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM THIRTY NINE.
NEXT IS ITEM THIRTY NINE FROM WORKFORCE INVESTMENT.
COMMENTS BY THE BOARD OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVIOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
COMMENTS, COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC WERE GIVEN.
SO WE'LL GO AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
[01:45:08]
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS HUMAN RESOURCES ITEM 40.ITEM NUMBER 40. WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE].
WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THIS ITEM.
THIS IS THE CREATION OF EXTRA HELP CONTACT TRACERS/INVESTIGATOR.
AND SO WE SPOKE EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT GRANTS THAT WERE BEING SECURED.
ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT WAS SECURED WAS THROUGH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S EDD.
AND IT WAS THE RECEIPT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS TO DO PAID WORK EXPERIENCE FOR FOLKS THAT WERE UNEMPLOYED AND OR IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO USE THOSE DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THESE SERVICES FOR EXTRA HELP. AND SO WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IS IF ACCEPTED TODAY AND APPROVED, THEN WE WILL BE WORKING THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC HEALTH TO BRING ON THESE INDIVIDUALS TO ASSIST WITH THOSE EFFORTS.
AND THE TIMING COULDN'T BE BETTER WITH THE SPREAD.
THESE ARE FUNDS THAT WE APPLIED FOR MONTHS AGO AND HAVE WORKED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND AND SO IT LED TO THE CREATION OF THIS EXTRA HELP POSITION BECAUSE IT'S SUCH SUCH A NEW POSITION AND NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? HOW DOES THIS WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PERSON WHO'S ON UNEMPLOYMENT? THROUGH THE CHAIR. SO HOW IT WORKS IS, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WANTED TO TO TAKE PART IN THIS WOULD GO THROUGH OUR NORMAL PROCESS AT WORKNET, WHERE THEY WOULD BE DETERMINE THROUGH ELIGIBILITY.
THE ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. IT'S THE RIGHT TO WORK.
AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU WERE EITHER RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT, EXHAUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT, OR IMPACTED BY COVID-19, WHICH IS AT THIS POINT, NEARLY EVERYONE IS IMPACTED BY COVID-19 FROM A ELIGIBILITY STANDPOINT.
AND SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CLIENTS THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST THAT WOULD BE BILINGUAL POSITIONS.
WE WOULD ENROLL THEM IF THEY WEREN'T ALREADY ENROLLED.
THEY GO INTO THE PROGRAM, THEY BECOME EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY, AND THEY ARE DEPLOYED TO THE DOC WITH PUBLIC HEALTH UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH'S SUPERVISION.
BUT I GUESS MAYBE ASK MY QUESTION WRONG.
SOMEONE IS ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND THEY'RE GETTING FUNDED, RIGHT? THEY'RE GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT AND THEN THEY TAKE THIS JOB.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT NEXUS? THAT WOULD BE, SINCE THEY ARE WORKING, THE UNEMPLOYMENT WOULD END.
THEY WOULD REPORT THOSE EARNINGS IN THEIR CLAIM.
SO WHEN SOMEONE'S ON UNEMPLOYMENT EVERY TWO WEEKS, YOU HAVE TO FILE A CONTINUED CLAIM THAT SHOWS THE HOURS AND OR THE HOURS AND EARNINGS YOU'VE MADE IN THAT PERIOD.
CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, THE EXTRA SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK FOR THE CARES ACT IS COMING TO AN END AS OF JULY TWENTY FIFTH.
SO WE ARE EXPECTING THAT THERE WILL BE INCREASED DEMAND ON THE SYSTEM AS WELL UNLESS THAT GETS EXTENDED, WHICH IT'S NOT LOOKING LIKE IT WILL IN THAT TIME FRAME.
THERE'S IT'S A HIGHLY CONTESTED ISSUE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND SO IT WOULD IN SHORT, IT WOULD END THAT UNEMPLOYMENT.
I WOULD HIGHLY ADVISE, LIKE I WOULD WITH WITH ANYONE, ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE CLAIM, YOU CAN REPORT YOUR EARNINGS AND KEEP YOUR CLAIM OPEN.
A CLAIM IS OPEN FOR A YEAR, SO YOU KEEP THAT CLAIM OPEN.
SO FOR MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO WORK AND WITH THE GOVERNOR'S DECISION YESTERDAY.
THEY WILL ACTUALLY NOW GO BACK TO REPORTING THAT THEY ARE NOT WORKING AND THOSE BENEFITS CAN CAN KEEP GOING.
SO MANY FOLKS WILL GET UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS THEN WHILE THEY'RE WORKING, NO BENEFITS AND THEN IF THEY'RE LAID OFF AGAIN, THEY CAN RECEIVE THOSE BENEFITS ONCE AGAIN.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT CLAIM ACTIVE.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK OR A DAY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HIRING THEM FOR? SO THE GRANT FUNDS FOR A TOTAL OF 600 HOURS AND WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE EXTRA HELP CLASSIFICATION.
TYPICALLY, THEY'RE NOT EXCEEDING TWENTY EIGHT HOURS A WEEK, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED
[01:50:01]
TERM OF THE DOLLARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE THEM TO A 40 HOUR WEEK.THANK YOU CHAIR, THROUGH THE CHAIR.
DAVID, SO YOU KIND OF ANSWER MY, YOU SAID THE SIX HUNDRED HOURS SO WITH THE ALLOTTED BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FOR THE HOW LONG DO YOU SEE THIS EXTENDING THAT EMPLOYMENT? HOW LONG WILL THE 600 HOURS TAKE THEM? YEAH. SO TYPICALLY A FULL TIME AVERAGE MONTH IS ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX HOURS A MONTH. NO, I'M JUST SAYING HOW LONG HOW USING THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW TO KEEP THIS CONTACT TRACING ALIVE? MAYBE THAT'S A BETTER, SIX HUNDRED HOURS, I CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT I MEAN HOW LONG ARE WE TRYING TO UTILIZE THIS AND WILL IT BE A BACK SUPPLEMENT TO BACK FILL IT IF WE CONTINUE TO NEED THIS TRACING? SO THIS WILL TAKE THROUGH ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW.
OK, HOW IT WORKS IS YOU HAVE A POT OF DOLLARS AND AS PEOPLE WORK, IT DRAWS DOWN AGAINST THAT POT. SO IF YOU HAVE ONE PERSON AND THEY RESIGN AFTER A WEEK, YOU STILL HAVE THOSE DOLLARS THERE. SO YOU ESSENTIALLY RUN UNTIL THOSE DOLLARS ARE EXPENDED.
SO YOU MAY HAVE A GOAL OF X AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, BUT IF THREE PEOPLE QUIT AFTER TWO DAYS, YOU ARE GOING TO FIND THREE MORE TO BACK FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
SO THE MONEY WE HAVE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SIX MONTH.
WHAT AND WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO IS IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION WHERE THE GRANT TERM IS THERE STILL TIME IN THE TERM AND YOU ARE APPROACHING FULLY EXPENDING THOSE FUNDS, THEN WE ARE MORE THAN VOCAL ABOUT THAT AND LET THE STATE KNOW THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION TO ACCEPT MORE FUNDS BECAUSE THOSE DOLLARS COME FROM THE FED TO THE STATE.
THE STATE HAS THE PLAN OF HOW THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED.
SO IT'S IN THE STATE'S BEST INTEREST FOR THEM TO SPEND THEIR GRANT AND NOT GIVE IT BACK.
SO THAT THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WITH ANY OF THESE GRANTS.
YOU WANT TO BE IN A POSITION TO ASK FOR MORE IF YOU'RE IN THAT POSITION.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I THINK I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE SALARY RANGE UP TO TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS OR STARTING AT TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS? [INAUDIBLE] TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS EVEN.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT, WE WERE DOING TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS AN HOUR.
OH, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. JUST WANT TO MAKE IT PUBLIC SO THAT PEOPLE CAN APPLY IF THEY WANT TO. SO WE HAVE A QUESTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
THANK YOU. I GUESS MORE OF A COMMENT THAN A QUESTION, IS THAT I KNOW THAT THIS IS A SPECIFIC GRANT FOR CONTACT TRACING, BUT I GUESS IF WE SEE THE VALUE IN IT, THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD USE IF WE GET IT, OUR ALLOCATION OF CARES ACT DOLLARS FROM THE STATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS LONG AS WE SEE THE VALUE IN IT AND THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE OR WHATEVER, I THINK WE'RE PRETTY FLEXIBLE THERE.
AND I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS ON HOW WE SPEND THOSE DOLLARS.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A WELL WORTH CAUSE IF THE GRANT PORTION RAN OUT.
IT'S A STANDARD EXTRA HELP POSITION WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SO IT'S NOT PARTICULARLY TIED TO A GRANT.
WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THAT POSITION TO WORK THE GRANT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, DAVID. THANK YOU.
SO WITH THAT WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR AGAIN.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
NEXT IS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEM FORTY ONE.
ITEM FORTY ONE COMMENTS BY THE BOARD OR MOTIONS? PUBLIC COMMENT WAS RECEIVED, SO.
MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEM FORTY TWO.
ITEM FORTY TWO, COMMENTS, MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE.
RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
NEXT IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEM 43.
ITEM 43 COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTIONED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
RECORD THE VOTE. FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS FORTY FOUR THROUGH 50.
[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS?[01:55:02]
MOTIONED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, YOU CAN VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SCHEDULED ITEMS AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT BY MANUAL VOTE.
OUR FIRST SCHEDULED ITEM IS FROM DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
[DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS - FIRST READING - PROPOSED ORDINANCE]
IT'S A FIRST READING OF A PROPOSED ORDINANCE.INTRODUCE AND CONDUCT FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER FIVE POINT SIX FOUR OF THE MERCER COUNTY CODE AND SUPERSEDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 1970 ENTITLED USER CHARGE RATES FOR ZONES OF BENEFIT, WHICH WOULD SET COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER ONE USER CHARGE RATES AT THEIR CURRENT RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
GO AHEAD. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DANA HERTFELDER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS HAS ESTABLISHED THE PROPOSED USER CHARGE RATES FOR ZONES OF BENEFITS AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER ONE FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY AND TWENTY TWENTY ONE. RATES FOR THE ZONE OF BENEFITS AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER ONE ARE SET AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FISCAL YEAR.
THE RATES PROPOSED ARE THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY INCREASES.
EACH ON A BENEFIT, ALONG WITH ITS CORRESPONDING ASSESSMENT IS LISTED IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. THESE FEES PROVIDE THE REVENUE REQUIRED TO FINANCE THE PAYMENT OF UTILITY BILLS, MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR THE ZONES OF BENEFITS WITHIN THE COUNTY SERVICE AREA ONE.
ANY COMMENTS BY THE BOARD? COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE A QUESTION, IS THAT THE MOTION ? SUPERVISOR LOR? THANK YOU, I WAS GOING TO MOVE TO WAIT FOR THE READING OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND SET A SECOND READING AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE FOR JULY TWENTY EIGHT, TWENTY TWENTY AT 10 A.M..
NO, IT WAS A COMMENT? OK, GO AHEAD FOR THE COMMENT.
WELL, I JUST DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LET THIS MOMENT PASS WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE'RE NOT RAISING THE RATES, THAT HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO HAVE CAKE AND ICE CREAM, BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK DANA AND YOUR STAFF FOR BEING ABLE TO HOLD THE RATES THE SAME.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. SUPERVISOR LOR? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA WOULD LOVE CAKE AND ICE CREAM.
SO WE HAD A FIRST BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
SO THAT WAS A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE TREASURER TO CONSIDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX
[TREASURER - PUBLIC HEARING]
ORDINANCE.GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
KAREN ADAMS YOUR MERCED COUNTY TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR.
BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN AMENDED SINCE 2005.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THERE'S NO RATE INCREASE BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THAT IN A SECOND BAI.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WORK DILIGENTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. SO I WANT TO THANK MARK HENDRICKSON AND HIS GROUP.
THEY'RE GREAT TO WORK WITH AND WE APPRECIATE THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'RE ALIGNING OUR REVISIONS IN THIS TOT ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE THEIR NEW ZONING ORDINANCE FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO COME TODAY.
AND AFTER 2005, WE HAD SOME AMENDMENTS THAT WERE ON THE TO DO LIST.
SO WE'RE ALSO BRINGING FORWARD THEM TODAY FOR APPROVAL TO BE INCORPORATED OFFICIALLY INTO THE ORDINANCE. LIKE YOU, WE ALL ARE WORRIED ABOUT OUR BUSINESSES.
SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THAT, OF COURSE, WE ALL WANT THEM TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS, WHATEVER REGULAR IS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND LIKE NUMEROUS CITIES AND COUNTIES, WE HAVE A HOTEL, MOTEL, TOT ORDINANCE IN UNINCORPORATED AREA, AND THE HOTELS MUST REGISTER WITH THE COUNTY, WITH MY OFFICE.
[02:00:03]
THEY MUST COLLECT OUR TOT TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX OF 10 PERCENT AND THEY MUST FILE A QUARTERLY REPORT AND RENDER THE TAXES COLLECTED.SO THEY DO NOT OWE A TAX ON ROOMS THAT ARE NOT RENTED.
I MEAN, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
AND OF COURSE, WE WANT THEM BACK TO WHATEVER FULL CAPACITY IS SO THAT THEY CAN COLLECT AN EXTRA 10 PERCENT AND RENDER IT AND THEY HAVE LOTS OF PROFITS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THIS TAX IS ONLY FOR THE OCCUPIED ROOMS. AND OF COURSE, WE'VE SEEN IT DECLINE.
BUT WE WILL I'M SURE JULY IS THE REPORTING PERIOD FOR THE QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30TH, WE WILL SEE A DECLINE IN OUR TOT TAX THAT WE'RE COLLECTING.
SO GOOD THOUGHTS, OF COURSE, TO ALL BUSINESSES AND ESPECIALLY RELATED TO TOT IN THIS MOMENT. SO JUST TO ALIGN THIS ORDINANCE REAL QUICKLY, I'LL JUST SAY WE DID MAKE SOME REFERENCE TO THE PENAL CODE SECTION THAT DOES PERTAIN TO THEIR MANDATE TO COLLECT OUR TAXES AND THEN TO RENDER THEM FOR PAYMENT.
WE WORKED WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO ON A HOTEL THAT DID NOT COMPLY.
AND THEY BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT OUR ORDINANCE ONLY MENTIONED THE MISDEMEANOR AND FAILED TO MENTION THE PENAL CODE.
SO I AM INSERTING THAT INTO THE ORDINANCE.
AND THAT'S ON PAGE NINE AND THEN ON PAGE FIVE FOR ALIGNING OUR PENALTIES FOR LATE PAYMENTS AND DELINQUENT COST.
AND IT WILL BE ALIGNED WITH RNT SECTION, WHICH, OF COURSE, PERTAINS TO YOUR SECURED AND UNSECURED TAXES. AND THAT'S ON PAGE FIVE.
SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ANY QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE WITH THAT.
AND WE HAVE A QUESTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
SO JUST SO THE PUBLIC, IF THEY'RE LISTENING, ARE CLEAR.
SO WE'RE CHANGING UP, SO CURRENTLY THE CODE SAYS THEY HAVE 30 DAYS AFTER THEY START OPERATIONS TO REGISTER WITH YOU.
AND WE'RE CHANGING THAT TO BEFORE THEY START OPERATIONS, THEY REGISTER WITH THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, THAT THAT IS IN REGARDS TO THEIR SHORT TERM [INAUDIBLE] ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS A SEPARATE ORDINANCE FOR THAT DIVISION.
BUT TO OPERATE A HOTEL, MERCED COUNTY, YOU NEED TO REGISTER WITH MY OFFICE.
IS OUR NUMBER IN SHORT TERM RENTALS INCREASING OR WE HAVE A, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF ANY RECORDED AIR B&BS OR WHATEVER SHORT TERM RENTALS.
OK. THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR MARK HENDRICKSON AND HIS TEAM. OK, I THINK STEVE IS HERE. SO THANK YOU.
MORNING, STEVE MAXEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING FOR THE COUNTY.
JUST TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN SHORT TERM RENTALS OR VACATION RENTALS, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY REAL INCREASE.
NOBODY'S COME IN, APPLIED FOR ANY FORMAL PERMIT AND INTO AN EARLIER QUESTION TO SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, ON HOW THAT PROCESS WOULD WORK AS THESE ARE PERMITTED THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT AND GO THROUGH THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS AND TO GET THOSE THOSE PERMIT OKAYS, WE WOULD REFER THOSE APPLICATIONS TO THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.
SO THEY HAVE AN AWARENESS OF WHAT'S COME IN, WHO SHOULD BE REGISTERING, WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING ON THAT FRONT.
STEVE, ANYBODY CHECKING ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ANYBODY ADVERTISING SHORT TERM RENTALS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ADVERTISING, THEY'RE PROBABLY CHARGING THE SALES TAX AND BUT NOT REGISTERED AND THEY'RE NOT PAYING TO THE COUNTY. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ILLEGAL TO ME.
YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AS AN ENFORCEMENT TOOL AT THIS POINT.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN USING THAT FOR ENFORCEMENT, BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY AN OPTION.
OK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN.
OK, SO MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECOND BY SILVEIRA.
SO NOW WE GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING OK, ALL IN FAVOR.
AYE. ANY OPPOSE? MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
[INAUDIBLE] OK, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND NO COMMENTS? WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, BRING HIM BACK.
[02:05:01]
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSE? MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR MERCED COUNTY [INAUDIBLE] GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY AGENDA.
[GSA Meeting]
PULL UP THE LINKS HERE.IT'S TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST, WHETHER THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULED AS PUBLIC HEARINGS, TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. OK, DOES ANYBODY WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS OTHER AGENDA ON THE GROUNDWATER [INAUDIBLE] AGENCY? NO COMMENTS. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE BOARD ACTION.
BOARD ACTION ITEM ONE FROM COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIELS.
NO MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
AN FOR THE COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC? NO COMMENTS. SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT, IS BOARD REPORTS.
[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]
WE'LL START ON MY RIGHT WITH SUPERVISOR LOR.THANK YOU. I HAVE THREE ITEMS I'D LIKE FOR THE BOARD TO OPEN UP THE PHONE LINES SO FOLKS COULD LEAVE VOICEMAILS IN ADDITION TO EMAILS BEFORE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND THEN TO, YOU ALL MET MY INTERNS EARLIER.
I HAVE THREE OF THEM. THEY'RE ALL PART TIME.
AND AS WE KNOW, CHANGING SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES AND HABITS TAKE TIME.
AND IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN THREE PART TIME INTERNS TO HELP US MOVE THE COUNTY AS AN ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTY AS A COMMUNITY FORWARD.
AND THEN LASTLY, THREE, I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF BILL SHAE, WHO PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY LAST WEEK.
HE WAS THE FACE OF THE CSAC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.
YES, A VERY HARD HIT TO THE CSAC COMMUNITY, THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR BILL.
HE CHALLENGED MANY OF US TO TACKLE THE HARD TOPICS AND THE HARD CONVERSATIONS, AND HE DID IT IN A WAY WHERE HE WAS THE THE MEDIATOR AS WELL AS THE GUIDE AND A MENTOR TO MANY NEW ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MANY SEASONED ELECTED OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS COUNTY STAFF. SO BILL WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
HE DEFINITELY HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON ON ME AND WHERE I AM TODAY.
THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU, CHAIR. YEAH, I'D LIKE TO PUT OUT THERE THAT I LIKE TO WORK WITH STAFF AND MAYBE ONE OTHER BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO CREATE AN ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE OUT OF AREA LANDOWNERS OR LANDLORDS TO REQUIRE A LOCAL CONTACT OR MANAGEMENT COMPANY OVERSEEING THEIR PROPERTIES, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ARE OUT OF AREA LANDOWNERS, LAND OWNERS OR LANDLORDS.
AND I'D LIKE TO SIT DOWN WITH WHOEVER ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SIT WITH ME.
I ALREADY HAVE SOME DRAFTED LANGUAGE.
I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH STAFF ON PULLING THAT FORWARD.
IT'S ALSO WITH A VERY HEAVY HEART, BUT ALSO AN HONOR.
MARK PAZIN, OUR FORMER SHERIFF, CALLED ME AND REMINDED ME THAT HIS MOTHER PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 30TH, [INAUDIBLE] PAZIN, A LOVING WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER AND VERY SOON TO BE
[02:10:02]
GREAT GRANDMOTHER LEFT US AND WENT TO HEAVEN AT THE AGE OF 86 AFTER A LONG, HARD, GRACEFULLY AND HEROIC FIGHT WITH CANCER.SHE WAS BORN IN ATTWATER AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS AN HONOR FOR MARK TO REACH OUT TO ME.
BUT IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING TODAY IN HER HONOR, IN THE PAZIN FAMILY AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR THIS COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU.
SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF GUSTINE.
MAYOR NAGY INVITED ME OUT TO THEIR FIREWORKS DISPLAY.
AMAZING HOW WELL, SOCIALLY DISTANCED IT WAS.
BASICALLY, EVERYBODY WAS PARKED AT THEIR VEHICLE.
THEY HOLD IT OUT AT THE BORRELLI SOCCER FIELDS.
AND SO AND NOBODYS ON THE LAWN THAT EVERYBODY'S OUT.
AND AND AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE.
OF COURSE, WITH THE INVITATION, I GOT TO PARK UP RELATIVELY CLOSE.
AND SO THEN MY WIFE AND I HAD A FORTY FIVE MINUTE RIDE HOME.
AND SO AS SOON AS THE FIREWORKS WERE OVER, WE DECIDED TO TAKE OFF AND AND THE PEOPLE FOR PROBABLY A MILE AND A HALF ON ALL THE ROADS AND ALL DIRECTIONS WERE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY'D ALL PARKED OUT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IN FIELDS.
RIGHT. EDGES OF THE ROADS AND DUST AND EXCUSE ME.
AND ANYWAY, SO IT WAS VERY WELL DONE.
THE THE AMOUNT OF FIREWORKS THEY HAD WAS INCREDIBLE.
THE WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT? THE ENDING, THE GRAND FINALE WAS VERY, VERY GRAND.
AND ACTUALLY THE GRAND FINALE WAS LONGER THAN SOME PEOPLE'S FIREWORKS.
SO ANYWAYS BUT THE OTHER AND SO THANK YOU TO TO THE CITY OF GUSTINE FOR INVITING ME.
BUT ON THE DRIVE HOME, I WATCHED ALL THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS AND AND IN FACT, WENT THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE, AS WE'RE COMING HOME, SAW A BUNCH OF THEM IN ONE SMALL AREA.
AND SO WE DROVE THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT LITERALLY WAS FOUR RESIDENCES THAT HAD 30 TO 50 PEOPLE AT THEM.
THE FIREWORKS WERE IN THE ROAD.
THEY WERE THE SAFE AND SANE TYPE.
BUT WE ACTUALLY HAD TO DRIVE INTO A INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO GET AROUND THEM.
THERE WERE SO MANY. AND WE STILL HIT SPENT FIREWORKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE, THE FIRST MEETING AFTER THE FOURTH OF JULY.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO TO RECOMMEND THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WORK ON A PLAN.
I SPOKE TO CHIEF RON AND HE KIND OF EXPLAINED WHAT CAL FIRE DOES.
I THINK MAYBE WE NEED TO WORK ON SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE LOCALLY BASED.
AND THEN THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING THIS UP IS BECAUSE WHILE WE WERE THERE AND WE WERE SEEING ALL THESE FIREWORKS, WE SAW SOME SIRENS.
AND SO THE MY WIFE PULLED UP TO CHP TRAFFIC REPORT AND AT ONE, AT THAT TIME, SO THIS WAS BEFORE DARK. THERE WAS ALREADY 14 FIRES LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE.
AND THEN AS THE FIRES ARE PUT OUT, THEY TAKE THEM OFF THE LIST.
AND SO ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, WE LOOKED AGAIN.
NOW, THIS IS NOT JUST MERCED COUNTY.
IT'S KIND OF FROM MODESTO TO MADERA, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO STRUCTURE FIRES AS WELL AS GRASS FIRES. SO I JUST WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
MY PLAN TO TALK TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND AGAIN WITH THE FIRE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR NEXT YEAR. WE JUST WANTED A SUNSHINE THAT ISSUE, AS I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALL RECEIVED CALLS AND WE DO FOR ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE FOURTH OF JULY.
SO IF ANYBODY IS, HAS AN INPUT FOR ME THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO SHARE.
I WOULD TAKE THAT DIRECTION AS WELL.
SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, SUPERVISOR LOR, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF BILL SHAE'S PASSING.
HE WAS THE IN THE CSAC INSTITUTE FOR NEW SUPERVISORS.
HE WAS THE ONE RUNNING IT. SO WE WORKED WITH HIM CLOSELY JUST AS RECENTLY AS, I GUESS, WITH THE LATER PART OF LAST YEAR AT A CLASS DOWN IN TULARE COUNTY.
I DIDN'T GO TO A FIREWORKS SHOW THAT WAS LISTED ANYWHERE OR PROMOTED.
I JUST SAT IN MY YARD AND COMMENCED TO PROBABLY THE BIGGEST FIREWORKS SHOW THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT DIRECTION.
AND AND I WAS CONVINCED THAT THEY HAD TO RUN OUT BECAUSE IN LAS [INAUDIBLE], THEY STARTED AT THE END OF MAY LIGHTING FIREWORKS EVERY NIGHT.
AND I FIGURED BY THE FOURTH OF JULY THAT WE WOULD BE COMPLETELY OUT OF THEM.
BUT I WAS ABSOLUTELY WRONG AND CONTINUED A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT.
AND STILL, OCCASIONALLY YOU HEAR A BANG AND GO OFF.
I GET IT, I'M TALKING IT UP TO COVID FOLKS WERE HOME.
[02:15:01]
THEY DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE.I KNOW IN THE CITY OF LAS [INAUDIBLE], THEY ISSUED SOME CITATIONS.
BUT DURING THE PANDEMONIUM THAT STARTED RIGHT AT DARK ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES IN THE CITY OF LAS [INAUDIBLE] TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON. SO, AGAIN, SUPERVISOR PER YOUR COMMENTS, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ADDRESS IT, BUT MAYBE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE DUST PALACE WATER SITUATION. SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, DOS PALOS WAS WITHOUT WATER FOR THREE DAYS.
I WANT TO THANK THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER, THANK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, AND THANK THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AS A LARGE.
AT LARGE THEY STEPPED UP WATER DELIVERED, ANHEUSER-BUSCH DELIVERED WATER.
THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER MADE A CALL TO PEPSI.
THEY DELIVERED SIXTEEN PALLET LOADS OF BOTTLED WATER THAT DAY, BROUGHT AN EMERGENCY SYSTEM IN PLACE TO HELP THEM WITH THAT.
IN BEFORE THAT WAS SET UP, THEY ACTUALLY GOT THE WATER RUNNING AGAIN, WENT OUT AND TOOK A TOUR OF THE FACILITY.
AND THE CITY OF DOS PALOS IS IN, IT'S PAST THE POINT OF IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
I'LL SHARE WITH YOU GUYS THAT WHAT I SHARED AT A MEETING THAT WAS CALLED BY CONGRESSMAN COSTA, THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER, ADAM GRAY, WAS THERE.
SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] WAS ON THE PHONE MYSELF.
I WAS INVITED. THE MAYOR OF DOS PALOS, IF THE CITY MANAGER CALLED ME RIGHT NOW AND SAID THEIR WHOLE PLANT IMPLODED, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED.
THAT'S AND THEY'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO TRY.
THIS HAPPENED TEN YEARS AGO AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON A PROCESS, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL BUREAUCRACY, WORK WITH ONE GROUP FOLKS RETIRED AND A NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE COME IN THE STATE WATER BOARD.
AND THEN THINGS THAT WERE APPROVED WITH THE PREVIOUS GROUP ARE NOW BEING QUESTIONED BY THE SECOND GROUP. AND SO WE'RE PAST THAT NOW.
I JUST I CAN'T THINK THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER ENOUGH IN HIS LEADERSHIP IN PUTTING TOGETHER A TASK FORCE THAT MEETS REGULARLY WITH CHECKLISTS, WITH TIMELINES, SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING GOING.
AND SO IT'S NOT WITHIN MY JURISDICTION.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, I'M NOT A STATE ELECTED OFFICIAL AND I'M NOT A FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIAL. AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY OF DALLAS IS LOOKING FOR SOME GRANTS TO HELP THEM WITH. BUT WHAT I COMMITTED TO MY CONSTITUENTS IN DOS PALOS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE FOLKS THAT I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THEY'RE CONSTITUENTS, TOO.
BUT IS WHAT I CAN DO IS BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THEM AND AND PRETTY MUCH MOVING FORWARD UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED.
THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH WHEN I SEE THE CONGRESSMAN, THE ASSEMBLYMAN OR THE SENATOR IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT DOS PALOS? AND SO I THINK THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE IN THE ROOM.
I WAS REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THE FOLKS AT USDA AND THEIR WILLINGNESS AND WANTING TO GET STUFF DONE, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT LESS ENCOURAGED BY THE FOLKS AT THE STATE WATER BOARD BECAUSE THEY'RE MOVING FAST IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL PROBABLY CAN GET DONE IN A WEEK, WHO TAKES THEM THREE MONTHS AND THEY'RE MOVING FAST IS, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM TWO AND A HALF MONTHS NOW. AND SO, I DON'T BLAME THAT ON ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL.
IT'S MORE JUST THE BUREAUCRACY.
AND BUT THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER DEFINITELY HAS BEEN PUTTING PRESSURE ON THOSE FOLKS.
AND SO I WANT TO JUST FOR FOR MY CONSTITUENTS IN DOS PALOS, KNOW THAT THIS IS IT'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. AND IT'S YOU KNOW, I WILL WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THIS CRISIS GO TO WASTE. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, THERE ARE SOME DISADVANTAGE, UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR COUNTY, ALL THE COUNTIES OUT HERE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, YOU MAY HAVE SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, GROUPS OF HOMES THAT HAVE POPPED UP AS LABOR CAMPS OR WHATEVER THEY ARE WHERE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 40 OR 50 RESIDENTS AND THEY HAVE WELL WATER AND THEIR WATER IS NOT GREAT.
AND WE NEED TO DO A LOT MORE TO HELP THOSE FOLKS OUT.
BUT YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY OF SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT JUST HAVE BEEN APPROVED, HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THE PLANNING GRANTS.
BUT IT'S JUST THE PROCESS THAT IS TAKING YEARS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHT TO MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE DOS PALOS AREA THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IT. I'M HAPPY WITH THE PROGRESS.
WE'RE GETTING UPDATES ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
AND AGAIN, THE IMPORTANT PART THAT THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER ASKED FOR IS HE WANTS TIMELINES.
SO IF YOU NEED THIS, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE AS TO WHICH YOU NEED IT BACK BY AND WE CAN EXPECT, YOU KNOW, AN APPROVAL OR NOT.
AND SO, AGAIN, JUST SOME GOOD WORK AND IT'S JUST TOO BAD THAT THAT IT GOT TO THIS.
BUT AGAIN, THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR STEPPING UP.
THE FIRST DAY THEY HANDED OUT, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, SOME CRAZY NUMBER, LIKE SEVENTY THOUSAND BOTTLES OF WATER AND THEN CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE WATER WAS
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RUNNING AGAIN, IT'S STILL HADN'T MET THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS AND THEY HAD TO BOIL WATER PLACE IN ORDER UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO GET PAST THE TESTING.SO, AGAIN, ON MY RADAR, ON ALL OF OUR RADAR, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUT PRESSURE ON THOSE FOLKS AND THE BUREAUCRATS TO ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING DONE THIS TIME.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. CO JIM BROWN, COMMENTS? COUNTY COUNCIL NOTHING? OK, WELL, FOR ME, I GOT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I GOT A LOT OF CALLS REGARDING THAT.
THE FIREWORKS, IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY [INAUDIBLE] DOGS IN THE COUNTY AND JUST KEEP GETTING THE CALLS EVERY SUBDIVISION AROUND I LIVE IN LEWISTON IS JUST LIKE FOR THE LAST, FOR THE FIRST 30 DAYS, IT'S JUST THEY WERE GOING EVERYWHERE BEHIND MY HOUSE, EVERYWHERE I WALK AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE EVERYWHERE.
I CALLED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY GOT SOMEBODY.
BUT I DON'T THINK THEY'RE DOING ANY CITATIONS.
SO AND ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, I SAW TWO LOCATIONS THAT JUST KEPT GOING ON FOR TWO HOURS, THE COPS GOING EVERYWHERE EXCEPT THOSE TWO LOCATIONS.
SO I TALKED TO THE CHIEF [INAUDIBLE], AND THEN AGAIN, NO CITATIONS ON THAT DAY.
EVERYWHERE YOU SEE, IT'S LIKE BOMBS GOING UP EVERYWHERE.
SO YOU KNOW, IF NOT AS A COUNTY, I THINK WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
BACK WHEN I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M THE ONE THAT STARTED, YOU KNOW, THE SAVING FIREWORKSAEAND I GUESS I REGRET THAT NOW BECAUSE THAT BRINGS THE ILLEGAL ONES OUT.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL ONES, THEN IT'S A LOT EASIER TO SEE THE ILLEGAL ONES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE IF WE WANT TO LOOK AS A COUNTY, AS A HAVING A MORATORIUM ON IT IN THE FUTURE. SO WE JUST HAVE TO ENTERTAIN THAT BECAUSE IT JUST EVERY YEAR IS GETTING WORST. I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL LIKE, BUT IT'S UNSAFE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE SAW THE VIDEOS FROM MODESTO OR, YOU KNOW, SOME ILLEGAL ONES LANDED ON A COUPLE OF PALM TREES AND I DON'T KNOW, THE HOUSES ON BOTH SIDES GOT CAUGHT FIRE, BUT THEY'RE VERY DANGEROUS.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO LOSE A HOUSE IN THESE TIMES OR ANY TIME.
SO. WELL, I GUESS I'LL MOVE ON AND WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
OTHER THAN THAT ALSO TO MY CONDOLENCES TO BILL SHAE FAMILY AND FROM CSAC AND OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BEJ ULY 28.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING AND THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD DAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.