Health

April 9 coronavirus roundup for San Benito County

Thirty-four confirmed cases since February, 7 of which are active and 25 recovered; landfill to be closed Easter and on Sundays starting April 19; California workers receiving unemployment benefits will get extra $600 weekly; MBEP and community foundations partner on relief funds.
Novel Coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control.
Novel Coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control.

With everything happening with the coronavirus pandemic, we at BenitoLink want to provide a roundup of recent articles, as well as closures and cancellations happening in San Benito County.

As of 4:30 p.m. on April 9 there are 34 confirmed cases in San Benito County since February, seven of which are active, 25 recovered and two deaths. For the most updated information, visit the San Benito County COVID-19 Dashboard.

Information courtesy of San Benito County Public Health Services.
Information courtesy of San Benito County Public Health Services.                                                                    

The San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency has provided a list of agencies, in both English and Spanish, who can assist residents in need at this time. See attached PDFs. This information will be going out in the mail to all registered voters.

Recent Articles

How to get fresh good during shelter-in-space—Farms and businesses step up to deliver supplies to homes and cars.           

County receives defective masks from the state—Office of Emergency Services manager says they’d been in storage a long time.

County reminds public to observe religious practices at home—Impacts observances where gatherings usually take place, including Holy Week and Easter, Passover, Orthodox Easter, Ramadan and other religious practices. Church leaders and religious organizations are urged to close in-person services and not bring large groups of people together while the health order is in force.

Assemblyman Rivas introduces California Farmworker COVID-19 relief Package—Joined by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, Rivas calls for urgent action to protect farmworkers and avoid disruptions in food supply.                        

Schools

In the wake of all California public schools move to distance learning, and with guidance from the California Department of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, San Benito High School will temporarily move to an Incomplete/Pass/Pass with Distinction grading system for the remainder of the Spring semester.

According to an April 9 release, during the final grading period of the year starting April 13, students will accumulate credits toward graduation without negatively or positively affecting their grade point average. Many colleges and universities, including the entire University of California and California State University systems, have already determined that students will not be penalized for Incomplete/Pass marks on school transcripts.

Closures and Limited Services

John Smith Road Landfill operations are adjusted in response to COVID-19 and public health recommendations for social distancing. The landfill will be closed on April 12 in observance of Easter, and on Sundays effective April 19 until further notice.

Normal landfill hours of operation shall continue Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The landfill is accepting self-haul customers (credit card only, no cash) and commercial/industrial customers with an account or credit card.

Safety vests provided and laundered after each use.

Government

-San Benito County reminds the public to observe the many religious holidays in April from their homes. The shelter-in-place order is active through May 3.

-At a press conference today, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that starting April 12, California workers who are receiving unemployment benefits will begin receiving an extra $600 on top of their weekly amount, as part of the new Pandemic Additional Compensation (PAC) initiated by the CARES Act. This comes as record numbers of unemployment claims are being filed on a weekly basis in the state. See full statement here

–Congressman Jimmy Panetta and Congressman Mike Levin led 51 members in sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos requesting swift disbursement of funding for higher education institutions in the recently passed CARES Act, as well as clarification on how this funding will be allocated and its allowable uses.

Other

During the COVID-19 crisis, community members have supported each other in ways big and small. The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership and the three Community Foundations in the Monterey Bay region (including San Benito County Community Foundation) have launched a new campaign called #CommunityCARES. The goal is to encourage residents who may not need all of their federal stimulus checks to donate what they can to one of three local COVID-19 relief funds to benefit those who need it most.

 

 Tips for avoiding COVID-19

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  • Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
  • Keep a minimum of a six feet physical distance from others.
  • Avoid people who are sick.
  • Stay at home. Only leave to take care of essential errands.
  • Cover your cough and sneeze.
  • Disinfect frequently touched objects.
  • If you think you might be infected call your health care professional and follow their directions.

 

BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is working around the clock during this time when accurate information is essential. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s news.

 

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BenitoLink Staff