The following information was released today by the Contra Costa County Health Department:
Thanks to the steadfast commitment of our residents to stay home, practice social distancing, and follow public health guidance, we have seen sustained progress on several key indicators regarding containment of COVID-19.
This has remained true a full incubation period after the reopening of construction, outdoor businesses, and certain outdoor activities on May 4, 2020.
Region-wide progress on the COVID-19 Indicators jointly set by Bay Area Health Officers includes:
• The trend of new cases of COVID-19 has been stable or decreasing, even with increased testing;
• The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is stable or declining, and hospital capacity is sufficient for both COVID-19 patients and other patients who need hospital care;
• More COVID-19 tests are being performed in our region each day;
• Hospitals are reporting improved supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), though shortages continue in certain healthcare settings; and
• There is increased capacity for case investigation and contact tracing.
While much work remains to be done, in light of this progress, we are issuing a new order today that allows retail establishments to offer storefront pick-up, and also allows the manufacturing, warehousing, and logistical operations that support retail to resume.
We are counting on these businesses to consistently follow social distancing protocols and public health guidance to protect their employees and customers as these activities resume. COVID-19 continues to pose a very significant risk to our communities, and that continued vigilance is necessary to ensure that we do not see an increase in spread as more activities resume.
As we reopen certain sectors, Bay Area residents are still required by health order to stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings, and follow the precautions that have helped the region make progress to slow the spread of COVID-19. As we move forward, we will continue to be guided by our COVID-19 Indicators and other data related to the spread of COVID-19 in our region.
UPDATE: Contra Costa County just released more information:
“Stores may not display merchandise for sale on tables or otherwise outside the stores. Customers may not enter the store or interior of any indoor shopping mall. Stores must also employ reasonable measures to require customers to comply with social distancing requirements at the pickup areas, including marking locations at six-foot intervals for customers to stand while waiting in line.”
But still no legal haircuts.
Open the gyms!
Same! We can maintain social distance in the gym, wipe down equipment etc.
Exercise = heavy breathing = more respiratory droplets accumulating in the air. Not sure about gyms. Maybe with limited equipment outside? Will you wear a mask while running on a treadmill? Are you ok if the person 6 feet away takes his mask off while breathing heavy? Will employees be expected to make people leave if they take their mask off? Gyms are tricky. What else could gyms do to make it feasible?
Here is a question for the Contra Costa Health Services. How come businesses like Hobby Lobby, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy as well as other businesses that are shut down can not open with guidelines like everyone wear a mask and limit the amount of people in the store. Its kind of funny how you can begin jury duty in which you stated there will be 50 people in the court house at a time (not jury room) in which that is a much more confined space than any of the above mentioned stores. You say its unsafe to open a business but it is not unsafe to be in a court room. Anyone care to explain, and don’t use the stores can do curb side pick up as this is about store openings.
Can’t agree more with you ChuckStir. It’s no different than going to Target, Costco, Safeway…etc.
So, ChuckStir, how many of these that “wont” return to work are loving the extra unemployment money?
Sorry, you go to Costco/Sams/Walmart. These stores are overpacked with people. Wear a mask, have every aisle a one way only. Markers to identify and employees who help navigate the store. Easy peasy. And yes, I am very covid stressed, but it is stupid to allow stores to open yet others to stay closed.
Sorry, meant my reply for Bayarea
@Chuck, the virus is very smart. It won’t infect you while shopping at Safeway, CVS, Costco, Home Depot, Lowes or WalMart but if you step foot into a Best Buy, Hobby Lobby or Bed Bath & Beyond it will attack you quickly. Same with shopping malls, Macy’s, Kohls and the like – this virus is so smart it knows just when and where to attack you, panic mask on or not. We should all continue to bow down to our unelected Brown Shirt superiors in the CoCoCo Health Department. /sarc
We haven’t seen how the jury selection system will work. They might call in a smaller number of applicants, have people wait in their cars, or set aside more waiting rooms so fewer people are in each room. They always call in way more people than they need, so they might start off with a smaller group that they choose the 12 from. They definitely aren’t going to have a large gathering of applicants sitting in the same room like how it used to done.
Court houses are highly controlled spaces, with lots of security, so everyone will be on best behavior in regards to following mask and distancing rules. A court is not going to have people protesting against the mask rule when there are bailiffs and deputies around.
Unlike with stores, people don’t loiter at a court house, or walk in just to browse and look around.
Things are opening a little at a time, in a tiered system to avoid the mass traffic and potential chaos of having everything opening all at once. Allowing curbside retail splits the difference between closure and being fully open. Curbside prevents large crowds, and long lines.
I looked it up and apparently there have been some kitchen supply stores that didn’t close down, because kitchen supply is in a grey area. BB&B probably could have been open if they had wanted to be. Same with Cost Plus World Market, I have a feeling they could have stayed open since they sell food and cooking supplies.
There is no health emergency any longer.
The numbers prove it.
County employees love power.
It’s time to shut them down.
Absolutely everything should be open now.
You are exactly correct.
Cut the crap, And let us non essential and deplorable’s get back to work. Enough of this Blue Flue Dictatorship
Still not wearing a mask.
Construction workers don’t wear masks and are close to each other, touching the same equipment.
Thanks Gav, for bringing non essential construction back into a small cu-de-sac at 7am, beeping trucks, pounding and throwing cement in a dumpster, when we are still locked up like prisoners in our homes.
My neighbors are rude narcissists who must have a new backyard with pool right now at the neighbors expense.
Any lawyers out there?
Aunt Barbie,
It sounds like a pair of earplugs would solve most of the problems that you complain about here. Therapy might help with the rest.
You live in a city. There are noises. Either move somewhere with no other people, or get over it.
Chicken Little you are quite rude. I cannot wear earplugs and I have a right to quiet enjoyment in my home. I should not have to move.
The earplugs do not drown out this type of noise anyway, as others have tried them.
On the bright side, you are not my neighbor, thank the Lord!
Man-Chicken, there is construction on my street as well with outhouses up and down the street and wads of paper with brown streaks nobody will pickup. IN A PANDEMIC. There’s one street down the way with enormous piles of trash left from the crew, saw it reported on ClickFix. The fact you respond to things and make it personal instead of ignoring them suggests there’s a place for you on Dr. Phil’s couch. Ruffled feathers much?
@Aunt Barbara…Wait until the pool parties start at your neighbor, kids yelling, cars parked everywhere, and that nasty barbeque smoke. Maybe you should buy a house next to an airport, it might not be as loud or have as many leaf blowers around.
Add to the nonsense that it’s fine to send your kid to daycare, but we still can’t go into a regular dept store to try on clothes.
I was just at dollar Tree lots of people shopping good question why other stores are not allowed to open This tranny power trip behavior will bite the Democrats in the ass
Apparently the store has to carry food to be called essential. I miss Bed Bath and Beyond, and feel they are just as essential for daily needs. I like to see what I am buying. Curb side pickup is for prostitutes not shopping. ;(
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You know someone from Contra Costa Health Services will check out this thread but I bet not one of them will answer my question.
Sorry Natalie, that don’t cut it. For one they already said they will have 50 (instead of the normal 100) come in at a time, and no way are they going to have people wait in there car. Again, the court house is quite a bit smaller than those large stores. The risk inside a large store with guidelines is far less than the risk at the courthouse. And I yet to see no one not wearing a mask in the stores.
I was just speculating, so you don’t have to be antagonistic. I did just now look up the statement from the county and it says that “jurors will be called in two-hour blocks” to help keep people apart. It does say “no more than 50 jurors will be present in a jury assembly room at any time”, which is surprising. So I was wrong on that regard, but I was just guessing at the time. I haven’t been called for duty in so long I can’t recall how large the room is.
Maybe people who are high risk or are skittish about going for health reasons can postpone or ask for special accommodation?
The statement does say they are working with health department, so it’s possible the rules might change, and they might work out more ways to keep people apart. Things can change in a week.
It’s also possible that the DAs office will try to avoid trial on as many non-violent crimes as possible and seek more plea deals than normal. None of us really know at this point, and all we can do is speculate.
When I had jury duty in 2018 someone in the courthouse had a credit card scanner. By that afternoon they used my card number for several purchases in the Bay Area cities you would expect.
Looking around at local take-outs and cafes partially reopened I’m amazed at how many were caught off guard and don’t even have a website and if they do don’t have their menus up. Also should have made it possible to pay online to hasten pickup process. I’m guessing they don’t know how easy that actually is to set up.
How about churches? I think people can figure out how to safely distance in pews!
Our pastor explained this well. If the church re-opens for Sunday services, people will feel obligated to attend. Even if the pastor records the services and encourages people to view it from home, many people will feel obligated. Because of this, they have chosen to continue online services and wait longer for in person services.
Some of the other issues they discussed were about singing and how it can project the virus further than 6 feet. Several choir members mentioned they were uncomfortable standing near others singing, but would feel obligated to attend if the services were live.
FINALLY. I hope this keeps a few businesses from shsring Specialty’s fate.
you crack me up. there seems to be a desperate need here to look nice for relatives that don’t care about you and would just as soon have put you into a home like the one in Orinda that had a majority of contra costa deaths. As a matter of fact, it would not surprise me if some of your parents were there. I have seen teenagers have to corral adults to wait in line like they were running a kindergarten class. The way that some boomers behave and their desperate need to shop makes you look like alcoholics or addicts. you shouldn’t whine like babies when people ask you to do something for the common good like wear a mask. this world asks women to wear bras every day. don’t worry, all those items you buy and adorn yourselves with to fill the emptiness inside of you will soon be readily available.
This is all very interesting. Our government has managed to get us locked in our homes, told us where we can go, told us what stores can be open or how far we can travel from home. They have basically put us under their control.
ALL THIS AND NEVER FIRED A SINGLE SHOT !!!
Snickerdad, excellent post! This Covid19 fear-mongering campaign just proves how absolutely pathetic most Americans have become today with no common sense not to mention absolutely NO critical thinking skills to figure out that Covid19 is simply a social-experiment to see how the populace reacts. Sadly, the vast majority received an F regarding these skills, but an A from the elites who masterfully pulled this experiment off as easily as taking candy from a baby. “Their” next goal, simply to reopen our communities but then shut them down again within a few months due to an alleged new and more virulent strain of this fake virus with far more restrictive and draconian measures put in place to keep us prisoners. At this point, the masters will introduce the compulsory vaccines, and just watch the cattle or sheep line up for their deadly vaccine laced with aborted baby tissue, mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde or a myriad of other toxins along with their RFID chip. Baaah, baaaa….mooo. MOOOOO!
Snickerdad and Peter, well said! I second that…
Nice of you guys to chime in..thought I was all alone out here
I would like to see cases reported by zip code.
They’re running out of Uneployment $$$$$. They have to open the cities up. The checks will only last until July 28th.
The way some stores were deemed essential and some were not doesn’t make any sense. I think that’s another reason people are so disgusted with this stupid lockdown. I heard Bath & Body Works wanted to stay open because they sell soap and hand sanitizer. That sounds reasonable to me but they were denied. Why? I think we’ve all learned from this that our County Health Officials are loons.
this just makes no sense…..
It is ok to go inside a grocery store, yet not into a small, “retail” store.
Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?
The only explanation that makes sense to me is that the petrified masses have reached psychological burnout; we’ve accepted all that seems unnecessary as necessary….we’ve lost our collective minds under this quarantine.
I thought it would be obvious, but grocery stores sell things like food and soap, things you absolutely need and will likely die without. Gas stations operate because we need gas to make cars and motorcycles go, as people need food from the grocery store. People NEED medicine so pharmacies remain open, etc..
Best Buy or a nail salon or a barber shop or a video arcade or a mini golf course or a gym are not essential. None of them provide essentials, so they remain closed.
Sorry Natalie, was not trying to be antagonistic, just stating facts
Noisy neighbors are awful. With that said if someone is putting in a pool you are going to have to deal with it. But you can always wrangle an invite for a swim and be the first to p– in your neighbors pool. That’s all I got.
Hilarious, The world ask women to wear bras? What are you talking about? I must have missed something. Wearing a bra is an individual’s choice.
The real issue is that essential workers (really expendable workers) have been slaving away in the middle of pandemic, risking their lives and the lives of every family member and friend, for less money than the average person on unemployment is making. People are making $950 a week sitting on their butt at home, safe as can be, while others face death for peanuts.
additional: not to mention those working have been doing 9 hour shifts in a mask, and a real mask like a n95 or p95 if they were well prepared; wearing a mask for that length of time becomes torturously uncomfortable and on some level dehumanizing.
Anyone who worked during who makes less than $24 hour approximately would have been better, safer, smarter, and richer to just be at home with their loves ones, collecting unemployment while learning a skill. Instead they jeopardized the health of themselves and their loved ones, for a pittance.
Best Buy is no more dangerous than Safeway, so it is foolish to call one essential and the other non-essential. Getting people back to work and keeping businesses in operation is what’s really essential.