Oakland District Three Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney Explains Governor Gavin Newsom’s California Shelter-In-Place Mandate
Update on COVID-19
Guidelines, Recommendations and Support During COVID-19 Pandemic
BREAKING NEWS! Just three days after seven Bay Area counties instituted a shelter-in-place mandate to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a similar order over the entire state. Newsom said the new statewide mandate would take effect starting Friday and mirror the Bay Area’s mandate that took effect on Tuesday.
Friends,
There has been a number actions taken at both the State and Federal levels in response to the COVID19 pandemic. Yesterday, City leaders participated in numerous briefings including: White House local government briefing; CalOES state and federal electeds briefing; Governor’s Office local government homelessness executive order briefing; and Governor Newsom’s address to Californians. Big thanks to our colleagues at the California League of Cities for compiling much of the information provided here.
Yesterday Governor Newsom released a new website for COVID-19 resources. This is a substantial source of information including unemployment and paid sick leave, along with small business assistance (expected to be added to the website today).
These sections may be of particular interest to our D3Connect community:
Apply for Unemployment
Apply for Disability or Paid Family Leave benefits
Additional actions undertaken by the State include:
Governor’s Facebook Address to Californians
Legislative Analyst’s Office: COVID-19 and California’s Evolving Fiscal Outlook
I continue to participate in numerous conference calls and follow up on constituent requests for information. The District 3 staff are working remotely but remain available by phone and email. We remain grateful for the opportunity to serve, especially in these troubled times.
Check on your elders! Calls, video chats, drop off food. Do wellness checks especially for those living alone. Social distance does not mean social isolation. Let us be mindful that times like these invite us to be creative in our care for one another. Oakland is beautiful, resilient, creative and connected. Let us call on all of our collective wisdom and beauty to ensure that we are more kind, compassionate, just and safe in the days and weeks ahead.
In LoveLife Service & Hope,
Lynette
SCHOOLS AND YOUTH UPDATES
March 18 – Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order to Suspend Standardized Testing for Students in Response to COVID-19 Outbreak.
Oakland Unified School District: COVID19 Updates
Governor Newsom’s statement indicated that most schools are unlikely to re-open before Summer; however, OUSD is waiting to hear from State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond before making any final plans.
McClymonds Update: Pending a final published report on TCE, OUSD expects that McClymonds students will return to the campus as soon as school resumes for all students. As we continue to work closely with McClymonds family and alumni on a longer term ask for the school and its feeder system, we appreciate the Mayor Schaaf’s support for getting new air filtration systems to every classroom. We will provide a more specific update in the upcoming weeks.
Other School Updates Affecting District 3 Families:
American Indian Model Schools: https://www.aimsk12.org/covid19-update
Aspire Public School Updates
Bishop O’Dowd High School
Envision Academy for the Arts Announcements for Middle and High School
Kipp Bridge Academies
Oakland School for the Arts Announces Remote Learning Plan
St. Leo the Great
St. Vincent’s Day Home
Vincent Academy
Additional Resources for Families
ARTS, ECONOMIC, SMALL BUSINESS & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
The East Bay Economic Development Alliance has also put together a useful Resource Guide that includes links for employers, employees, arts and other groups.
Worker Protections
The City of Oakland is taking measures to slow the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community. This is an important reminder to all Oakland employers and employees of Oakland businesses about Oakland’s Sick Leave Law and guidance from the State of California regarding paid leave and unemployment eligibility.
OAKLAND SMALL BUSINESS AND NON-PROFITS
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) has shared a new FAQ for small businesses. Find helpful resources on their COVID-19 Resource Page.
City of Oakland Business Support
The City of Oakland has set up a webpage to provide information and resources to help small business, arts organizations and non-profits access help.
Please take a moment to take the COVID-19 Business Impact Survey
Relief for Commercial Tenants
Governor Newsom’s March 16th Order waived several requirements and provisions for both residential and commercial tenancies and mortgages. Specifically, Paragraph 2 of the Governor’s order allows a local jurisdiction to use its police powers to “impose substantive limitations on residential and commercial evictions.” Paragraph 5 of the Order calls on Financial Institutions holding home or commercial mortgages to “implement an immediate moratorium on foreclosures and related evictions,” when the foreclosure/eviction is caused by a decrease in household or business income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of this morning, we have not received a full briefing on the legislative intent of this portion of the order. I am advocating for all lenders and landlords to enact forbearance, moratoria or loan restructuring agreements that will allow all tenants and debtors to retain tenancy and operations to recover once the Shelter In Place order is lifted and commerce resumes.
While nothing in the Order relieves tenants of the obligation to pay or the landlord’s right to collect, it appears the intent is to level set neither landlords or tenants are harmed by the economic disruption caused by the pandemic, relieving both of the obligation to pay during the recovery period throughout the time the order is enforced which will be until at least May 31, 2020. The Order also references voluntary activities by most utilities to suspend payment requirements and to work with the customers on COVID-19 related accommodations.
On-going Advocacy
As the situation continues to evolve I plan to introduce legislation that will offer relief to our small businesses and arts organizations experiencing COVID-19 related distress. My legislation will ask the Council to consider a tax holiday on sales and payroll taxes, rent relief for those renting Oakland properties, expedited payments on invoices and grants.
OAKLAND HOUSING And HOMELESSNESS
Relief for Residential Tenants
Governor Newsom’s March 16th Order waived several requirements and provisions for both residential and commercial tenancies and mortgages. Specifically, Paragraph 2 of the Governor’s order allows a local jurisdiction to use its police powers to “impose substantive limitations on residential and commercial evictions.” Paragraph 5 of the Order calls on Financial Institutions holding home or commercial mortgages to “implement an immediate moratorium on foreclosures and related evictions,” when the foreclosure/eviction is caused by a decrease in household or business income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of this morning, we have not received a full briefing on the legislative intent of this portion of the order. I am advocating with all Legislators to include provision in the stimulus packages to require lenders and landlords to enact forbearance, moratoria or loan restructuring agreements that will allow all tenants and debtors to retain tenancy and operations to recover once the Shelter In Place order is lifted and commerce resumes. While nothing in the Governor’s Order relieves tenants of the obligation to pay or the landlord’s right to collect, it appears that the Order is intended to level the playing field such that landlords will not be required to make loan payments during the recovery period throughout the time the order is enforced which will be until at least May 31, 2020. The Order also references voluntary activities by most utilities to suspend payment requirements and to work with the customers on COVID-19 related accommodations.
OAKLAND HOMELESS PERSONS CARE
Governor Newsom has taken action to protect Californians experiencing homelessness from COVID-19, including:
$150M in Emergency Funding: this is the first allocation of the $500M that was approved by the Legislature earlier this week.
$100M directly to local governments for shelter support and emergency housing
$50M to purchase travel trailers and lease rooms in hotels, motels, and other facilities in partnership with counties and cities
1,300 travel trailers will be acquired from FEMA and private vendors to provide quarantine capacity.
Executive Order for flexibility: Governor Newsom has signed an Executive Order providing local communities the flexibility to use HEAP and HHAP funding to prepare and address the impacts of COVID-19 on homeless individuals. The Executive Order also suspends CEQA for any project using HEAP or HHAP funding, or funds appropriated through SB 89.
The Health and Human Services Agency has issued UPDATED public health guidance to homeless service providers to keep shelters safe from spreading COVID-19.
In addition, the State is providing counties with lists of hotels and motels, over 950 hotels in 53 counties, that are potentially available to lease for the next several months for emergency isolation for unsheltered individuals. The State has already negotiated two master lease agreements with two hoteliers in East Oakland to provide up to 393 rooms for COVID-19 impacted Californians experiencing homelessness: 8400 Edes Ave (Radisson) and 8452 Edes Ave (Comfort Inn & Suites) for a total of 393 rooms. The State is in negotiations with Alameda County to transfer both leases. These rooms will be used as isolation/quarantine spaces for homeless individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 (or are symptomatic), or who are otherwise at a significant risk of becoming infected. The State will operate both properties until the County is able to ramp-up its staffing and medical monitoring capacity. As everything is happening quickly, the County is currently developing a draft of its policies and operating plan to ensure the ability to serve clients safely. Oakland’s Human Services Department will have the opportunity to review the referral policy before its finalized.
City of Oakland Efforts
There are no planned closures for encampments.
GRAND PRINCESS UPDATE
The Grand Princess Cruise ship disembarked the Port of Oakland around 7:30 am on Monday, March 16. The ship was docked March 9 at the Port of Oakland at the decision of the Governor in cooperation with United States Department of Health and Human Services after medical personnel on board the ship reported 21 CoronaVirus cases among the 3500 guests and crew members. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ultimately found 1 Canadian and 28 U.S. cases of the virus.
In all 2,422 passengers and more than half the 1,111 crew members were evacuated by the joint CalOES/USHHS effort before the ship moved to a remote dock in San Francisco, where it will temporarily stay for remaining crew members to complete a 14-day-quarantine. The controversial decision to dock the ship in Oakland engendered more concern when International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Local 10) President Trent Willis took to Facebook to report efforts by the operation to offload garbage from the ship on land. Thanks to Willis’ sounding the alarm, Port officials called a halt to the plan before any garbage was removed by the private contractor – forcing the cruise line to offload to barge according to standard maritime practices. Port Director Danny Wan and past ILWU president Melvin Mackay spoke with Councilmember McElhaney on Sunday to confirm that no Oakland workers were used in the garbage operation and that no garbage was not transported through West Oakland.
Upon the ship’s departure, the Port of Oakland reported that the site was to be fully remediated and decontaminated by immediately removing temporary structures and pressure washing the entire site with a bleach solution to disinfect it.
OAKLAND MISSING PERSON AT RISK: Joseph Thibeaux
The Oakland Police Department is requesting assistance from our community members and media with locating Joseph Thibeaux, a 68-year-old missing person who is at risk.