CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

There is an outbreak of respiratory illness that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in 2019 caused by COVID-19.

 

COUNTY OF ORANGE COVID-19 RESOURCES

Orange County residents are encouraged to monitor the Health Care Agency’s website and follow them on social media for the most up-to-date information.

 

Have questions or looking for resources? Call the Orange County COVID-19 hotline. If your question is medical in nature, the new number will route you to the health referral line.

Residents can text OCCOVID19 to 888777 to receive updates and resources related to COVID19 in Orange County

 

To further prevent the transmission of coronavirus, County of Orange Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick issued a recommendation on April 11th strongly encouraging all employees at essential businesses to wear a face covering while at work and all residents engaged in essential activities outside the home to do the same.

The recommendation is in line with guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health on April 1, and is intended to help slow the spread of COVID-19 by those who are asymptomatic.

"Residents can make their own face coverings at home from a variety of materials and should refrain from purchasing personal protective equipment that is critical and in short supply for our healthcare workers, such as N95 and surgical masks," said Dr. Quick.

A face covering is material that covers the nose and mouth. It can be secured to the head with ties or straps, or simply wrapped around the lower face. Face coverings may be factory-made, as well as folded or sewn, and can be improvised using household items like scarfs, T-shirts, sweatshirts or towels.

"Face coverings are an additional tool that may help protect staff and patrons from COVID-19, but they are not a substitute for proven protective measures like frequent hand washing, keeping your hands away from your face, practicing social distancing and staying home," said Dr. Quick. 

 

GENERAL PUBLIC GUIDANCE

 

  • Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and stay home while you are ill. If you need to seek medical care, call your health care provider first so that appropriate precautions can be taken.
  • Only visit the grocery store, or other stores selling household essentials, in person when you absolutely need to. This will limit your potential exposure to others and the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • Bank online and order food, groceries, prescription drugs, etc. online or use curbside pickup.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a face covering when you have to go out in public.
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from others while in public.
  • Use disinfecting wipes on frequently touched surfaces such as handles, knobs, touch pads, shopping carts, gas station pumps etc. (if available). Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Stay home if you're sick. If you are showing symptoms of illness and are already self-quarantining, try to avoid going outside until you are free of symptoms for 72 hours.
  • If your symptoms get worse instead of better, call your doctor. People with mild symptoms do not need to be tested for COVID-19.
  • If you're experiencing an emergency, call 911 or go to an emergency room.
  • If you have questions, visit the CDPH Frequently Asked Questions Webpage: https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/.
  • If you have any question related to COVID-19, call the OC COVID-19 Hotline at (833) 426-6411, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You will be connected to resources including the Health Referral Line, public assistance benefits, the District Attorney’s scams and price gouging hotline, and the Economic and Business Recovery hotline.
  • Visit https://occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/ for continuous COVID-19 updates and information from the OC Health Care Agency.
  • Visit https://covinfo.egovoc.com/ for a directory of COVID-19 resources for employees, employers, residents and 211 social services.
  • Text "OCCOVID19" to 888777 to receive COVID-related text messages from the County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

 

ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES & BUSINESS GUIDANCE

  • Employees should wear face coverings.
  • Employers should encourage sneezing and coughing etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees.
  • Employees should avoid using other employees’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment when possible. If necessary, clean and disinfect them before and after use.
  • Employers should increase the frequency of cleaning commonly touched surfaces workplace, such as workstations, counter tops and doorknobs.
  • Employees should physically distance when they take breaks together. Stagger breaks and don’t congregate in the break room, and don’t share food or utensils.
  • Employers and employees should practice social distancing by avoiding large gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.
  • Employees who are sick or have symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath should self-isolate until they have symptom improvement and fever is gone for at least 72 hours; self-isolation should be at least 7 days.
  • For more information, visit the CDC's Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • For a list of all Essential Businesses, see the State's list of Essential Infrastructure Workers.


Before leaving the home, ask yourself: 1. is this essential, 2. can it wait, 3. is there an alternative way to accomplish the same task from home?

If you are going outside of your home because you're an essential worker or you're performing an essential task, wear a face mask. Homemade face masks can be made out of t-shirt or bandanas.

COUNTY OF ORANGE EMERGENCY CORONAVIRUS ACTION PLAN

On February 26, 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency and County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick declared a local health emergency as part of broader preparedness efforts related to novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

These actions will help ensure that the County of Orange's ability to respond to a potential outbreak, should one occur, will remain flexible and can evolve as this rapidly changing situation does.

On March 17, 2020 County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick declared a

The Health Care Agency is working with federal, state, and local partners including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and health care providers on preparedness efforts and to guide appropriate care for people who may be at risk for illness associated with COVID-19 or who have tested positive.

To ensure a complete and thorough response to COVID-19 by the County of Orange, the Board of Supervisors will hold weekly Tuesday meetings beginning on March 17, 2020, which can be viewed via livestream or via a recorded video here.

During these meetings, the following items will be discussed:

  • Overall status of COVID-19 in Orange County
  • Testing and Coordination with private testing labs
  • Treatment
  • Hospital Support, Communication, Readiness, and Response
  • First Responder Communication Support, Readiness & Response
  • Public Safety Net & Food Security Support
  • Homeless Response
  • Vulnerable Population Response
  • Economic Support
  • State and Federal Coordination Assistance
  • Workforce Update and precautions for all employees engaged in providing in-person services
  • Contingency Plans in the event of a state-wide/county-wise lockdown
  • Mental Health support related to COVID-19

 

 

COUNTY OF ORANGE PUBLIC SERVICE IMPACTS

Please click on the link below for the most up-to-date list of County of Orange Public Services that have been suspended due to COVID-19.

www.ocgov.com/about/countyservicesimpacts

 

CONTINUING ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR SENIORS (FAQ)

  1. How can I continue to get food when my senior center is closed?

Congregate meals which take place at senior centers throughout Orange County will be converted to take-home meals.  Seniors age 60 and older can pick-up take-home meals from their local senior center.  Please check with the following organizations for the most up to date information on locations:

 

  1. What will happen to my home delivered meals (HDM)?

HDM will continue without interruption.  HDM drivers have been trained to maintain a safe distance but will use proper sanitizing practices if frail seniors need assistance with bringing meals inside the home. 

 

  1. Since I am supposed to stay at home, can I have food delivered to me?

If seniors are current clients of the congregate lunch programs at the senior centers and need their food delivered to them instead, they can request this through the organizations listed below:

 Second Harvest Food Bank will be hosting drive-thru food distribution at the Honda Center parking lot on Saturdays from 9:00 am to noon.

Second Harvest Food Bank organizará la distribución de alimentos en el estacionamiento del Honda Center los sábados de 9:00 a.m. a mediodía.

 

 

CONTINUING ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN (FAQ)

Many school districts in the Fourth District are offering meals to students and any child 18 years and under due to school closures.

Please see list of Fourth District school districts offering meal services to children below and click on the links to be redirected to the school districts’ webpage for meal service-related information.


In addition, a comprehensive list of Orange County school districts offering meal services for children can be found on the Orange County Department of Education’s website here.