As we continue to fight the spread of COVID-19, we'll send you frequent updates as we get the latest information. Most importantly, you might have already heard that San Francisco County and five other Bay Area counties ordered everyone to shelter in place except for as absolutely necessary to providing or obtaining essential services. More on that below.
Also, please follow me on Twitter for minute-by-minute information from the city, and refer to my previous "D3's One Stop Shop" newsletter of March 13, 2020, for more information. It is chock full of the latest news on meals for school-age kids, assistance for businesses, and more.
Thank you again for your patience and cooperation during this unprecedented, critical and difficult time. We're all in this together. Take care of yourselves and your community.
Sincerely,
Aaron
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PREVENTION AND PREPARATION
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The Latest from the City
Shelter in place: By order of the Health Officer, the City has directed all individuals in the County of San Francisco to shelter at their place of residence starting tonight at midnight, March 17, 2020. Please read this overview with all the details of what’s open or closed and what to do or not do.
So what can you or can’t you do? Vulnerable populations must stay home. Everyone should stay home except to get food, care for a relative, pet or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job. It is OK to go outside for walks if you are not in a group. Don’t hang out with friends, don’t go to a salon or barber, and don’t shop for non-essential goods. Don’t take unnecessary trips on public transit, in a car (including taxis and car shares) or on a motorbike.
Essential services to remain open:
- Public Safety – Police and fire will continue to operate
- Hospitals and Healthcare - Pharmacies, medical clinics, and medicinal cannabis
- Criminal Justice – Courts and jails will continue to operate
- Sanitation & Cleaning – Garbage & sanitation crews will still operate, and all custodial and janitorial work that has to do with sanitizing public and private property is considered essential, in addition to Public Works street cleaning (and auxiliary cleaning services provided by Community Benefits Districts)
- Transportation – Muni and BART will continue to operate with reduced service, and with the caveat that only essential trips are being made
- Utilities – Water, power and gas distribution will continue
- Gas Stations and Auto Mechanic Shops
- Essential Small Businesses - Hardware stores, plumbers, banks, laundry services, and repair shops
- Food Providers – Grocery stores, pet food stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores & bodegas, restaurants facilitating take-out and delivery
- Non-profit businesses that provide food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals
- Online shops: Many boutiques, brick & mortar shops, and restaurants, are moving their operations online and need our support! Stay tuned for more updates about small businesses to support throughout the district.
Services that are closed: Dine-in restaurants, bars and nightclubs, entertainment venues, gyms and fitness studios, barbershops and salons.
This mandatory order is in effect until April 7. It may be shortened or extended depending on recommendations from public health officials. The City has compiled a list of Frequently Asked QUestions, and you can read the full Public Health Order here.
In case you missed it: The city has also issued a moratorium on evictions related to COVD-19, placed strict limits on visiting hospitals and long-term care facilities, suspended power and water shutoffs and waived penalties and interest for delinquent payments, opened emergency child care centers, allowed the city to accept tax-deductible contributions and implemented help for those who are homeless or marginally housed, among other actions.
All civil court cases will be deferred for the next 90 days, including eviction cases at the SF Superior Court (thank you, tenant advocates!). Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s Department has announced they will not be enforcing evictions.
All details are available on COVID-19 HELPFUL LINKS on the Department of Public Health website.
Need More Clarification? Have An Unanswered Question? We are here to aggregate your questions online or by phone, get you answers and connect you to resources. Please email PeskinStaff@sfbos.org or call 415-554-7450 and we will round up questions daily and elevate to the Emergency Operations Center. We also can also provide respond to Chinese language inquiries.
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News from the Governor's Office
Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend issued an executive order to stop the spread of the coronavirus and offer parallel relief to Californians during this critical time, including additional advice on social distancing, providing extensions of time for tax filings, and waivers of the waiting periods for individuals to access unemployment or disability insurance benefits. You can find more info on the Governor’s web page on the coronavirus for the latest information.
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Still not convinced?
Hear a message from Italians - to themselves, ten days earlier.
This is a critical intervention to reduce harm from the spread of the coronavirus in our community. Now is the time to do everything we can to prevent the situation from getting much worse in a matter of days or weeks. Every hour counts.
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Paid sick leave
The city has announced Workers and Families First, a $10 million program for businesses to provide paid sick leave to private sector workers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan will include $10 million in public funding that will provide businesses with funding to provide an additional five days of sick leave pay to workers beyond their existing policies. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Human Services Agency will jointly administer the program. For more information on the Workers and Families First Program go to www.oewd.org. |
Free and expanded Wi-Fi:
Spread the word
Now more than ever, it’s essential to stay in touch and get access to school curriculum, online healthcare portals and online applications for essential services. Many telecom providers have signed a pledge to not terminate service or assess late fees on customers and businesses that fall behind on their bills and many have opened Wi-Fi hotspots to any members of the public who needs access. Some are also offering increased or unlimited data at no additional charge so those who must work from home won’t get overage charges. Please visit your provider’s website for details.
- Xfinity - If you have a friend, neighbor or loved one who doesn’t have access to the internet, please let them know that they can connect for free at this time. For a map of Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots, visit their website here.
- AT&T - For information on what AT&T is doing during the COVID-19 threat, click here.
- Sonic - Sonic's 3 months free data program is now live. Full gigabit fiber service (where available) or 50 Mbps service on their copper network. Free for any households with K-college student or seniors 60+. Read more here.
- San Francisco offers free WiFi at selected plazas and parks. Check out the list here.
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Tenant and Housing Information
The Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco is committed to supporting tenants, but have closed their offices to protect health and safety. They will still provide services in English, Spanish, and Chinese over the phone. Just call the numbers below and leave a message with your name, number, a bit about your issue and let them know if you have Section 8:
City-Wide Tenants: 415-703-8644
Westside Tenants: 415-947-9085
BiSHoP is a nonprofit that is dedicated to ensuring vulnerable members of our community have access to affordable housing. Their offices are closed through March 27 and they’re not accepting appointments, but they're available to assist new and existing clients over the phone at 415-513-5177 and by email at info@bishopsf.org.
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Food access remains one of the highest concerns among our communities, especially during this time of emergency. Both the SF-Marin Food Bank and Project Open Hand are ramping up their programs to ensure vulnerable population and home-bound individuals maintain access to healthy and nutritious food while they shelter in place. Sign up to volunteer NOW!
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Juanita MORE! is a District 3 resident and a pillar of the LGBTQ community and knows more than most the ability of nightlife to bring people together through good times and bad. As we enter a new phase of social isolation, she's organized the Queer Nightlife Fund to help over 200 workers make it through. If you have the means, please donate whatever you may have spent on going out this coming weekend. You can give support or apply for assistance here!
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OTHER COMMUNITY INFORMATION
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Recology hours changing
To protect the health and well-being of Recology drivers, collection routes will temporarily start earlier than normal. Service time could be as early as 4 a.m. in some residential neighborhoods. Residents’ refuse will generally be collected an hour earlier than their typically scheduled pickup time however, some customers will not be impacted by the changes. Starting Recology collections earlier allows the company to stagger drivers’ start times and implement dispatch changes to promote social distancing. Earlier collections also allow drivers to be home earlier to provide childcare for their families while schools are closed.
To protect Recology customer service representatives, call center shifts will be adjusted to reduce the number of people in the call center at a time. The call center will be in operation Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 415-330-1300 or via email at customerservice@recologysf.com.
Customers may experience longer wait times to connect with a representative; however, as always, the call center will return messages as soon as possible. |
Census 2020
Please don’t forget to fill out a Census form. The first wave of the official mailing with the codes needed to complete the census are being delivered to San Franciscans. After that, everyone will receive one reminder, even those who complete the census immediately. Please pay attention to incoming mail to get the information you will need to complete the census.
A few reminders: there is NO citizenship question on the 2020 census. To complete the census in the first round, you will be asked to do it online. Please contact our office for help accessing a computer.
As of last week, Census2020 was still hiring. If you have suffered a loss of income and are looking for work or additional work, you can apply for a Census job online.
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Board of Supervisors | District 3 | Aaron Peskin
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