Supervisor Hillary Ronen - COVID19 Update Open District 9 Grocery Stores COVID-19 Testing Update Newsletter

Also: Make sure you fill out your census!
 
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April 24, 2020

Open District 9 Grocery Stores, COVID-19 Testing Update, and How to Help

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you all are doing well. Seeing some of your wonderful faces yesterday at my first District 9 Listening Session really re-energized me.

I look forward to talking to more of you tomorrow and on Monday. If you haven't already, make sure you register. The Portola Session will have Cantonese interpretation available, and the Mission Session will have Spanish interpretation.

I also wanted to take a minute to appreciate my team. Santiago Lerma and Paul Monge have helped register people for the UCSF mass testing study in the Mission, worked to secure the sites, porta potties, and countless other logistical details to make sure the operation will go smoothly.

Amy Beinart is working tirelessly to save small businesses and protect the November election.

Paul Monge is fighting day in and day out to get unhoused folks off the streets and into hotels and advocating for more testing in SRO hotels and Navigation centers. Paul and Santiago are also delivering hot delicious meals generously donated by La Ciccia to our unhoused neighbors.

Jennifer Li is singlehandedly designing a fundraising campaign to raise money through Give2SF so we can get assistance to the immigrant community and small businesses, and our volunteers Anne Gallagher, Bruce Johnson, and Lisa Haut are answering hundreds of emails and calls from all of you. They are all working around the clock to help our residents, and I am so grateful for the work that they are doing.
Below are some brief updates, information on COVID-19 testing in San Francisco, an extensively compiled list of open grocery stores by neighborhood, and more. My office may not be in City Hall these days, but we are still here for you. I miss seeing all of you and I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.

New Policy on Face Coverings
Everyone in San Francisco is now required to wear face coverings when they are outside of their homes for essential needs, including waiting in line for or inside of a grocery store or on public transportation. More information about this new public health order is available here.

COVID-19 Testing

Testing for Essential Workers and Those Who Cannot Access Testing
The City has expanded CityTestSF to provide COVID-19 testing for all private sector and non-profit essential employees in San Francisco, and any San Francisco resident who is experiencing symptoms and cannot otherwise access testing, with a focus on those who are uninsured or have barriers to healthcare.

Starting this week, San Francisco residents and essential workers experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can make an appointment for CityTestSF online at sf.gov/citytestsf.

You can read more about getting tested for COVID-19 here.

UCSF Mission Testing
This week, the City released a new map that displays confirmed cases of COVID-19 by zip code. The zip code 94110 has the highest COVID-19 cases; the data also show that Latinx San Franciscans make up 23% of COVID-19 cases, the highest of any racial group.

That's why my office is partnering with UCSF, the Department of Public Health, the Latino Task Force for COVID-19 to offer free COVID-19 testing, regardless of symptoms or lack thereof.

The UCSF tests will happen at multiple locations throughout the Mission Saturday, April 25 through Tuesday, April 28th. It is only open to Mission residents who live between South Van Ness and Harrision, and 23rd and Cesar Chavez Street.
 
* Calling for Volunteers *

This targeted testing effort is part of an important UCSF study called “Unidos En Salud, San Francisco,” which will help us understand how evolving public health measures affect community transmission of COVID-19 -- particularly within the Latinx community which has been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. The study will help shape our ongoing response to this crisis in San Francisco and the State of California.

Volunteer support will be essential to the success of this study. You can volunteer by signing up at this link. If you would like to help by donating to support the study's ability to provide gift cards to study participants in financial need, you can contribute here. For general information about this testing effort, please refer to the study's main website.  

Open Grocery Stores and Hours in District 9
Food access is important during these uncertain times. My office has compiled a list of most of the open grocery stores in District 9, their hours, and whether they have dedicated senior hours. Several neighborhood organizations have also compiled lists on other open businesses like restaurants and pharmacies. To view a larger version of each list, click on the image.
The Portola Neighborhood Association has also painstakingly compiled a list of all open vendors, including restaurants, pharmacies, and more, on their webpage. Thank you, PNA, for your excellent work.
 
The San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, Hecho en California, and partner organizations have also compiled a partial list of open businesses like restaurants, art galleries, and more. Thank you for their efforts!
 
The Bernal Business Alliance has also compiled a partial list of open restaurants and other businesses open during this time. Thank you, BBA, for doing this!
 

Want to Help SF Get More COVID-19 Resources? Take the Census!
As of 4/22, District 9’s 2020 Census self-response rate was 49.79%. In other words, half of all households in the district have not yet completed the 2020 Census. Here are the response rates by neighborhood as of 4/22:

Mission: 47.75% of households have responded to the census
Bernal: 55.79% of households have responded to the census
Portola: 50.95% of households have responded to the census

The funding that will help San Francisco recover from COVID-19 and thrive for the next decade relies on an accurate count in the 2020 Census. Census data impacts funding for our city’s hospitals, first responders, schools, small businesses, public benefit programs, and more. But we can’t do it without you. Count yourself in at my2020census.gov or by calling 844-330-2020.

Your answers are confidential and cannot be shared with anyone, not even the police, your landlord, or ICE.

SFMTA Slow Streets
SFMTA is seeking input on its Slow Streets program, which creates more open space for people to be able to be outdoors safely during this time. It is temporary, and will not change parking. Please go to SFMTA.com/SlowStreets to get info and to share your thoughts.

Donate to Help
The Give2SF COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund provides San Franciscans with food security, access to housing, and security for workers and small businesses.

Every dollar that is donated to Give2SF goes directly to families, small businesses, and workers in need.

Most donors to the Give2SF Fund are average people who aren’t rich by any means, but are giving what they can to help fellow neighbors in need. Thank you to those of you who have already donated, and if you would like to give, you can donate to Give2SF here.

Jamie Stark, Executive Director of Farming Hope (farminghope.org), and our District 9 volunteer Lisa Haut have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to feed our District 9 unhoused neighbors while they try to shelter in place on the streets. Farming Hope has capacity to prepare and deliver up to 1,000 meals per day at a cost of $5 per meal. Donate to Farming Hope here.
My office may not be in City Hall these days, but we are still here for you. We are available by email: ronenstaff@sfgov.org or by phone at 415-554-5144 (leave a message, and we will call you back-- we are checking voicemail frequently). Check for updates on my  Twitter and  Facebook.

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Got an upcoming event or opportunity to include in this newsletter? Email Jennifer.Li-D9@sfgov.org
 

Our mailing address is:
Hillary Ronen, District 9 Supervisor
 San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

 
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