The 31st District Digest (June 14 to June 18)

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June 19, 2021

The 31st District Digest (June 14 to June 18)

 

California has Reopened (link)

This week marked a long-awaited milestone: California has retired its Blueprint for a Safer Economy and is now fully open. Restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters, and most places are operating as normal – with no capacity limits or physical distancing required.

Californians can now expect the following changes to apply to restrictions for indoor and outdoor settings, per new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health:

 

Masking is Still Required in Some Settings: CDPH Guidance for Face Coverings

Masks are required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status in the following settings:

Fully vaccinated people may go unmasked in most settings (except in the spaces highlighted above).

People who are not fully vaccinated must still wear masks in ALL indoor public areas and should wear masks in outdoor crowded settings when that region is experiencing high COVID transmission. In settings where masks are required only for unvaccinated individuals, businesses, venue operators or hosts may choose to:

  • Provide information to all patrons, guests, and attendees regarding vaccination requirements and allow vaccinated individuals to self-attest that they are in compliance prior to entry.
  • Implement vaccine verification to determine whether individuals are required to wear a mask. 
  • Require all patrons to wear masks.

No person can be prevented from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a business.

 

Riverside County offers COVID-19 vaccines to ALL eligible individuals age 12 and up.

Teenagers 12 to 17 years old must register for a vaccination clinic that offers the Pfizer vaccine and be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian or present a signed written consent form (Spanish) from a parent/legal guardian and be accompanied by an adult. While appointments are not required for all other eligible adults, registration is encouraged to allow clinics to prepare an appropriate number of doses each day.

 

 

In order to stay on the path to recovery, it is critical that we continue encouraging our family members, friends, and neighbors to get vaccinated and help protect our community from new COVID-19 variants.

 

To make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a county vaccine site, visit the Riverside County COVID-19 Vaccine Page or visit the statewide appointment system at MyTurn.ca.gov.

 

  • If you are a senior and need assistance to schedule an appointment, please call the Riverside County Office of Aging at 1 (800) 510-2020 or call 2-1-1.
  • If you are a homebound resident seeking a COVID-19 vaccination, Riverside County’s new at-home vaccination partnership with United Lab Services may be able to help. County health officials will provide a list of homebound residents who wish to be vaccinated and have self-identified as homebound on California’s MyTurn COVID-19 Vaccine appointment scheduling system.
    • To be added to the list of homebound individuals seeking to be vaccinated, please call (833) 422-4255 or visit www.MyTurn.ca.gov.
  • Email your questions about Riverside County vaccinations to rivco.vaccines@ruhealth.org.
  • For more on California’s Vaccine Plan, click here or call California’s Vaccine Hotline at (833) 422-4255.
  • If you are a veteran, an eligible veteran spouse, caregiver, CHAMPVA recipient, or other patron covered under the SAVE LIVES Act and would like to schedule a COVID-19 Vaccine appointment through your local VA office, please click here or call (909) 825-7084 ext. 5085.

 

REMINDER: CDC Guidelines recommend that your second dose should be from the same manufacturer as the first. For example, if your first dose was a Moderna vaccine, then your second dose should also be a Moderna vaccine.

 

EDD to Resume Work Search Requirement to Obtain Unemployment Benefits (link)

As California reopens following the pandemic, the Employment Development Department (EDD) announced that starting July 11, 2021, Californians receiving unemployment benefits must look for work to maintain their eligibility. EDD will be sending notices to claimants to inform them of the reinstatement of this requirement and what it means for them.

 

The requirement to search for work has been a part of the unemployment insurance program since its inception. During the pandemic, the federal government temporarily allowed states to waive this requirement, and since March 2020 the work search requirement has been suspended in California. When claimants were asked if they had looked for work when completing their weekly certification for benefits, they could answer “No” and maintain their eligibility for benefits. As California reopens, most claimants will need to answer “Yes” next month to maintain eligibility.

 

  • Team Roth remains committed to assisting constituents in their navigation of state agencies, including the EDD.  If you would like support on an EDD-related issue, please submit an EDD Assistance Request Form.

 

FLEX ALERT: Voluntary Energy Conservation Periods (link)

Major statewide heatwaves throughout this week have led the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to issue a series of Flex Alerts to ask the public to conserve electricity in order to balance supply and demand on the grid during peak hours and avoid service disruptions. To monitor the status of a Flex Alert, or to receive notifications to help prepare for upcoming alerts, please visit www.flexalert.org.

  • For more information on Flex Alerts, click here.
  • For energy conservation tips from CAISO, click here.

 

REMINDER: Community Action Partnership’s Cool Centers are now open across Riverside County (link)

As our region begins to feel the summer heat, community members are welcomed to retreat to the Community Action Partnership’s 39 free cool centers located throughout Riverside County.

  • For a list of cool center locations, click here (Spanish).
  • For tips on how to stay cool and protect yourself against heat illness, click here.

 

The Weekly 31st District Digest has come to a close

Now that California has fully reopened, this will be our final weekly 31st District Digest. The goal of this newsletter was to connect community members in need with critical resources and timely updates. As we transition towards a broader district newsletter, I could not be more appreciative of the support and partnerships that made this newsletter possible. Thank you for your resilience, determination, and partnership.

This is not good-bye….We are still available to help you!

Throughout the pandemic, my team has been assisting constituents remotely— online, over the phone, and through the mail. In addition to remote support, my district office will now be open to constituents on an appointment-only basis.

 

I look forward to seeing you again at local events and gatherings!

 

Have a safe, healthy, and happy weekend!

 

Very Sincerely,

 

RICHARD D. ROTH

Senator, 31st District