The Marin COVID-19 status update for April 1, 2020 includes information about emergency childcare now offered to essential workers, residential care facilities for elderly, senior living communities, food resources available for vulnerable populations and a video update from Dr. Lisa Santora.
Marin County COVID-19 status update: April 1st, 2020
COVID-19 activity in Marin:
Marin Confirmed Cases: | 108 (0.93% increase from yesterday) |
Marin Deaths: | 6 |
Marin Persons Tested (at Marin point of testing site): | 774 |
Marin Hospitalizations: | 15 |
California Confirmed Cases: | 8,588 |
California Deaths: | 183 |
To see a breakdown of confirmed cases by age or gender, visit Marin HHS’s data website. In addition, our surveillance team monitors respiratory illness activity and hospital visits. Tracking the total number of visits and those due to respiratory illnesses provides a situational awareness of current resource needs in our community, which helps advance policies to limit community spread and support our excellent healthcare partners’ capacity to respond. Visit the data website to learn more.
Emergency Childcare Now Offered to Essential Workers
The County of Marin has collaborated with several other agencies to create the new Marin County Emergency PopUp Childcare Program to support health care workers, first responders, disaster service workers, and all other essential workers working or living in Marin while classroom instruction has been suspended during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The program is being offered by the County of Marin, the Marin County Office of Education, the Marin County Free Library, the City of San Rafael, the North Bay Children’s Center, Community Action Marin, and Marin YMCA.
Space in the programs is limited. All child care centers follow social distancing, sanitation, and hygiene practices described in detail in a March 13 Public Health Advisory.
Fee schedules are listed below:
- Effective April 1, fees for infant, toddler, and preschool programs are $1,554 per month.
- Effective April 6, fees for grades TK-5 programs are $24 per day; with a minimum of three days per week.
- No fees for grades 6-12.
Tuition assistance may be available to those who qualify. Sites are open weekdays with varying hours. Drop-in childcare is not being offered at any location. To apply for the program, review the program overview and complete the survey.
Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE)
Marin County Public Health, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, and Marin Health Medical Center met today to discuss strategies for surveillance, screening & testing, education and training at assisted living and board & care facilities. Site visits and testing were completed at multiple sites today. It is critical for long-term care facilities to take proactive steps to protect the health of residents and preserve the health care workforce. These steps include identifying and excluding potentially infected staff members, restricting visitation except in compassionate care situations, ensuring early recognition of potentially infected patients, and implementing appropriate infection control measures.
Senior Living Communities
There are many retirement and independent living communities in Marin County. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed guidance to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent severe illness within communities.
Food Resources Available for Vulnerable Populations
As Marin County residents continue to face an extended stay at home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marin County Health and Human Services (HHS) wants to remind vulnerable individuals that access to healthy food is available through a number of resources.
Residents can search for their nearest food pantry or emergency food distribution location using San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s Food Locator App. In addition, information on food resources, services and assistance specifically for older adults (age 60 and over) and persons with disabilities can be obtained by email (457-INFO@marincounty.org) or by calling 415-457-INFO.
For some, loss of income is the largest barrier to meeting their food needs. Those who are facing such circumstances can seek help from Marin HHS’s Public Assistance Programs, including:
- CalWORKS: Cash aid for individuals with children under age 18
- CalFresh: Cash assistance for food purchases for families and individuals
- Medi-Cal: medical care through Medi-Cal and County Medical Services Program
- General Relief: Cash Assistance for individuals over 18 with no children and with no or limited resources
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC): supplemental food and nutrition program low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women and children under age five who have a nutritional risk
See the full news release that has all of the information you need to apply.
An update from your Deputy Public Health Officer
Dr. Lisa Santora provides updates on Marin County COVID-19 activity, speaks about the new Public Health Order and COVID-19 testing for individuals with mild symptoms of respiratory illness.
Where to get the latest information:
Visit the official Marin County Coronavirus webpage (MarinHHS.org/coronavirus) to review answers to frequently asked questions, access guidance for special groups and subscribe for email updates. To view past status updates concerning COVID-19 activity in Marin County, click on the resources tab on the Coronavirus webpage.
Have questions? Individuals can contact Marin Health and Human Services with non-medical questions about the coronavirus by calling (415) 473-7191 (Monday – Friday, 9:30am to 12-noon and 1pm to 5pm).