SUBJECT
Title
RECEIVE UPDATE ON THE COVID-19 RESPONSE, RATIFY ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE LOCAL HEALTH EMERGENCY AND LOCAL EMERGENCY, ACCEPT FUNDING RELATED TO THE COUNTY’S COVID-19 RESPONSE EFFORTS, AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TELECONFERENCED PUBLIC MEETINGS (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province in China in December 2019. Since then, the virus has rapidly spread across the globe, resulting in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
On February 14, 2020, the San Diego County Public Health Officer issued a Declaration of Local Health Emergency, pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 101080. Additionally, on that day, pursuant to California Government Code 8630, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), serving as the County of San Diego (County) Director of Emergency Services and as the Coordinator of the Unified San Diego County Emergency Services Organization, issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency regarding COVID-19.
The County continues to make significant efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Today’s actions request the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) receive an update on the local COVID-19 response and ratify all actions taken by the CAO, Public Health Officer, Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting, and Director, Department of General Services in response to the local health emergency and local emergency.
Additionally, the Board is requested to take the following actions:
• Authorize acceptance of $1,109,770 in additional funding from the California Department of Public Health to establish, expand, and sustain a public health workforce to support schools with COVID-19 and other school-age vaccinations.
This item supports the County’s vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all, specifically those communities and populations in San Diego County that have been historically left behind, as well as our ongoing commitment to the regional Live Well San Diego vision of healthy, safe and thriving communities. This will be accomplished by protecting the health of residents against the COVID-19 pandemic.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Receive an update on the COVID-19 Response.
2. Ratify all actions taken by the Chief Administrative Officer, Public Health Officer, Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting, and Director, Department of General Services in response to the local health emergency and local emergency.
3. Authorize the acceptance of $1,109,770 in additional funding from the California Department of Public Health to establish, expand, and sustain a public health workforce to support schools with COVID-19 and other school-age vaccinations for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, and authorize the Agency Director, Health and Human Services Agency, or designee, to execute all required documents, upon receipt, including any annual extensions, amendments, and/or revisions thereto that do not materially impact or alter the services or funding level.
4. Adopt a resolution entitled RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CONTINUANCE OF TELECONFERENCED PUBLIC MEETINGS PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of individuals, businesses, and communities across San Diego County. In order to support the most vulnerable, an equity lens was used to prioritize, when appropriate, the distribution of COVID-19 response and recovery-related federal, State, and local funding and resources based on a data-driven approach, identifying communities that have the highest need for support in relation to the number of positive COVID-19 cases.
Through press conferences and presentations at San Diego County Board of Supervisors meetings, the County of San Diego (County) has been able to disseminate critical information about the efforts being done to address and combat the COVID-19 pandemic to a wide audience, as well as providing a forum to receive public comment. To continue the County’s commitment to transparency and open government and remove traditional barriers to access and participation in government affairs, today’s actions provide the mechanism to present an update on the current COVID-19 response efforts that have an impact on the lives of Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, youth, the LGBTQ community, and the economically disadvantaged.
FISCAL IMPACT
It is estimated that through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) ending June 30, 2022, the County of San Diego (County) will have spent over one billion dollars on overall COVID-19 response costs, excluding federally dedicated program funds for programs such as rental assistance and nutrition services. Funding sources include Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), County General Fund Balance, Realignment, and program revenues available for response efforts. In FY 2022-2023, the County will rely on ARPA funding, as well as FEMA, other stimulus funds, program revenues, Realignment, and County General Fund Balance to cover response costs as needed. The County will continue to pursue other federal and State stimulus revenue and funding sources as made available.
Recommendation #3: Authorize Acceptance of Additional Funding to Establish, Expand, and Sustain a Public Health Workforce
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2022-2024 Operational Plan in the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). If approved, this request will result in estimated costs and revenue of $1,109,770 in Fiscal Year 2022-23. The funding source is ARPA funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via the California Department of Public Health. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
This action will help support individuals, families and small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province in China in December 2019. Since then, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have declared COVID-19 a public health emergency. On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.” On January 31, 2020, then-HHS Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly across the globe, resulting in the WHO declaring COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
On February 14, 2020, the San Diego County Public Health Officer issued a Declaration of Local Health Emergency, pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 101080. Additionally, on that day, pursuant to California Government Code 8630, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), serving as the County of San Diego’s (County) Director of Emergency Services and as the Coordinator of the Unified San Diego County Emergency Services Organization, issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency regarding COVID-19. The requirements to renew the Declaration of Local Health Emergency and Proclamation of Local Emergency for COVID-19 were waived on March 4, 2020, due to the Proclamation of a State of Emergency for California by Governor Gavin Newsom.
As with other areas throughout the nation, there is community transmission of COVID-19 in San Diego County. The County has made significant efforts to “flatten the curve,” slowing down the spread of the virus, which in turn helps to avoid an increase in the cases that overwhelm the healthcare system. For this reason, the San Diego County Public Health Officer continues to issue and amend Public Health Orders to enhance efforts to protect the health of the public.
Requested Actions Related to the Continuation of the County’s Pandemic Response
Today’s actions request the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) to receive an update on the local COVID-19 response and ratify all actions taken by the CAO, Public Health Officer, Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting and Director, Department of General Services in response to the local health emergency and local emergency.
Authorize Acceptance of Additional Funding to Establish, Expand, and Sustain a Public Health Workforce
On August 17, 2021 (7), the Board authorized the acceptance of $4.6 million in COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Development funding to establish, expand, train, and sustain a State, tribe, local, and territorial (STLT) public health workforce. These activities are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for the term of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023. On June 28, 2022, the County was notified of additional funding of $1,109,770 from CDPH for COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Development funding for the term of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
This additional funding is intended to establish, expand, train, and sustain a STLT public health workforce to support Transitional Kindergarten, and Kindergarten through 12th grade settings with COVID-19 and other school-age vaccines. Allowable grant expenditures include:
• hiring internally,
• subcontracting to community-based organizations to support schools,
• hiring through staffing agencies to support schools,
• increasing the hours of part-time staff to full-time,
• expanding staff hours or clinical hours, and
• supporting staff who have been redirected for COVID-19 vaccine activities in schools.
This action requests the Board to authorize acceptance of the County’s allocation of $1,109,770 from the CDPH.
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing Teleconferencing
Since March 2020, the Board and its associated commissions, governing bodies, and advisory boards have conducted meetings remotely (or have a mixed attendance of in-person and remote Board members) in accordance with previous Executive Orders issued by the Governor. Assembly Bill 361 (AB 361) became law on September 16, 2021 and allows local agencies subject to the Brown Act to continue remote attendance for meetings under simplified procedures, but only if either: a) there is still a “statewide” emergency, and State or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing, or b) the Board finds that “meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.” (Gov’t Code 54953 (e) (1), added by AB 361). On September 23, 2021, the Public Health Officer issued a letter recommending the utilization of teleconferencing options for public meetings as an effective and recommended social distancing measure to facilitate participation in public affairs and encourage participants to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.
Today’s action requests the Board, also sitting as the legislative body of the Housing Authority of the County of San Diego, County of San Diego In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority, San Diego County Fire Protection District, San Diego County Sanitation District, San Diego County Flood Control District, and the County of San Diego Successor Agency to the County of San Diego Redevelopment Agency, adopt a Resolution that will allow the Board to continue to utilize teleconferencing under simplified procedures. To continue to use the simplified teleconferencing procedures, the Board will need to act no less than every 30 days to reaffirm the authorization of teleconferenced public meetings.
The County also has many other boards, committees, and commissions subject to the Brown Act, and this Resolution is, to the extent legally possible, intended to make the required findings on their behalf. However, it is recommended that each of these legislative bodies subject to the Brown Act also make findings consistent with AB 361.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Equity and Community initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, as well as the regional Live Well San Diego vision, by protecting the population from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CONTINUANCE OF TELECONFERENCED PUBLIC MEETINGS PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953