East County News Service

March 19, 2020 (San Diego) – Just one day after announcing curbside checkout of books, the County Library has issued a news release announcing curbside pickup plans are cancelled.  Books and other materials will only be available online during the Covid-19 crisis.  See the county’s full press release below for details. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 19, 2020 (San Diego) – With 80 cases of COVID-19 now in our region, San Diego County health officials have banned gatherings of 10 or more people in any indoor or outdoor space. Smaller groups must stay six feet apart to slow spread of COVID-19. 

Gyms and fitness centers have been ordered closed. Movie theaters are closed. Large department stores such as Macy’s and Penney’s have announced temporary closures.

Stores selling groceries and pharmacies remain open, as well as restaurants providing take-out or delivery only.

Day care must be limited to groups of up to 10 children in the same room and they must remain in same group each day, with the same staff person.

Social Distancing to Flatten the Curve

People who are home, working remotely and students should not be out unless it’s necessary. You can go out to:

By Matt Levin | CalMatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Resident Martha Kapla, right, holds a sign during a rally in front of an assisted-living home in San Pablo, California, in December. Nearly 80 elderly and disabled residents were told to be out of the building by the end of January. Photo by Jane Tyska, Bay Area News Group

March 18, 2020 (San Diego's East County) - As millions of anxious California renters worry about their health and paychecks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order that allows cities and counties to stop landlords from kicking out tenants who miss their next rent payment — if local governments want to do so.

Barona, Campo, Jamul, Sycuan, and Viejas Jointly Announce Casino Closures in Response to Coronavirus crisis

Source: Kumeyaay Nation

March 18, 2020 (San Diego's East County)  — Tribal government leaders of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, Campo Kumeyaay Nation, Jamul Indian Village, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians today jointly announced that they are temporarily closing their casinos amid concerns over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) beginning on Friday, March 20 at noon through the end of the month.

The Tribes are united in this decision to close for the health and well-being of the community, their guests and approximately 9,000 employees. Despite this closure, it is their hope that they can continue to provide emergency services for their respective communities.

In Campo, the gas station and convenience store will remain open for the convenience of residents.

Sheriff also warns consumers about virus-related scams

By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2020 (San Diego)—The San Diego Sheriff's department has arrested eight local people for selling hoarded toilet paper, cleaning supplies, hygiene products and protective equipment at price-gouging rates. The suspects, who posted the items for sale online, could be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned.

It is illegal to price gouge during an emergency. After the state emergency declaration due to COVID-19, when consumers found store shelves emptied of much-needed supplies, deputies began checking out online websites. They found local residents offering items at up to 20 times higher than normal. 

Plain-clothes deputies from the Fallbrook station arranged to meet and buy the excessively priced goods, then arrested the suspects including individuals from unicorporated El Cajon, Escondido, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Rainbow, and Vista.

The eight people arrested, who were cited and released pending trial, are:

By Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2020 (San Diego) – Rolando Garden Kitchen, a farm-to-table-fresh restaurant just west of La Mesa in the Rolando area, has been prepping its St. Patrick’s Day dinners for days—but like all restaurants countywide, has been forced to stop dine-in service due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  However, the restaurant is offering its St. Patrick’s dinners for pickup by calling 619-431-5755.

Going forward, the restaurant will continue to post its made-from-scratch menus daily by noon for pick-up orders only through at least March 31^st.  All food at Garden Kitchen is handcrafted from scratch using the freshest ingredients, opting for local & organic when possible. We also strive to use hormone & antibiotic free meats.

The owners will also honor happy hour discounts on orders placed from 3 to 5 p.m.  Wine and canned beers are available to go at 20% off short-term.  Gift certificates are also available.

View menus at http://gardenkitchensd.com/.  The restaurant is located at 4204 Rolando Blvd., San Diego, CA 92115.

Below is today’s menu:

The Executive Order authorizes local governments to halt evictions, slows foreclosures, and protects against utility shut offs through May 31

March 16, 2020 (Sacramento)-- Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order that authorizes local governments to halt evictions for renters and homeowners, slows foreclosures, and protects against utility shutoffs for Californians affected by COVID-19.

The Executive Order comes as Californians are experiencing substantial loss of hours or wages, or layoffs related to COVID-19, affecting their ability to keep up with their rents, mortgages, and utility bills.

“People shouldn’t lose or be forced out of their home because of the spread of COVID-19,” said Governor Newsom. “Over the next few weeks, everyone will have to make sacrifices – but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them. I strongly encourage cities and counties take up this authority to protect Californians.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Gy Kirk, new co-owner of Sheldon's Station in La Mesa, says his restaurant is offering curbside take-out immediately and willl soon offer a home delivery service.

Read official health order here.

March 16, 2020 (San Diego) – Alarmed by news of 55 COVID-19 cases countywide—a nearly seven-fold increase in the past four days – San Diego County officials today announced tough new restrictions that will impact daily lives of virtually all residents and businesses. A new fund aims to help those adversely impacted.

Effective midnight Tuesday through March 31, the following rules are imposed countywide:

• All gatherings of 50 or more are prohibited, including public and private events.
• All non-essential gatherings, regardless of size, are discouraged.
• All bars and other businesses serving alcohol without food must shut down.
• Restaurants may offer only delivery, pick-up or drive-through service. On-site pickups must include social distancing of at least six feet.
• Schools of all levels, public and private, must cancel any on-campus classes.
• Businesses must not require doctor’s notes for sick time or other leave.
• Businesses must allow telecommuting if possible and adopt social distancing for on-site workers, along with increased cleaning.
• Hospitals and health care facilities should preserve resources including cancelling elective and non-emergency procedures when feasible.
• Only essential personnel may enter hospitals and long-term care facilities—and any essential personnel with symptoms of COVID-19 are prohibited from entering.
• Hospitals, commercial testing labs and all healthcare providers must report COVID-19 test results to the county’s public health officer immediately after receiving results.
• Travelers arriving in San Diego County should self-quarantine at home for 14 day if they traveled from or through nations on the Centers for Disease Control Level 3 list. The list currently includes China, Iran, South Korea, and most European nations.
• Self-quarantine at home is strongly recommended for people over age 65, as well as those with chronic underlying conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Everyone with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate at home before seeking medical treatment.
  

East County News Service

MARCH 19, 2020 UPDATE: 

Remote classes and student support at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges will continue to be held until the end of the spring semester on June 1. The Grossmont and Cuyamaca college campuses are also closed to all students and the public until June 1. 

All instructional activities and office hours, including any lab courses, and support services will be held in some form of remote delivery. Faculty will be communicating directly with their students regarding next steps.Student information about withdrawals and late drops is available. 

Gov. Newsom has ordered that all Califrornians stay at home effective midnight March 19. To comply with that order,  all District employees are to work from home beginning Friday, March 20. Essential personnel who are necessary to secure district facilities and maintain core operations will be contacted by district leadership. 

All student events through June 1 are cancelled, and intercollegiate athletics games are cancelled indefinitely. 

March 16, 2020 (El Cajon) --As the coronavirus situation remains in a state of flux, effective today, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are now closed to students and the public until further notice. All instructional activities, office hours and labs will take place online or through another remote delivery to the fullest extent possible. Students are advised to follow directives provided by their instructors and to regularly check the college website and emails to keep apprised by the latest developments.

CVUSD provides multi-lingual updates

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo: Superintendent David Miyashiro, EdD, screenshot off video

March 15, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- In line with worldwide concern over the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, Cajon Valley Union School District Superintendent David Miyashiro, EdD outlined a policy Tuesday night on plans to cope with the growing health crisis.