Coronavirus Updates and Resources from Rep. Lieu

Dear neighbor, 

This week, the number of COVID-19 cases in California surpassed 600,000. As of today, LA County has reported a total of 218,693 cases. Please remember to wear a mask in public; practice social distancing; and wash your hands frequently.  

Community transmission rates in LA County remain high, which is due, in part, to younger people driving new infections. As of now, younger people between the ages of 18 and 30 account for 25% to 30% of new cases. The LA County Department of Public Health announced that Institutions of Higher Education need to limit campus activities in the near term to prevent further spread. This means colleges and universities may continue their essential operations, but most academic instruction must continue via distance-learning. 

As you may know, the Trump Administration is attempting to undermine the United States Postal Service (USPS), which millions of Americans rely on – especially during the pandemic. Postal workers deliver lifesaving medication, paychecks, social security, ballots and other essential items. House Democrats have been working to protect the USPS, which is why we included $25 billion in funding to save the Postal Service in the HEROES Act, a coronavirus relief bill which passed the House in May. That bill also included $3.6 billion in state election security grants to support key voting measures such as vote-by-mail so Americans can vote safely from home without risking exposure to COVID-19. Unfortunately, Republicans in the U.S. Senate have yet to take up this legislation and their coronavirus relief proposal does little to address these issues. 

As a reminder, every registered voter in California will receive a mail-in ballot in time for the November election. All voters in LA County have been mailed a Vote by Mail Address Confirmation Card. Please check your mail and ensure the address on the card is correct. If you’ve recently moved, you can easily update your address by filling out the card and dropping it in the mail. For more information on vote-by-mail in LA County, go to lavote.net.

Your weekly reminder:

1. If you tested positive for COVID-19, you should expect a call or text from a county public health specialist as part of an effort to contact trace and contain the spread of the virus. They are not law enforcement officers and will not ask about immigration status. Please be aware that scammers are posing as contact tracers in LA County in an attempt to steal personal information. Contact tracers will never ask for your financial information, so if you receive a call from someone asking for your social security number or bank account number, hang up immediately. If you tested positive for COVID-19 and have not yet heard from a contact tracer, please call 1-833-540-0473.
   
   
2. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us about the importance of ensuring state and local governments have adequate resources to address the needs of their communities. As of August 6th, the census self-response rate in California’s 33rd District is only 58.9%. In order to get an accurate count in the 2020 Census, every resident of our community must respond to the census. Please remember to complete your census form, either online, by phone at 844-330-2020, or by mail to help our community receive its fair share of federal resources to benefit our schools, roads, hospitals, emergency preparedness plans and more. 
   
   
   
   
3. Have you witnessed fraud, waste, or abuse of coronavirus pandemic relief funds? Congress has approved over $3 trillion in federal spending to combat the pandemic and I am committed to ensuring your tax dollars are being spent properly. I encourage you to visit coronavirus.house.gov/contact/tip-line or call 202-225-4400 today to report waste, fraud, or abuse of COVID-19 funds.

COVID-19 Updates

From the State

On August 10th, Governor Newsom announced $81.8 million in commitments from private and philanthropic partners to support isolation and quarantine efforts in communities disproportionately impacted by the virus. The money will be used to bolster contact tracing in high-need areas and make it easier for individuals to safely isolate by providing food, rental and childcare assistance.

From LA County 

This week, the LA County Department of Public Health issued a revised health officer order to move the county into Stage 3 of the California Pandemic Resilience Roadmap. The revised order clarifies when elementary schools can seek waivers to resume in person instruction; updates operations for childcare facilities; and aligns with new guidance for Institutes of Higher Education. Please visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus for more on what’s open in LA County as well as industry-specific reopening guidelines.

The LA County Department of Public Health updated its protocol for reopening youth sports. All sports events including tournaments and competitions are still prohibited at this time. Permitted activities include training, conditioning and skill building with no physical contact. For more detailed information, click here.

Additional Resources 

1. For COVID-19 testing, priority will still be given to individuals experiencing symptoms; people working or living in high-risk facilities such as nursing homes; and those who have been in close contact with someone known to have COVID-19. For more on testing in LA County, go to covid19.lacounty.gov/testing.
   
   
2. For updated data on COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in California and LA County, go to update.covid19.ca.gov and publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index.htm.
   
   
3. Eligible individuals who used the Non-Filers tool to receive their Economic Impact Payment and claimed at least one qualifying child before May 17th will receive $500 from the IRS. These users did not receive the $500 previously due to an error that was fixed on May 17th. If you have questions about your coronavirus Economic Impact Payment, go to irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments or visit the Economic Impact Payment Information Center.
   
   
4. To stay up to date on key safety information in California, sign up to get alerts from the resources below.
   
   
   
   
5. As a reminder, LA County holds frequent coronavirus briefings to keep residents informed on the response to COVID-19. To watch, please go to the LA County Facebook, Twitter or YouTube page. You can also call the numbers below to listen in different languages.
   
   -English: (888) 664-1451
   -Spanish: (888) 664-1453
   -Mandarin: (888) 664-1459
   -Korean: (888) 664-1454
   
   
6. LA County COVID-19 Rent Relief will begin accepting applications on August 17th. The rent relief program is made possible by the LA County Board of Supervisors, who approved funds from the CARES Act to provide rental assistance to those financially impacted by the pandemic. To learn more, click here. Applications will be accepted from August 17th through August 31st.
   
   
   
   
7. On August 12th, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti launched L.A. Connected, an initiative to connect residents hard-hit by the pandemic to financial relief resources. Through this effort, the City of L.A. will help individuals access Economic Impact Payments, unemployment insurance, income tax credits and more. For more information, please go to LAConnected.la. 
   
   
   
   
8. The Los Angeles Unified School District, in partnership with the Red Cross, will continue to provide nutritious, free meals to students in need despite school closures due to the pandemic. For more information and to find the closest Grab & Go Food Center near you, click here.
   
   
9. If you’ve recently tested positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible to participate in a research study. The Westside Medical Associates of Los Angeles, in partnership with the Montreal Heart Institute, is investigating whether a medicine called colchicine is effective as a short-term treatment for COVID-19. To be eligible for the study, you must be diagnosed with definite or probable COVID-19 in the last 36 hours, not hospitalized and 40 years of age or older. You do not need to leave your home to participate. If you meet the criteria and are interested in participating, please call the study hotline at 1-877-536-6837. If you are a patient of Westside Medical Associates of Los Angeles, please call 310-289-5221. For more information, please visit colcorona.net.  
   
   
10. If you’ve seen examples of price gouging in LA County, please go to stoppricegouging.dcba.lacounty.gov or call (800) 593-8222 to report it.
    
    

Thank you for keeping up the hard work in the fight against COVID-19. This is a team effort. We must all continue to wash our hands frequently; practice social distancing; and wear masks in public to protect the health and safety of our community. For more information, please visit my coronavirus webpage or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. I look forward to updating you again soon.

Stay safe. 

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu 
Member of Congress