Coronavirus Updates and Resources from Rep. Lieu

Dear neighbor, 

There are only 12 days left to fill out your 2020 Census form. Responding to the Census takes fewer than 10 minutes and helps secure funding for our community. As of September 10th, the Census self-response rate in our district was 62.6%. If you haven’t done so already, please help us get to 100% and go to 2020Census.gov today to make sure you are counted.  

On Monday, September 21st, I will be joining local leaders for a Census forum on Facebook Live to discuss the importance of a full Census count for California’s 33rd District. Please join us at 6:00 P.M. PST on facebook.com/reptedlieu.

These past few weeks have been extremely difficult for LA County. With wildfires, poor air quality and the ongoing threat of COVID-19, we are facing a confluence of challenges like we’ve never seen before. However, I am confident in our community’s drive to get through these difficult times together. We will get to the other side of this pandemic, but we need everyone to continue to wear a mask in public; practice social distancing; and wash their hands frequently.

Although COVID-19 cases in LA County have declined, we must keep our foot on the accelerator to prevent the spread of this virus. Last Sunday, 7 out of 10 new cases were from people under the age 50 and the highest number of cases was reported in those under 30. Please remember that no one is immune to this virus, and everyone must follow safety protocols to protect themselves and those around them.

Graph from the LA County Department of Public Health

An Air Quality Advisory is in place in parts of Los Angeles County. Please use this tool to determine the air quality in your area. To protect yourself, please stay indoors as much as possible, close windows and stay up to date with smoke advisories in your community.

Your weekly reminder: 

1. Every registered voter in California will receive a mail-in ballot in time for the November election. You can return your ballot by mail, in person at any Vote by Mail drop box location, or at any Vote Center in LA County. For more information on how to safely vote in the upcoming election, please go to sos.ca.gov/elections and lavote.net. To sign up to be a poll worker in your community, please go to powerthepolls.org.
   
   
   
   
2. 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. If you tested positive for COVID-19 and have not yet heard from a contact tracer, please call 1-833-540-0473. LA County and City leaders recently announced a partnership with SafePass, a mobile app to help expand local efforts to contract trace and contain the spread of COVID-19. The app will allow users to self-report their symptoms, track any close contacts with other users and alert them of any potential exposure. All contact tracing data is completely confidential and private to the user. For more information on the app and to download your SafePass, please go to citizen.com/safepass.
   
   
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

This week, Governor Newsom announced that together with Washington and Oregon, California will pilot a project to test exposure notification technology to slow the spread of COVID-19. In the latest collaboration of the Western States Pact, the pilot project will test the Exposure Notification Express app developed by Google and Apple to notify individuals who may have encountered someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The technology is designed with user privacy as a priority.

Governor Newsom also announced the first round of awards through Homekey, the state’s $600 million initiative to transform hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other spaces into permanent housing for those experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. A total of $76.5 million was awarded by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to seven local governments to address chronic homelessness in their communities.

From LA County

The LA County Department of Public Health recently launched the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program. By participating in this program, businesses will be able to display to their customers that they have received training and are implementing the required county reopening protocols. The program is available to both business owners and employees. For more information, please click here. 

Please see below for what is currently open and closed in Los Angeles County. For industry-specific reopening protocols and safety measures, please click here. 

Additional Resources 

1. All LA County residents who would like to get tested should first contact their Primary Care Provider to see if they offer COVID-19 tests. If you cannot access a test through your provider, LA County is offering free testing, which is available for those experiencing symptoms; those working or living in a high-risk facility; those who were in close contact with someone with COVID-19; and/or essential workers with frequent contact with the public. For more information and to sign up for a test near you, go to covid19.lacounty.gov/testing. This site will also post updates on temporary testing site closures due to unhealthy air quality. 
   
   
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 Californians can receive up to 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave benefits if they are losing wages because they’re caring for a seriously ill family member with COVID-19. Please go to edd.ca.gov to learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply. 
   
   
4. LA County is suffering from poor air quality caused by the wildfires. To protect yourself, please stay indoors, close the windows, run the A/C on circulate and wear a mask indoors if needed.  Please click here to check the air quality in your area.
   
   
   
   
5. The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (OSBA) and Google are partnering up to provide California small businesses with tools and resources to help them grow their digital footprints. To learn more and register for the “Grow with Google” workshop series, please click here. 
   
   
6. LA County childcare providers financially impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for grants of $10,000 and $40,000. Please go to childcaregrant.lacda.org for more.
   
   
   
   
7. It is highly likely that COVID-19 and the flu are present in our communities at the same time. Please, if you have not done so already, get your flu shot to protect yourselves and others. To find information on where you can get immunized in LA County, please go to publichealth.lacounty.gov or vaccinefinder.org. 
   
   
8. Please remember to wear a mask whenever you leave your home and ensure that it fits tightly over your nose and mouth.
   
   
   
   
9. LA County launched Stay Housed LA to help keep people in their homes. StayHousedLA.org makes resources available to renters including daily webinars on renters’ rights and low-cost legal services to those facing eviction.
   
   
   
   
10. 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.

For additional information on COVID-19, please visit my coronavirus webpage and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. For updates from California and LA County, go to covid19.ca.gov, and covid19.lacounty.gov. We must keep up the hard work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please remember to wash your hands frequently; wear a mask in public; and practice social distancing. I look forward to updating you again soon.

Stay safe.

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu 
Member of Congress