CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (CBS SF) – Citing the Omicron variant, Contra Costa County officials are requiring first responders and homeless shelters to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster or undergo weekly tests.

The order, which comes into effect January 10, applies to law enforcement agencies, firefighters, emergency medical personnel who work or respond to calls in “high-risk facilities” such as hospitals, prisons, care or community facilities. Workers in homeless shelters are also covered by the requirement, as are rescue workers who transport patients in the facilities mentioned above.

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Workers who have not received a booster by the deadline must undergo a weekly PCR or antigen test.

Contra Costa County’s new booster need comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases believed to be driven by the fast-spreading variant. Health officials said the average daily number of new cases discovered in the county rose about 156% over the past week to 313 new cases per day.

The first cases of the variant in the district were only confirmed by health authorities a week ago.

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Meanwhile, many residents of the county have not yet received their booster vaccinations, with only 36% of people aged 16 and over receiving the third vaccination.

“The Omicron variant is much more contagious than previous COVID-19 strains,” said Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano on Monday in a statement. “Boosting is necessary for the best protection against Omicron infection and transmission. Our hospitals run the risk of being overwhelmed when a large number of our vulnerable residents fall ill. “

Last week the state required all healthcare workers, home care workers, and community care and detention center workers to receive their vaccinations.

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For more information about the booster and upcoming vaccination clinics, visit the Contra Costa Health Services website or call 1-833-829-2626.

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RICHMOND (BCN) – Contra Costa County will spend $ 95.5 million to expand West County Detention Center in North Richmond, add more mental health rehabilitation and treatment rooms, while reducing overcrowding at Martinez Detention Center.

The board of directors voted 4: 1 to award the contract to Sletten Construction from Montana, with District 1 overseer John Gioia disagreeing.

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Gioia, whose borough is North Richmond, said the West County Reentry, Treatment and Housing (WRTH) project was better than previous expansion proposals. But he still prefers to house the services it will provide in other locations rather than putting money in another maximum security detention facility.

“It is clearly a better project than at the beginning,” said Gioia. “I’m saying this: if this could be segmented to approve certain parts, I would vote for it – the mental health arena, the classroom, the medical facilities and clinics, the re-entry and professional services.”

Illustration of the planned West County Reentry, Treatment and Housing (WRTH) lobby and entrance for viewing. (Contra Costa County Public Works via Bay City News)

The WRTH will include five new secure housing units, a medical treatment center, space for a re-entry program and new facilities for family visits. It adds 288 high security beds, 96 of which are mental health beds, as well as re-entry, family reunification and work readiness rooms from the original proposal. The original proposal was reduced by 128 beds for the general population in order to preserve all medical, treatment and programming rooms.

There will be classrooms and visiting rooms, detoxification rooms, a day room, larger program rooms and 32 beds for inmates with severe mental illnesses. The medical facility will include dentistry and optometry rooms. There will also be a vocational training room.

“Overall, in terms of what happens to a person while in detention, this really increases the ability to do the job, really reintegrate people into the community in a really good way, while being able to provide medical assistance Get the services they need as well as other services, ”said District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover.

Contra Costa County has three detention facilities: the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF), the West County Detention Facility (WCDF), and the Marsh Creek Detention Facility with low security in East County.

MDF is currently the only one of the three equipped for high security prisoners and was built in 1977, now can accommodate 695 adults. WCDF, built in 1987, is a medium-security facility that can accommodate up to 1,096 adults.

The staff report for Tuesday’s meeting noted that attitudes toward incarceration have changed 1 / 4ve since Contra Costa built new detention facilities, and shifted to a therapeutic rather than punitive approach. More emphasis is placed on treatment, education and training to prepare inmates for re-entry into society.

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Two other factors influence the design of new prisons. As the state seeks to reduce the number of prisoners, it shifts some responsibilities for long-term detention back to its districts, thanks to Congregation Bill 109 passed in 2011.

There is also an increasing proportion of inmates with significant mental and other medical problems in the system who, due to the closure of government treatment facilities, require more advanced treatment than the state can provide.

As part of a dispute settlement with the Prison Law Office in 2020, the county agreed to expand medical, psychological treatment and programming space in its prison system.

The project will not expand Contra Costa’s prison population. When WCDF is complete, 288 beds will be removed from the MDF, reducing the nominal capacity of the beds registered with the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) from the current 695 beds to 407 beds.

The Martinez facility was originally built in 1981 for single cells with a nominal capacity of 384 people. MDF will remodel the space for additional mental health treatment, new plumbing, and accessibility improvements.

Most of the project’s funding has come from a $ 70 million state grant approved by Senate Act 844 and $ 25.5 million from the county general fund used in prior fiscal years.

The county will also spend an additional $ 18 million on county employees and consultants, $ 5 million on equipment and $ 8 million on contingent costs, bringing the total project price to $ 126.5 million.

The county hopes to complete the final design in November 2022, with construction a few weeks later and the new facilities by the end of November 2024.

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MARTINEZ (CBS SF / BCN) – With the 2020 census in the books, counties like Contra Costa are seeing their political landscape evolve.

The Board of Directors of Contra Costa on Tuesday unanimously approved a reallocation plan moving Diablo, Blackhawk and the Camino Tassajara area from District 3 of Supervisor Diane Burgis to District 2 of District Candace Andersen.

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The new map expands Andersen’s reach to the east, bringing the three Tri-Valley parishes into the same borough as Danville and San Ramon – cities they are already connected to based on geography and demographics.

The new plan brings all of Quill to District 1 of Supervisor John Gioia. Pittsburg’s Tuscany Meadows is moving to District 5 from Supervisor Federal Glover, dividing Antioch on Somersville Road and Auto Center Drive, which is Railroad Avenue between Glover and Burgis.

The Morgan Territory Road area within the Mt. Diablo Unified School District is being moved to District 4. Concord would be split on the former railroad access and highways 4 and 242. District 2 would now extend through Tilden Regional Park almost to Kensington. Walnut Creek would split between Districts 4 and 2 on State Highway 24 and Interstate Highway 680. The Saranap and Castle Hill areas would be in Andersen’s District 2.

Throughout the process, some areas have been pressured to keep the cities intact, which is difficult given the demands.

“It may feel like you’re divided in some ways, but there are actually advantages,” said Burgis. “You don’t have just two overseers running a town; Supervisor Glover and I share Antioch and I don’t say, ‘Well, where is that?’ I say, ‘Oh, it’s Antioch. I will help you. And I’m sure that will happen with Supervisor Glover too. We don’t look at the lines. ”

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Tuesday was the last of five public hearings required before a final plan has to be in place by December 15. District lines are redrawn every 10 years and are based on US census figures.

The 2020 census showed that Contra Costa County has grown by 11.35% since 2010, from 1,049,025 in 2010 to 1,168,064 residents in 2020.

The largest increase in population came in District 3 of Burgis, with an additional 36,560 residents in the area comprising much of Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, and unregistered East Counties.

The lowest growth was in District 4 owned by Supervisor Karen Mitchoff (population 10,442), an area that includes Concord, much of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Clayton.

The goal is to create counties with as similar a population as possible while following all federal and state guidelines, such as:

Burgis said the district maps should be updated on the district website on the district website by early December.

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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (BCN SF) – Contra Costa County is encouraging residents to vote by mail in the September recall election to minimize the risk of spreading or contagious COVID-19.

According to Clerk Recorder Registrar Deborah Cooper, more residents who vote from home can vote those residents who need personal voting services in a faster, safer environment.

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Voters who choose to vote in person must distance themselves socially and wear masks.

Voting machines are regularly disinfected, and disinfectants are available to voters at all locations.

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“Postal voting protects voters, poll workers and our volunteers by limiting face-to-face contact,” Cooper said in a statement. “The places for personal voting will follow health protocols that can cause delays and queues due to social distancing. The easiest and fastest way to vote for this election is to cast the ballot, which we will send you by post, or in one of our official ballot boxes across the county. “

As part of its efforts to promote safe elections, the county is sending each resident a postal ballot with prepaid first class return postage. In order to have their votes counted, residents must return or mail their postal ballot by September 14th. Callback dial / # dial.

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The California Geological Survey has released new tsunami hazard maps for the counties of San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Contra Costa, which have now been updated to take a worst-case scenario into account.

The 2021 maps, produced by the CGS in collaboration with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, replace the 2009 versions with new estimates that cover larger areas that may need to be evacuated in the event of a tsunami.

Steve Bohlen, Acting State Geologist of California and head of the CGS, said the heightened level of preparedness was inspired by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami.

“Japan used data from hundreds of years of tsunami records in its planning, which seemed perfectly reasonable,” Bohlen said in a statement. “Then it was hit by a millennium tsunami.”

The “worst case scenario” of the CGS for the Bay Area would be a 9.3 magnitude earthquake in the Aleutian Islands off the west coast of Alaska. A tsunami caused by such an earthquake would reach the Bay Area within five hours, leaving little time for an evacuation warning and safe evacuation of the residents.

In 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in Alaska caused a tsunami that reached Crescent City in four hours, killing 12 people and devastating much of the city’s business district.

Using the Aleutian scenario and other sources, the CGS developed new tsunami hazard maps to inform local residents and emergency planners which areas may need to be evacuated and how far inland to move.

The most significant increase in the tsunami-prone area is low-altitude land in San Francisco’s North Beach and downtown Market Street, as well as residential and commercial areas around the Port of Richmond, according to CGS.

The new maps will help educate the state hazard reduction plan so state agencies, local and tribal governments can prepare for potential tsunamis. The maps can also help inform the response to climate change, the CGS said, as the same low areas that are prone to flooding during a tsunami are also prone to flooding from rising sea levels.

A total of thirteen new maps were released by the CGS in 2021, and it is hoping to publish maps for the remaining seven California counties next year.

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CONCORD (CBS SF) – A fire district consolidation study published Tuesday said the Contra Costa County fire protection district should consolidate with the East Contra Costa and Rodeo-Hercules districts to increase effectiveness and efficiency.

AP Triton, a consultant hired by the county last year, came to the conclusion in a more than 200-page study that the three districts should coordinate with Contra Costa’s Local Agency Formation Committee (LAFCO) before considering an application for reorganization draw.

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The study also recommends that districts coordinate to establish a training philosophy and standardized program to meet the needs of the community.

The company presented its findings on Tuesday to the Contra Costa District Board of Directors, which serves as the board of directors for the Contra Costa Fire Safety District.

Similar presentations were recently made to East Contra Costa and the Rodeo Hercules board of directors.

Each governing body will now reach out to constituents for more feedback before moving on to the process.

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“This is an exciting day for the ECCFPD and residents of East Contra Costa County,” said Diane Burgis, a supervisor for Contra Costa County, whose district encompasses much of East Contra Costa, in a statement. “Our actions today and the decision of the ECCFPD Board of Directors to continue working with Con Fire is a long-awaited opportunity to find a regional sustainable solution to provide the level of fire service our communities need and deserve.”

The heads of the three cooperating fire departments approved the study.

“These possible annexations have long been considered informally and this formal study, which was submitted to our board of directors for review and action this week, now provides hard data upon which to make decisions regarding the provision of improved fire, rescue and emergency services Emergency medical programs can sustain much of the county, ”said Lewis Broschard, Contra Costa County Fire Department chief.

The next step in the process is for employees in all three districts to submit a draft resolution to be presented to their boards of directors next month, said Brian Helmick, East County’s chief fire officer.

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LATEST NEWS: “The vast majority” of CA under orders to stay home, says Newsomom

Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco and the city of Berkeley (which has its own health department) announced the new measures in a joint press conference on Friday afternoon.

The following will change when the order takes effect:

• Restaurants will be closed both indoors and outdoors. You can only take away or deliver.
• Bars and wineries have to close (inside and outside)
• Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and other personal care services have to close
• All retail stores can remain open but must reduce capacity to 20%
• Private gatherings of any size are prohibited

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Schools that have already received an exemption to reopen can stay open. All “critical infrastructures” can also remain open.

The start date varies slightly depending on the county. Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties say their ordinances will go into effect on Sunday, December 6th at 10pm. In the Alameda district, the home stay order starts on Monday December 7th at 12:01 am on Tuesday December 8th at 12 noon.

In all cases, the order is valid for the stay at home until January 4th.

Health officials said it was too late to wait for the government order, which will be triggered when a region is down to 15% ICU capacity.

“The dark COVID winter that we feared would come has arrived in the Bay Area,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer. “I and other Bay Area county health officials don’t believe we can wait for the state’s new restrictions to go into effect later this month. We have to act quickly to save as many lives as possible. This is an emergency. “

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At the start of the main holiday season, health officials ask everyone to stay home and avoid all social gatherings.

“You shouldn’t hang out with someone you don’t live with. Even in a small group and even outdoors with precautions,” said Dr. Lisa Hernandez from Berkeley. “If you’ve got a social bubble, now it’s gone.”

The number of ICU beds left is most worrying in Santa Clara County, where it has just dropped to 14%, said health officer Dr. Sara Cody.

The “Bay Area” as defined by the state includes, according to the state, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma.

The six other counties not attending Friday’s press conference will not be forced to put further restrictions in place until the entire region is below 15% ICU capacity. However, each county is always allowed to implement stricter regulations than the state, just not looser restrictions.

As things stand, the Bay Area is expected to reach this 15 percent mark by mid-December. When this happens, the entire region will have to close more stores and place an order to stay at home similar to the one we had in March.

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Residents in several Bay Area counties fled their homes on Monday under mandatory evacuation orders as inland temperatures rose above 100 degrees and firefighters battled a string of fast-spreading forest fires sparked by thunderstorms – with the risk of more the way.

The National Weather Service was issuing red flag warnings across Northern California by Monday evening as extreme weather conditions increased the risk of wildfires across the area. A heat warning should remain in effect until Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the state, temperatures reached even more astonishing numbers – in Death Valley temperatures hit 130 degrees on Sunday, possibly the hottest global temperature ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service.

The chief of California’s primary power grid manager warned that rolling blackouts were imminent on Monday, but later said they were not needed. Network operators blamed several factors for the power shortage, most important of which was the extreme and widespread nature of the heat wave, which forces seething households to turn up energy-consuming air conditioning systems.

“We will see more thunderstorms across the region,” said Brian Garcia, a meteorologist for the agency’s Bay Area unit. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more forest fires, but it all depends on where lightning strikes.”

This video was captured by CHP Golden Gate Air Operations at 6:36 a.m. near Lake Hennessey and St. Helena. A spokesman said emergency calls reporting a fire came almost 10 minutes after that video was recorded. Courtesy of Golden Gate CHP. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that tormenting temperatures across California have put “tremendous pressure” on firefighters as the state fights at least 15 fires.

However, the governor said firefighters are confident they can tackle smaller fires quickly, while containing some larger fires, such as the River Fire near Monterey, could take longer.

Napa County officials ordered evacuations Monday due to the LNU Lightning Complex fires – a series of more than 60 lightning-induced fires that began Monday. Most were less than an acre in size, but two were large and not contained: the Hennessey and Gamble Fires. In total, the complex had burned more than 3,100 hectares by Monday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Hennessey Fire burned 2,500 acres in hilly terrain about 25 miles northeast of Santa Rosa. The Gamble Fire burned about 600 acres north of Lake Berryessa.

Evacuation orders were also for the Marsh Fire in Alameda County, which burned 1,775 acres by Monday night, and the Deer Zone Fires in eastern Contra Costa County near Brentwood, which burned more than 1,160 acres on Monday evening.

Smoke rises from the #MarshFire burning in the area of ​​the Calaveras and Welch Creek streets in #Sunol. The fire burned 1,775 acres and is 0% contained @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/qfCAN8NNuP

– Jessica Christian (@jachristian) August 17, 2020

In the Marsh Fire, a combination of four bursts of vegetation that began Sunday, residents of about 10 houses on Welch Creek Road near Sunol, about 10 miles south of Pleasanton, were ordered to vacate their homes. No injuries were reported.

Mike Cerny, 74, has lived in one of these 10 houses with his wife for 40 years. On Sunday evening, Cerny watched fire engines park in the driveways of his home and those of his neighbors. Before they were forced to evacuate on Monday afternoon, Cerny said he could see the flames of at least two fires from all the windows of the house.

They grabbed their photos and other irreplaceable valuables and left behind the house Cerny had built, including his wife’s antique Barbie doll collection.

“We could see the flames over the ridge, the smoke,” he said from a parking lot by Jack in the Box, eating his first meal of the day, a Sourdough Jack sandwich, and his first coffee in 24 hours. “I don’t think we were hit as far as what could happen.”

The Deer Zone Fires also broke out Sunday night, and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Deputies evacuated residents along the streets of Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory, southeast of Brentwood and north of Livermore.

The Red Cross placed evacuees from Deer Zone Fires in nearby hotel rooms on Monday, according to a supervisor for Brentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department.

The fire damage along Marsh Creek Road in Alameda County.Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle

Over 20 years and numerous fires, Clint C., 49, and Kirsten C., 45, a couple who live in a RV park on Marsh Creek Road, said they were evacuated only four times, including Sunday night. About a dozen fire engines were on the road while the police drove up and down with sirens, honked their horns and ordered residents to flee.

“You get scared and you get excited,” said Clint. “It was stressful.”

“We were scared this time,” said Kirsten. “We thought something was going to get to our house. This fire is not funny. “

They packed up their two cats and their dog and drove to Clint’s mother-in-law’s house in San Ramon, where they spent the night.

“It was a nightmare to get the pets out,” said Clint.

Much further south, in Monterey County, the fast-growing River Fire east of Salinas hit 2,800 acres on Monday, according to Cal Fire. Five houses were destroyed, 1,500 other buildings threatened and four firefighters suffered heat-related injuries while fighting the fire.