News from San Bernardino County

Governor Modifies Early Stage 2 Requirements to Open More Businesses

Governor Newsom today added more businesses to participate in Stage 2 including:

• car washes

• pet grooming

• landscape gardening

• office-based business (telework remains strongly encouraged)

• childcare for those outside of the essential workforce

• outdoor museums, and open gallery spaces and other public spaces with modifications

Last Friday, the governor had allowed curbside retail, and the manufacturing and logistics sectors to open throughout the state.

Testing Now Open to Any Interested Residents

All public testing locations are now open to any residents, regardless of whether you are experiencing current symptoms. Appointments, however, are still required. A list of current testing locations can be found at the bottom of this Update, or by visiting http://sbcovid19.com/community-drive-through-events/.

How County Businesses Can Ensure a Safe and Sustainable Reopening

With the limited re-opening of some Phase 2 businesses beginning last Friday, the County is looking to owners and managers of our businesses and facilities to establish safe reopening guidelines.

“All of our residents and business owners need to know that a successful reopening of our economy takes personal responsibility,” said Curt Hagman, chairman of the County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors. “We must all act responsibly, whether we work in a store or look to visit one. We are asking all our residents to please respect safe distances and absolutely wear a face cover when indoors around other people. If we can support one another during this reopening, we can get through this that much sooner, and most importantly, safely.”

The County will greatly assist local businesses in achieving a safe and sustainable reopening on Thursday when we launch the COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program. The program will help all businesses establish and promote a safe and prosperous environment for owners, employees, and customers, and provide cash incentives to small businesses that pledge to require physical distancing, face coverings, and rigorous hygiene. A website with details on the program and information on how to participate will be launched Thursday.

The San Bernardino County COVID Recovery Coalition, made up of various government, business, and organizational leaders from throughout the county, wants all workforces, starting with those in early Stage 2 businesses, to address the following areas of concern.

1. Perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan. Every workforce is different, with unique characteristics and challenges. No one is in a better place to know how to conduct operations safely than the owner, managers and employees of an individual facility. Start by reviewing this linked guidance, https://covid19.ca.gov/industry-guidance/ for each early Stage 2 business, specific to California’s roadmap to reopening.

2. Protect and support worker health and safety. Limit workforces to essential personnel and, whenever possible, ensure that vulnerable workers have alternative assignments. Supply and require use of face coverings and personal protective equipment. Develop policies that ensure employees stay at home when they are sick. Relocate break areas outdoors with physically distant seating.

3. Ensure appropriate physical distancing. Ease into opening by limiting occupancy initially by 25% capacity in order to evaluate operational protocols. Use floor markings and manage traffic flow to ensure 6-foot distancing between individuals as much as possible. Request all patrons wear face covers at entrances and while indoors. Avoid congregating.

4. Ensure proper infection control. Follow strict cleaning and sanitation standards, appropriate for your place of work or business. Establish operational procedures to frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.

5. Train all employees on new procedures. All workers need to understand your site-specific protection plan. Consider use of temperature checking apparatus, but at the least, ensure employees know how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them.

6. Communicate with the public. Post clear signage to communicate your new safety protocols to visitors, including the requirement to wear a face covering when indoors and interacting with workers or strangers. Participants in the COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program will receive signage from the County.

7. Offer transactions and services online and at curbside whenever feasible. Accommodate curbside pick-up to keep vulnerable populations safe. Continue to encourage takeout and delivery service.

We can all look to the model set by our grocery stores and other Phase 1 essential businesses that have shown how to offer a safe retail environment. The bottom line is that if we want to keep our economy open, we all have to take responsibility in keeping one another safe.

Let’s do the right thing and keep the curve flat. We are confident our businesses, employees and patrons can do what it takes to get through this together.

Face Coverings Are Now Optional, But Still Strongly Encouraged

Wearing a face covering may not be required per a public health order, but County leaders are still strongly recommending wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The example set by grocery stores and other Phase 1 essential businesses these past several weeks provide the model for other businesses to emulate moving forward. Specifically, that means requiring face covers when indoors or interacting with workers or strangers, keeping safe distances, and frequent hand washing or sanitizing.

Parents with Young Children Should Check Out ‘Footsteps2Brilliance’ Smartphone App

Parents with young children have discovered how challenging it can be to keep them occupied — let alone continuing to learn — when they can’t go to school, see their friends or even go outside to play games. They also worry that the lack of classroom time could negatively affect their kids’ educational progress.

Recognizing these challenges, Phalos Haire, Director of County Preschool Services, is strongly urging parents to take advantage of Footsteps2Brilliance®, a comprehensive early literacy app that helps children become proficient readers by third grade. The program is free for students and families across San Bernardino County.

The Footsteps2Brilliance curriculum offers a wealth of resources and contains more than 1,000 books, games, interactive books, and songs in both English and Spanish.

“The program, which we introduced here in 2017, is accessed through a simple-to-use app that works on smartphones, tablets and computers,” said Haire. “Since April 2017, the County’s young people have read the equivalent of 580,000 books and 180 million words through the program.”

He added that students using the tool just 15 minutes a day will show a seven-month gain in literacy skills, on average.

The measurable, award-winning Footsteps2Brilliance program was developed on the basis of extensive cognitive research. The Preschool Services Department joined with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, First 5 San Bernardino and Children’s Fund to offer Footsteps2Brilliance throughout San Bernardino County.

Those interested in taking advantage of this remarkable program can go to https://www.myf2b.com/parent_wizard/get_started/sanbernardinocounty to learn more about Footsteps2Brilliance and sign up for the program.