Week of January 29, 2021

California Lifts Regional
Stay-at-Home Order

This past Monday, California’s Regional Stay-at-Home Order was lifted for all regions statewide. The Limited Stay-at-Home Order, which limits non-essential activities between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., expired with the Regional Stay-at-Home Order ending. Because coronavirus case rates remain high across most of California, the State's Hospital Surge Order remains in place to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

Orange County Moves into Purple Tier

Orange County has now been categorized into the Purple Widespread Tier 1 of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Some notable sectors that may operate in the Purple Tier include: outdoor dining at restaurants, outdoor fitness/gyms and playgrounds, and indoor operations for nail salons, hair salons, barbers, and other personal care services. Residents are encouraged to continue to stay home as much as possible, wear a face covering when outside the home, and wash hands often. To learn how a sector is able to operate in the Purple Tier in Orange County, visit the State’s website.

County Continues COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out at Super POD Sites

The County continues to operate two regional Vaccine Super Point of Dispensing (POD) sites – one at the Disneyland Resort and one at Soka University of America. The vaccination experience at the County Super PODs typically takes 45-60 minutes per person. It is not necessary to arrive more than 15-20 minutes before a scheduled appointment. It is not recommended for residents to go to a Super POD site without an appointment at the end of the day hoping to receive an “extra” dose.  Due to the high demand, there are no extra vaccines available at the end of the day and there are no doses available to the general public without appointments. 

Assistance Available for COVID-19 Vaccine and Othena Questions

Spanish and English language assistance is available for questions related to Othena and vaccine-related issues via the Health Care Agency (HCA) Hotline at (714) 834-2000. The hotline offers automated responses to frequently asked questions 24 hours a day, and live, trained operators every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note that the hotline cannot schedule appointments or register users in the Othena system. Additional information is available through subscribing to the OC Health Care Agency’s Vaccine Facts newsletter or by visiting the County’s website. 

County of Orange Launches Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The County of Orange will launch an Emergency Rental Assistance program on February 1, 2021 and will accept applications for a period of one month from eligible renter households with unpaid rent or utilities bills due to the impact of COVID-19. Additional information on this announcement is available here. To find more information or to get ready to apply, residents may call 2-1-1 starting February 1, 2021 to receive assistance in multiple languages, visit https://era.211oc.org/ or text ERA to 898211.

Governor Newsom Extends Eviction Moratorium and Provides Rent Relief

Today, Governor Newsom signed legislation extending California’s eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021. This legislation also provides rent relief to support those who are facing economic challenges due to the pandemic. California is allocating $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funding in order to provide this assistance. More information from the Governor’s Office is available here.