This Monday, May 25, is our nation’s Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for the brave men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives to protect our freedoms and liberties. As we take this national day of observance off, let us reflect on the solemnity and significance of the holiday.

Orange County is home to over 131,000 veterans. As such, we extend our deepest condolences to the families whose courageous loved ones left this world too soon, as we celebrate our great nation that their sacrifices have afforded us.

As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as to keep our residents safe, a number of our cities in South County are celebrating Memorial Day through virtual formats. To that end, please see the online Memorial Day observances listed below...

This year's Memorial Day Ceremony in Laguna Niguel will be posted on the City's Facebook page as well as on YouTube at 11:00 AM Monday, May 25. Please take a moment to watch the Ceremony and join in honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our nation.

The City of Mission Viejo will host a Virtual Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 25. The ceremony will air at 8:30 AM on MVTV (Cox Channel 30 and AT&T Channel 99) with additional programming throughout the day. The program will also be featured on the City's YouTube channel. 

The City is also hosting a Drive-Through American Heroes Tribute to maintain social distancing May 11-28 in the courtyard at 200 Civic Center. The 3-foot by 9-foot banners pay homage to American soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Local heroes are memorialized with a banner, and the community is encouraged to visit the tribute. For more information, click here.

At our Board of Supervisors meeting this week, we discussed the allocation of $101 million in CARES Act funding to help Orange County cities, small businesses, and other community organizations that have suffered financial hardship due to COVID-19.

To that end, the Board approved allocating $26 million of CARES Act funding to cities for reimbursement of eligible COVID-19 related expenses. The CEO will work directly with City Managers to develop a program on how those funds will be allocated among cities.

In addition, the Board also approved my motion, on a 3-2 vote, to direct the CEO to work with legal counsel on the development of a plan that defines the term “small business” and identifies options on how to utilize the remaining $75 million to provide economic stimulus for small businesses and other community organizations.

The plan will come back to the Board for approval at our next meeting. I look forward to reviewing the options that will be presented and having these funds distributed as soon as possible!

The Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) continues to release the daily COVID-19 case counts by cities in Orange County, in addition to the cumulative cases and deaths to date in Orange County. As of today, HCA is reporting 4,941 positive cumulative cases and 118 deaths in Orange County, including 230 currently hospitalized with 95 in ICU.

Please be advised that the city data is reflective of where cases live, not necessarily where transmission occurred. Additionally, city numbers should not be interpreted to reflect where transmission is geographically focused or not, as COVID-19 is present in all communities in Orange County.

Case counts are also not reflective of all disease transmission in any given community because testing is prioritized for those at greatest risk or most sick. Asymptomatic and persons with mild disease may not be reflected due to not being tested.

Because transmission occurs throughout the County, it is important for all residents to practice social-distancing as directed by the Governor and the Orange County Health Officer regardless of the case count in their city. Doing so will help to reduce the spread of infection, ease the burden on our hospital and healthcare system, and protect those most vulnerable in our county.

The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) has partnered with the California Department of Public Health to launch four new testing sites in Buena Park, Orange, Santa Ana and San Juan Capistrano. 

The State sites are powered through a partnership with OptumServe, the federal government health services business of Optum, a leading health services innovation company. 

The new test locations were identified by looking at areas where Californians had to travel between 30 and 60 minutes to reach existing test sites. This information was cross-referenced with under-served populations to address known disparities and median income, so residents have access to testing, regardless of socioeconomic status.

The four new State sites increase the County’s testing capacity by 2,640 per week. When combined with testing presently available through the County’s existing OC COVID-19 Testing Network, a total of nearly 7,000 tests per week are available for FREE for all community members without insurance or who have been unable to receive testing through their health care providers.

At this time, testing priority is given to people with symptoms as well as asymptomatic health care workers, first responders, and social service employees and essential workers who do not have access to testing through their employer or health care provider.

There is no out-of-pocket cost, though insurance will be billed if available. Additionally, there is no medical assessment offered at these new testing sites, so residents who access the testing feature are also strongly encouraged to call their health care provider for guidance on management of symptoms.

I believe that knowledge is power. Now that we have the ability to test more residents, we can gather additional data that may help us refine our knowledge of COVID-19 in Orange County and inform our policy decisions moving forward.

For more information on testing criteria and to schedule an appointment, please click here and scroll down to OPTUMSERVE TESTING SITES. Residents without internet access interested in making an appointment at a State site may call 1-888-634-1123. 

It’s almost certain that COVID-19 cases across the nation have been vastly under-counted, since people with few to no symptoms, who may be infected but have immunity, are rarely tested.

As such, I'm pleased to report the University of California, Irvine is partnering with the Orange County Health Care Agency to participate in a rigorous, large-scale, population-based study that will generate a more accurate estimate of the true prevalence of the pandemic in Orange County, which with 3.2 million people is the sixth largest county in the U.S.

The survey will involve serological testing of a representative sample of 5,000 Orange County residents to determine if they have COVID-19 antibodies. It will help guide local health officials as they ease social distancing requirements and gradually reopen the economy, while also allowing them to better identify at-risk populations and understand how long immunity to the virus lasts.

The 5,000 Orange County residents selected for the study will be asked to visit one of 8 to 10 drive-thru testing sites, where medical personnel will use a simple pinprick to collect blood samples that will be taken to UCI and analyzed for COVID-19 antibodies.

The results will be compared to those of a subset of 200 people who report a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or who test positive. This smaller cohort will be tested every two weeks for four months so that researchers can see how immune response changes over time and what groups are most at risk.

The true rate of COVID-19 is unknown because it’s impossible to determine the actual number of infections without widespread testing of a representative sample. Recent surveys in other metropolitan regions of the U.S. suggest that infection rates are much higher and death rates lower than previously thought, and that rates vary significantly from place to place.

Testing has found antibody levels ranging from 2.8 percent in Santa Clara County to 21.6 percent in New York City to 4.1 percent in Los Angeles County. This suggests that the fatality rate could be 28 to 80 times less than currently estimated.

It’s important to note that it’s not yet clear what level of antibodies is enough to confer near- or long-term immunity on those who have had COVID-19. Additional research will be necessary for that determination.

Study participants will be recruited soon, and testing is expected to take place in June. An initial report will be issued this summer, with another report released in early fall.

I'm pleased to report our OC Community Services Community Investment Division has partnered with Google Fiber and Orange County United Way to provide loaner laptops and hotspots in an effort to increase access to workforce development programs and services offered through our Irvine One-Stop Center during this critical period.

The laptops and hotspots will be made available beginning today, May 1, enabling dislocated workers free access to apply for jobs and unemployment benefits. Job seekers will be able to check out a laptop and hotspot at the Irvine One-Stop Center by contacting the Orange County Economic and Business Recovery line at (714) 480-6500 and completing a telephone application.

The laptops and hotspots will be available for checkout as a pair at no cost. With free access to laptops and hotspots for job seekers, businesses will be connected to a larger pool of candidates who are qualified for jobs, without barriers to resources.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Orange County One-Stop Centers had to modify service delivery available to match the need of those impacted. The partnership between these organizations not only allowed the County to expand resources at the Irvine One-Stop Center but also created an opportunity to offer these services at no cost.

In addition to the laptop and hotspot loans, the Irvine One-Stop Center offers free comprehensive services such as hiring assistance, career transition services, and employment services to businesses and job seekers.

For more information about the Orange County One-Stop Centers, click here. For more information about Google Fiber, click here. For more information about Orange County United Way, click here.

The County of Orange has received a $900,000 grant from the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to provide economic support for dislocated workers.

Orange County residents whose employment recently ended as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for the Orange County Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) program. The program is designed to meet employer needs by helping job seekers upgrade skills, obtain employment, gain credential and improve job retention and increase earnings.

The grant will support approximately 1,500 Orange County residents who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 and need assistance.

Orange County WIOA Adult & Dislocated Worker program participants are eligible to receive up to $800.00 reimbursement for essentials such as housing, utilities, childcare and transportation costs.

Dislocated workers can enroll in WIOA through OC One-Stop Centers located in the cities of Irvine and Garden Grove. For more information, call the Economic and Business Recovery Call Center at 714-480-6500. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, OC One-Stop Centers are providing services by appointment only.

I am pleased to report the launch of the Great Plates Delivered program to support seniors and local businesses needing assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. To that end, the County has partnered with multiple local food providers to deliver three nutritious meals per day to adults 65 and older, and adults 60-64 who are at high-risk for COVID-19, to support them staying home and healthy.

Thousands of seniors countywide have signed up for the Great Plates Delivered Program and more are signing up each day. The program also provides essential economic stimulus to local businesses and workers struggling to stay afloat during these difficult times. The program has been extended through June 10.

Restaurants already participating in a state or federal meal service program, including the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program, are not eligible to participate.

Per the State’s direction, individuals who wish to enroll in the Great Plates Delivered program must fall under the following criteria to qualify:

A) Individuals who are 65 or older, or 60-64 and at high-risk as defined by the CDC, including:

• Individuals who are COVID-19 positive (as documented by a state/local public health official or medical health professional)
• Individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 (as documented by a state/local public health official or medical health professional); or
• Individuals with an underlying condition.

B) Individuals must live alone or with one other program-eligible adult.

C) Individuals must not be currently receiving assistance from other state or federal nutrition assistance programs, such as CalFresh or Meals on Wheels.

D) Individuals must affirm an inability to prepare or obtain meals. 

Individuals interested in receiving meals and businesses wanting to participate can call the Information & Assistance Call Center at (714) 480-6450 for further guidance.

For more information on meal assistance programs for seniors in South County, please visit Age Well Senior Services. For more information on business and economic recovery in Orange County, visit OC Community Services or call (714) 480-6500.

Many of you are at home working or self-isolating and spending more time on the internet. Unfortunately, thieves are taking advantage of this situation and coming up with new and innovative ways to separate you from your money.

Now would be a good time to educate yourself on the various ploys that are used by scammers regarding COVID-19. Read more here.

The County of Orange has consolidated the information and links to various local, state and federal resources that are available to our residents and businesses. Please visit our COVID-19 Resource Directory.  

OC Public Libraries (OCPL) is excited to announce its new Virtual Programs webpage.

To that end, OCPL staff has been working hard the last couple of months to create some amazing digital content. To date, OCPL has dozens of virtual programs published on social media (with dozens more in our backlog ready to be published!) and our communities are responding positively to the new way we are providing service.

This site will be updated regularly. For more information, click here or on the image below.

Click the image above for more info.

Please be advised that all employees of any grocery store, pharmacy/drug store, convenience store, gas station, restaurant, food preparation establishment, or retail store in Orange County who may have contact with the public must wear a cloth face covering while at work. The regulation is consistent with State Guidelines.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the directive pursuant to Government Code section 8634 that will apply countywide.

Furthermore, employees must comply with this regulation for the health and safety of all in the community as it is enforceable by law enforcement per Government Code section 8665.

Though the regulation issued by the Board of Supervisors does not apply to customers, County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick continues to strongly encourage residents to wear face coverings while engaged in essential activities outside the home. 

If a city has a more restrictive rule regarding face coverings, the more restrictive rule will apply to their jurisdiction.

John Wayne Airport would like to know what Orange County residents and passengers expect of airports as communities emerge from COVID-19 and resume air travel. Share your thoughts about operational and customer experience by taking this short survey.

May is National Mental Health Month, and as the spread and far reaching impacts of COVID-19 dominate the world news, we have all witnessed and experienced the parallel spread of worry, anxiety, and uncertainty. The way to overcome this natural tendency is to build our mental resilience, the ability to refocus, clear our minds, and discard negative thoughts.

Here's what you can do...

1) Remember that knowledge is power. Understanding the factors that affect a person’s immune response to COVID-19 will matter as much as, or more than, understanding the virus. There is great information available on the Orange County Health Care Agency's website, 

2) Don’t accept everything you read or hear. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information and frequent updates on the COVID-19’s spread, severity, risk assessment, etc., on the CDC's website. 

3) Get your emotional support system in place:

• Maintain familiar routines in daily life as much as possible; take care of your basic needs and employ helpful coping strategies; rest during work or between shifts, eat healthy food and engage in physical activity.
• Stay connected with friends and family, even virtually connected, and maintain your social networks.
• Have the emails and phone numbers of close friends and family handy.

4) Take control, incorporate preventative measures:

• See the CDC’s list of preventative measures.
• The constant stream of news reports can cause anyone to feel anxious or distressed. Instead, seek updates and practical guidelines at intervals during the day.
• Be supportive to others. Assisting others in their time of need can benefit the person receiving support as well as the helper.

If you or a loved one are feeling anxiety, worry or fear related to the social disruption caused by COVID-19, you can also reach out to these resources for support:

• Call (855) OC-LINKS or visit the OC Links website Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM to talk or chat with a trained clinical navigator.
• The NAMI Warmline is also here to provide non-crisis support for anyone struggling with mental health concerns Monday through Friday from from 9 AM to 3 AM, and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 3 AM. Call (877) 910-WARM or visit www.namioc.org.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Download the NAMI HelpLine Coronavirus Information and Resources Guide
• American Psychological Association (APA) ‘Building Your Resilience’

For general information, please call the COVID-19 Hotline at (833) 426-6411, visit the HCA website, or follow HCA on Facebook and Twitter.

As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, what better way to get involved than with some comic relief! Join us on Zoom for comedy with Adam Grabowski, comedian and mental health advocate, Tuesday, May 26 at 8 PM.

Simon Cowell of "America's Got Talent" called Adam "the funniest comedian" in season 11. After nine years of NACA showcases and college touring, Adam now speaks about his depression and anxiety, introducing the #SAYITANYWAY Campaign through which he empowers students to talk about their own experiences and mental health.

For more information or to register for this FREE event, click here.

Enjoy a FREE livestream event this Saturday, May 23 at 6:00 PM on AlertTheGlobe.com. The show, taking place at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, will feature Johnny Britt, debuting his new song, "Hold On." In addition, Nils Jiptner will peform music from his new album, "Caught In The Groove."

Click the image above for more info.

Sunset Serenades from your Sofa is a new virtual video series. The Laguna Beach Arts Commission has postponed the May and June concert series due to COVID-19, but the musicians want to give the community a personal message.

Take 10, produced by Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano, is an opportunity to entertain you and your chance to enjoy one of their favorite 10 minute plays. Take 10 minutes Tuesday and watch one of one of their favorite show-off plays, "Cliché" by Keith Whalen.