On June 19, 1865, when union troops landed at Galveston, Texas, Major General Gordan Granger delivered one of the most monumental announcements in our nation’s history. He read aloud General Order, Number 3:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” 

This was the first time the people of Galveston learned that the Civil War was over and, following more than a century of slavery and years of war, all slaves were now free. The news came nearly two and half years following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln.

Each year on June 19, we commemorate one of our nation’s most significant milestones - the end of slavery. It is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on the unimaginable injustice of slavery and remember that freedom has not always been extended to everyone in America. It is a time to honor the heritage and memory of those unjustly kept from freedom for so long. It is also a time for us to reflect on the progress we have made over the years and improvements we should make now and in the future.

On this day, Juneteenth, I ask each and every one of you to join me in commemorating a pivotal turning point in our nation’s history and celebrating the end of slavery.

On behalf of my office and the County of Orange, I want to wish you and yours a very safe and happy Father's Day weekend!

New “Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings” was issued yesterday by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The document updates existing CDPH guidance for the use of cloth face coverings by the general public when outside the home.

The updated guidelines mandate that face coverings be worn statewide in the circumstances and with the exceptions outlined in the document below. It does not substitute for existing guidance about social distancing and handwashing. For more information, click here or on the image below.

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and scroll down for more information.

I'm pleased to report that due to increased interest and popular demand, the application opening date for the Small Business Grant Relief Program has been extended and will now begin Monday, June 22 at 8:00 AM and run through Sunday, June 28 at 5:00 PM. For more information about the Small Business Grant Relief Program, please click here or on the image below.

Click the image above to enlarge.

Click the image above to view the webinar.

Earlier today and last week, I was pleased to present informational webinars, featuring officials from the County and the Small Business Development Center, discussing my Small Business Grant Relief Program to distribute CARES Act funding for eligible businesses and nonprofits in the Fifth Distinct.

The presentation provided important information on applicant eligibility and criteria, as well as the opportunity for Q&A. If you were not able to participate in today's webinar, please click here or on the image above to view the video.

I'm pleased to join Saddleback Church in hosting a South County Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution to support individuals and families who have fallen on hard times as a result of COVID-19. The event will take place Saturday, June 20 from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM in the parking lot of Laguna Hills Mall, entering from Avenida De La Carlotta, ¼ mile east of El Toro Road, in the Pumpkin City area. The mall is located at 24155 Laguna Hills Mall, Laguna Hills, CA 92653.

Saddleback Church will supply fresh produce, dairy products, bread/desserts, protein, and canned goods. It is open to drive-thru or walk-in traffic. Visitors are asked to bring a wagon, cart or stroller. Our partnership with Saddleback Church will reach well over 2,000 people in urgent need of physical and emotional support.

It breaks my heart to see so many people struggling to put food on the table due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. I am deeply grateful to Saddleback Church for their outstanding efforts to feed those in need during this very difficult time, as well as Laguna Hills Mall for providing their wonderful venue for our South County Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution!

For more information, please click on the image below.

Click the image above to enlarge.

Click the image above to view the interview.

Earlier this week, prior to Governor Newsom's latest order, making face masks mandatory throughout the State again, I was pleased to appear on Village Television in Laguna Woods with talk show host Lisa Hart and Adan Ermisch of Saddleback Church to promote our South County Grocery Distribution taking place Saturday morning, June 20 at Laguna Hills Mall.

To view the interview, please click here or on the image above. For more information on our Grocery Distribution event tomorrow, click here.

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 9,576 positive cumulative cases, including 257 deaths in Orange County, as well as 336 currently hospitalized with 142 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.

Posing the question - “Could it be COVID?” - the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) this week launches a multifaceted community outreach and advertising initiative aimed at the County’s most vulnerable populations – people who can’t get COVID-19 testing from their health care providers or may not have insurance.

The more we do to get the information out about COVID-19, especially to those who are most vulnerable, the safer our county will be. It is very important we use every tool at our disposal to connect with our hard-to-reach populations, so they know what options are available to them for testing.

Partnering with community health centers that are performing FDA-approved PCR testing, HCA launched its COVID-19 Testing Network on April 21 with five initial locations. That testing network has now grown to nearly 20 locations throughout the County, where people with symptoms can get a free PCR test, the most reliable testing available to detect current infection.

In addition, four State Optum Serve test locations and more than 30 private providers now offer no-cost testing to most people recommended for testing by Public Health Services.

“We are so pleased that our community health centers have partnered with us on this extremely important work,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, Acting County Health Officer and Director of the OC Health Care Agency. “Now, we need to get the word out and make sure those test sites are fully utilized.”

Orange County residents can click here or call the HCA Health Referral Line at (800) 564-8448 to make an appointment at a nearby test site. Next day or, in some cases, same day appointments are available. In Orange County, testing priority is given to people with symptoms, as well as asymptomatic individuals who are health care workers, first responders, social service employees, or those who are or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.  

Community outreach efforts to promote testing knowledge and utilization initially focused on countywide nonprofit, faith-based and social service organizations. Street teams distributed more than 45,000 flyers in eight languages - English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi, Arabic, Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese - and HCA used on online platform to reach more than 40,000 parents of school children in six Orange County school districts.

The next elements of the testing campaign, marketing and advertising elements launching in June and July, include print, radio, cable TV, digital outdoor boards, check cashing sleeves, digital and social media in three languages – English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Focusing on symptoms of COVID-19 - such as coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, shaking, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell - the ads feature images of people coughing, holding their head, and blowing their nose with the simple premise that you can get the answers you need with free COVID-19 testing.

Newspaper ads, radio, social media posts and web banner ads target the Spanish-speaking population. Special inserts, advertorials, print, and digital ads target Vietnamese-speaking community members. 

As Orange County’s Medi-Cal plan, CalOptima supports the HCA’s new marketing and advertising campaign because it will raise awareness about COVID-19 testing among many of its vulnerable members who speak Spanish or Vietnamese. CalOptima also appreciates the expanded access to more testing centers, which will make it easier for members to obtain a test in their area without encountering delays or transportation issues. 

“CalOptima members are fully covered for COVID-19 testing at no cost,” said Richard Sanchez, Interim Chief Executive Officer. “They should not hesitate to get tested when needed, and this effort to remove barriers will make a difference in the health of our community.”

For more information and resources about COVID-19, click here. To view the Board of Supervisors Toolkit, click on the image below.

Click the image above for more info.

Pursuant to the State orders, Orange County Public Libraries are not yet permitted to open, as libraries are part of Stage 3, and no guidance or timeline has yet been provided by the State.

However, I'm pleased to report we have opened bookdrops at all County branch libraries for patrons to return checked out items. In addition, we have also opened all libraries for contactless curbside pickup of holds. Please click on the image below for more information.

Click the image above to enlarge.

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.

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 about COVID-19, please call the OC Health Care Agency’s (HCA) Health Referral Line at (833) 426-6411, HCA website, or follow HCA on Facebook and Twitter.

With the City of Laguna Beach officially canceling many summer events to comply with the mandated stay-at-home orders and social distancing due to COVID-19, the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association (LBSCA) will be live streaming the 2020 Laguna Beach Virtual Fête de la Musique on Saturday, June 20 from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, beginning with a streaming Retrospective of Fête History.

For the past several years, my office has been a proud sponsor of the annual Fête de la Musique in Laguna Beach. As such, I invite you to tune-in this Saturday and enjoy the 2020 Virtual Fête. For more information, please click here or on the image below.

Click the image above for more info.

Enjoy a FREE livestream event Friday, June 19 at 6:00 PM on AlertTheGlobe.com. The show, taking place at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, will feature "The Band That Fell To Earth," a tribute to David Bowie.

Experience great art from celebrated museums around the globe virtually through the magic of tableaux vivants, or living pictures, Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach has launched #TourDePageant,a social media series, showcasing past Pageant re-creations with real people posing as works of art. This art-stopping online initiative offers a unique look into some of the most famous museums in the world, all from the comfort of your home.

With society practicing social distancing, the arts are needed more now than ever. Festival of Arts hopes this online initiative will enrich, entertain and inspire during this challenging time.

Laguna Playhouse brings you their "Play-at-Home" series, designed to keep you connected to the Playhouse artists you love, and some more fun stuff to pass the time while your at home. For more information, click here.

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.

Mission San Juan Capistrano invites all to visit their Digital Resource Center (DRC) for continued ways to experience, learn, and interact with the Mission. The DCR offers many digital events and video tours, including:

• Mission Garden Tour Video
• Birds Eye View Video
• Moment with a Docent Video
• Digital Photography Art Exhibit
• En Plein Air Digital Artwork Exhibit
• Fourth Grade Free Voucher
• Distance Learning Page for Parents & Teachers
• Reopen Dates for Mission San Juan Capistrano
• Sunset Stroll through the Mission Gardens
• Digital Museum Archives

For more information, please click here.

If you can’t come to Ocean Institute in beautiful Dana Point Harbor, we want to bring Ocean Institute to you! A variety of topics will be covered, including ocean science, ocean conservation, and maritime history. Lessons include a video resource and an educational activity for you to try at home. For more information, click here.

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente is the historic home of Ole Hansen, the founder of the city of San Clemente, Casa Romantica invites you to Live Virtually @ the Casa and enjoy world-class arts and culture in your home with highlighted Casa virtual artists and activities. For more information, click here.

Even though Pacific Symphony has temporarily suspended live concerts in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as a public health precaution, the Symphony will stay in touch online, serving up culture and entertainment. Their new Watch+Listen page provides you with a central overview for all the Symphony’s offerings online!

OC Public Libraries (OCPL) recently announced its new Virtual Programs webpage, as OCPL staff worked hard 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.

I'm pleased to join Saddleback Church in hosting a South County Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution to support individuals and families who have fallen on hard times as a result of COVID-19. The event will take place Saturday, June 20 from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM in the parking lot of Laguna Hills Mall, entering from Avenida De La Carlotta, ¼ mile east of El Toro Road, in the Pumpkin City area. The mall is located at 24155 Laguna Hills Mall, Laguna Hills, CA 92653.

Saddleback Church will supply fresh produce, dairy products, bread/desserts, protein, and canned goods. It is open to drive-thru or walk-in traffic. Visitors are asked to bring a wagon, cart or stroller. Our partnership with Saddleback Church will reach well over 2,000 people in urgent need of physical and emotional support.

It breaks my heart to see so many people struggling to put food on the table due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. I am deeply grateful to Saddleback Church for their outstanding efforts to feed those in need during this very difficult time, as well as Laguna Hills Mall for providing their wonderful venue for our South County Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution!

For more information, please click on the image below.

Click the image above to enlarge.