COVID-19 Resources in the OC/San Bernardino/Greater LA Area

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is proving to be one of the most profound and challenging crises of many or our lifetimes.  The steps the state, county and local governments have taken include urging social distancing, canceling non-essential events, enacting a moratorium on evictions of tenants and small businesses for those unable to pay rent due to coronavirus, and stepping up to support small businesses and the workers who are being hit hard by the economy.

The steps that we take now to slow the spread of transmission may be inconvenient, but they’re absolutely necessary and offer the only immediate approach to minimizing the already considerable impact of the pandemic, both in terms of public health in the short term and the economic consequences in the longer term.

We’re all in this together, and we all need to do our part. That includes the basics like washing your hands frequently, staying home if you’re sick, and avoiding non-essential large gatherings. It also means checking in on your neighbors if they’re elderly or otherwise isolated, and supporting local small businesses that are facing huge challenges at the moment and in too many cases struggling to get by.

COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. To set it right, we have to focus on keeping people healthy, restoring jobs, and rebuilding our economy.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit California in March, my team and I got to work volunteering our time to check on vulnerable veterans and bringing food and PPE to local nurses. 

As State Senator, I will listen to medical experts, fight for policies that protect public health, and work to:

  • Secure additional help for local businesses and workers recovering from COVID-19 through low-cost loans and incentives for hiring and expansion.
  • Build our health care infrastructure and expand Medi-Cal to reduce the burden of healthcare costs and improve our emergency response.
  • Improve services and support for seniors so that safety doesn’t mean isolation and seniors stay active and healthy.
  • Invest in the UC & CSU systems to train doctors, nurses, researchers, and medical Professionals and give more Californians a path to these professions.
  • Help parents and students adjust to distance learning models and improve our schools’ ability to provide quality remote learning.

Show your resolve toward meeting the current challenge with a free yard sign

Let your neighbors know that you and your family are doing your part while urging them to do the same.  Click on the link below to request a free “Flattening the Curve” sign, which will we’ll be happy to deliver to you.

Below are a list of useful resources that may be helpful to you and people you know in dealing with the pandemic and its impacts:

Public Health Updates and Information

United States Centers for Disease Control – Fact sheets

California Department of Public Health – Statewide Updates

Orange County:  https://www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/epidasmt/epi/

Los Angeles County: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

San Bernardino County: http://wp.sbcounty.gov/dph/coronavirus/

News Literacy Project – Avoid Misinformation on COVID – 19

Employment-Related Resources

California Employment Development Department – Apply for unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and other resources for workers  (you should apply if you have been laid off, misclassified, or are self-employed. Undocumented workers may be eligible for Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave).

California Department of Labor – Resources for Employers and Workers

California Lawyers for the Arts – Emergency Resources for Artists

Artwork Archive – Financial Relief for Impacted Artists

Renters/Tenants

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles – Response and Resources

Los Angeles County Consumer and Business Affairs – Tenant Protections

Mental Health and Wellness

Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health – Mental Health Support

Shine – Care For Your Coronavirus Anxiety

National Alliance on Mental Health – NAMI HelpLine Coronavirus Information and Resources Guide

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Stress and Coping

Small Business

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – Low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19

California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank – Funding and loan programs

Los Angeles County Business and Worker Disaster Help Center – Tools and support for emergency resources

Workers and Working Families

California Employment Development Department – Apply for unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and other resources for workers: You should apply if you have been laid off, misclassified, or are self-employed. Undocumented workers may be eligible for Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave.

California Department of Labor – Resources for Employers and Workers

California Lawyers for the Arts – Emergency Resources for Artists

Artwork Archive – Financial Relief for Impacted Artists

Korean Language

Korean Community Services Health Center https://www.kcshealthcenter.org/

Youth/Students and Families

The Guidance Center – Mental Health Services for Children ages 0-18

California Department of Education – Free Educational Resources for Distance Learning

Emerson Collective – Resources for Remote Learning

Long Beach Unified School District – Updates and Information

Long Beach Early Childhood Education Committee – School Status

Child Mind Institute – Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus

UNICEF – How Teens Can Protect their Mental Health

PBS / KVIE – Free California Standards-oriented Educational Programming

BrainPOP – Free Home Learning and Activities

Colorín Colorado- A Bilingual Site for Educators and Families of English Language Learners

Storyline Online – Free Online Storytelling for Kids

LGBTQ+

Orange County Equality Coalition: https://www.ocequality.org/resources

The Guidance Center Long Beach – Resources

Undocumented and Immigrant Communities

Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs – Information for people who have insurance or Medi-Cal

Free testing regardless of immigration status

California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation – Resources for Immigrant Communities

California Immigrant Youth Justice – Resources for Undocumented Individuals & Families

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights – Access to medical care