Fwd: COVID-19 October 16, 2020 UPDATE

[Pam Axelson]

Hi All,  More information from our supervisor Ahsha Safai.  Be Well,  pam

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: safai...@sfgov.org <safai...@sfgov.org>
Date: Fri, Oct 16, 2020 at 3:28 PM
Subject: COVID-19 October 16, 2020 UPDATE
To: <pamela...@gmail.com>

Web Version

October 16, 2020  A Message From The Supervisor: My team and I have been working hard to provide supports and resources for our community during this time. I know we are facing a pandemic and there is extreme hardship in our community, but we will get through this together! Please don't hesitate to email us at Safai...@sfgov.org or call us at 1-415-554-6976 if we can assist you in any way and we will immediately respond.  Thank you all for your time, cooperation, and perseverance!  Sincerely, Supervisor Ahsha Safai  Ceremonial Groundbreaking For 4840 Mission Street Is Years In The Making And A Win For District 11 Yesterday, Supervisor Safai was elated to be joined by Mayor London Breed, BRIDGE Housing's Executive Vice President Smitha Seshadri, and Mission Neighborhood Health Center's Executive Director and CEO Brenda Storey to collectively celebrate District 11's 4840 Mission Street affordable housing project, a project that is years in the making and that will bring much-needed affordable housing for working families. This project is located in the heart of the Excelsior and will allow for working families who fear displacement to create a home so they can continue to thrive and make that neighborhood the rich area that it is. This is housing for working families -- not condominiums -- and District 11 residents will be able to apply for this housing because of the "neighborhood preference" that will be implemented when these units begin to be filled. Further, this project will be the new home of our existing nonprofit community clinic -- Mission Neighborhood Health Center ("MNHC") -- and this new location means that MNHC will now have twice the square footage it currently has, a change that will enable MNHC to serve and see more residents. Lastly, this project will also consist of an art piece that will be accessible to the public and built with public input, that is ongoing, but once completed both District 11 residents and visitors will be able to enjoy and learn more about our history. “This project is years in the making and I am proud to finally be able to celebrate it publicly today because it will provide much-needed affordable housing for working families in a district that has seen a dearth of new affordable housing for decades,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. “In addition to affordable housing, this project will also be the new home for the neighborhood’s existing nonprofit clinic, the Mission Neighborhood Health Center, and will also include an art component highlighting the Excelsior’s rich history. This is a win for all of San Franciscans and am extremely proud of what we collectively achieved.” Feel free to view the groundbreaking video here:https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=359133048765016 MAYOR LONDON BREED AND SUPERVISOR AHSHA SAFAI ANNOUNCE OPENING OF TWO NEWLY RENOVATED PLAYGROUNDS IN DISTRICT 11 Mayor London N. Breed, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg and Supervisor Ahsha Safai announced the opening of two newly renovated playgrounds in District 11. These renovations come as San Francisco moves forward with reopening playgrounds citywide. “The Recreation and Park Department has been hard at work making sure our playgrounds continue to get the attention they need and deserve,” said Mayor Breed. “These renovations could not have come at a better time for families across San Francisco. Every child deserves to play in a safe, clean, and fun environment, and these updated playgrounds will serve our young people for years to come.” these two play area renovations are part of Let’sPlaySF!, a public-private partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the San Francisco Parks Alliance that is transforming 13 time-worn playgrounds across San Francisco. Merced Heights Playground At the newly renovated Merced Heights Playground in the Oceanview-Merced Heights-Ingleside (OMI) neighborhood, families will find entirely new equipment, including a massive timber play structure, climbers, a spinner, and a bowl swing. Upgrades to lighting, fencing, sport courts, the clubhouse and ADA improvements were also included in this $2.9 million renovation. The reimagined playground, improvements to sport courts and a planned revamp of the park’s lower level are all part of a $5.3 million total overhaul. Alice Chalmers Playground The $3.7 million renovation of Alice Chalmers playground in the Crocker Amazon neighborhood includes a reimagined play area with new equipment for tot and school age children along with new safety surfacing, landscaping, trees, picnic tables and other seating, and improvements to the field. The restrooms and pathways have been upgraded and made more accessible.  “For far too long our playgrounds have not received the level of investment they deserve,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. “I am glad that through the investment of Let’sPlaySF our children and families can have top tier playgrounds in their own neighborhoods. We’re going from having some of the worst playgrounds in the City, to some of the best!”   MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF PLAYGROUNDS IN SAN FRANCISCO Playgrounds are now open with new signage and public health guidelines Mayor London N. Breed, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg, and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax today announced the City’s outdoor playgrounds are now open. San Francisco’s more than 180 public playgrounds will have signs reminding families of capacity limits and other guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Recreation and Park Department monitors will be stationed at the City’s busiest playgrounds for the first two weekends of operation to educate families about the new rules and ensure health guidelines are followed. “We know kids and parents have been missing playgrounds since the end of March, and I’m excited that we’re now at a place where we can safely reopen them,” said Mayor Breed. “It’s important kids have a place to explore, have fun, and get some outdoor exercise. We hope this brings families and kids some joy during an otherwise challenging time.” “We are thrilled to welcome families back to their neighborhood playgrounds and all the fun, connection, and creativity they inspire,” said Phil Ginsburg, General Manager, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. “For kids, play is serious business. It is essential to their cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. A trip to the playground relieves stress, reduces anxiety, and promotes healthy bodies and imaginations.” Playgrounds are reopening with limits on the number of children and adults who can enter based on the size of the playground, and limits on the number of children who can use playground equipment at once. To comply with State regulations, playground visits must be limited to 30 minutes when others are present. Visitors of all ages must stay 6 feet away from non-household members and everyone 2 and older must wear masks. To maximize the number of children who can play, only one adult may accompany each child. Eating and drinking are not allowed, and visitors should clean their hands before and after playing. Hand washing stations have been placed at the 51 playgrounds without restrooms through a generous donation by Kaiser Permanente and KABOOM!, a non-profit organization that helps communities build playgrounds. Adults must actively supervise children at all times and avoid non-essential cell phone use. If a caregiver must take a break, children should stay by their side until they can resume. The San Francisco Department of Public Health offers families the following tips to play safely: • Go to the playground during days and times when there are fewer people. • Choose playgrounds within walking distance of your home instead of taking public transportation. • Choose smaller playgrounds with fewer people over larger playgrounds that can hold more people. • If your child is crying and cannot be consoled, remove them from the play structure or playground until they are calm, since loud crying can produce a large number of respiratory droplets. • If anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, do not visit a playground. SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES EFFORTS IN PLACE TO HELP RESIDENTS VOTE SAFELY IN NOVEMBER ELECTION All registered voters in San Francisco and California will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 election, and should expect to receive their ballot in the mail the week of October 5. The deadline to register to vote is October 19, 2020. Register to vote online or in person at the Voting Center. Those who miss the voter registration deadline but are still eligible can visit the Voting Center or a polling place to register and cast a provisional ballot. Over the last few months, the Department of Elections has been working diligently to safely reach voters and potential registrants with a wide range of multilingual, multi-format informational resources about the November 3 election. In collaboration with its non-profit outreach partners and City agencies, the Department is distributing digital presentations and print materials designed to inform all residents, including members of the City’s vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, about upcoming election dates and deadlines, vote by mail, and the new health and safety protocols implemented at in-person voting sites. The Department of Elections has also been informing the public about the November 3 election through several informational mailings, digital notices, and Public Service Announcements.  There are several ways to vote in the election: By Mail – This is the safest way to vote. The Department of Elections recommends voters return their ballots using a United States Postal Service blue mail collection box. The USPS provides nearly 1,400 collection boxes in the City. Find your nearest mail box here. At the Voting Center – October 5 through November 3, and open weekends starting October 24. At a Polling Place on Election Day. There are 588 polling places in San Francisco. Find your polling places on San Francisco’s Voter Portal. At Ballot Drop-Off Sites – Starting October 5 and through November 3, voters can drop-off ballots at the Voting Center. Starting October 31 and through November 3, the Department will provide drop-off sites at the Chase Center, Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton Library, Excelsior Library, and Portsmouth Square. Accessible Vote-by-Mail System – allows voters to mark screen-readable vote-by-mail ballots using common internet-connected devices. After marking an AVBM ballot, a voter must download and print the ballot and return the ballot printout by mail or in person in a timely manner, just as vote-by-mail voters who use official paper ballots must do. Authorizing another person to pick up your ballot – Beginning October 5, any registered voter may authorize a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or person residing in their household to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from the Voting Center and deliver it to them, provided the authorized person is at least 16 years old. Health and Safety Measures In compliance with current guidance from public health officials, the Department of Elections has adopted several new health and safety protocols at its in-person voting locations. The Department will offer hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks to all voters and post notices asking voters and observers to observe health guidelines, including those regarding facial coverings, hand hygiene, and social distancing rules, at all in-person voting locations. The Department will also introduce new sanitation and disinfection protocols for the voting supplies and equipment used at all in-person voting locations. The Voting Center and 588 polling places will be set up to maintain 6 foot distances between people in line, computer workstations, voting booths, and ballot return boxes. Although all voters will receive ballots by mail, voters can still use in-person services at the Voting Center or polling places. San Franciscans are reminded to wear a face covering when voting in person or dropping off their ballot to protect public health. Voting Center The Voting Center will provide ballots and services to all City residents who wish to pick up or drop off vote-by-mail ballots, register to vote (before or after the registration deadline), obtain personal assistance, use accessible voting equipment, obtain replacement ballots, or cast their ballots in person. To protect the health of voters wishing to obtain in-person voting services during the 29-day early voting period, the Voting Center will be set up in the area outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street, between Polk and Larkin Streets. The Voting Center will be open during the 29-day early voting period during these times: Every weekday, October 5 through November 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two weekends, October 24 and 25, and October 31 and November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (same voting hours as polling places). To make their voting experience faster and safer, voters can use the Voting Locations and Wait Times Tool to check wait times at the Voting Center as they are planning their trip. With early voting opportunities available 29 days before Election Day, San Francisco encourages residents to vote as early as possible. The Voting Center will also offer accessible voting tools such as page magnifiers, pen grips, and seated voting, as well as accessible ballot-marking devices with touchscreen/audio format and personal assistive device compatibility. Any voter may request to vote “curbside” at the Voting Center by calling (415) 554-4375 or by asking a companion to enter the voting center to request delivery of voting materials to the voter. Legislative UpdateThis

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