Governor Announces Two-Tiered Strategy To Slow Spread Of Coronavirus In Central Valley
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $52 million for the Central Valley as part of its coronavirus response Monday.
The funding will be used to improve isolation, quarantine and testing protocols, as well as to help essential workers. It's part of a $499 million grant from the CDC.
Newsom says essential workers at farms, manufacturing and prisons have been hit hard, especially in San Joaquin County.
During his press conference Monday, Newsom talked about an increase in the spread of coronavirus in these regions, mostly through community spread and in the Latino community.
"New dollars that will be put into the Central Valley, new dollars that will be put into the eight counties to improve our isolation protocols, our testing protocols and to enhance our healthcare workers," Newsom said.
San Joaquin County will soon see a chunk of $52 million dollars in federal money. Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs says his county will see $7 to 8 million dollars of that.
"My hope is that this money given to the county will be spent, and then spent on what it's supposed to be spent on," said Tubbs.
The mayor says that money will go to PPE for essential workers, to housing, rental assistance and hotel and motel workers in the field, to transportation options for those workers, and clear messaging to affected communities.
The state says 56% of all cases statewide have hit the Latino community.
Tubbs said, "Getting the supplies, and the PPE and the masks out to our people who need them."
On top of federal money, strike teams will be sent to all eight counties. It's something Imperial County has recently seen as a coronavirus hot spot. County leaders there say state crews from Labor and Workforce, Health and Human Services and the Department of Food and Agriculture all rolled in to educate and enforce when necessary.
Businesses there that operated without compliance, saw investigations and eventually citations. It's something Tubbs says will fall on the county.
"What's the strategy? Identify where the outbreaks are happening, and what does a real campaign look like around COVID-19?" Tubbs said.
