This is hard to read, unfortunately, as it is not aligned properly, but that is how I received it. If you read “between the lines,” just under the red NOTE:, the steps are given to sign up for curbside or home delivery of groceries from the stores in the blue box at the right. Website: Http://www.instacart.com

First, note they want you to enter your zip code and of course, there are no participating stores in this area. I tend to shop at the Albertson’s in Morro Bay, so I put in the zip code for Morro Bay. Turns out they only deliver to some areas of Morro Bay, so I picked a street I knew not too far from Albertson’s, then made up a likely house number, and voila, they deliver there. Of course, I will be requesting curbside delivery for a date and time specific. Don’t know how this will work, and it will be a week before I do it and can report back. If you live in town, you might have an easier time of it.

In addition to these listed stores, Wal-mart, Target, Grovemarketdelivery in Pacific Grove (I think) and Bruno’s in Carmel also have the service. Go directly to their websites.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Dear Friends,

We hosted our first virtual Hot Topics meeting last night to share information about the County of Monterey’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and our Shelter in Place Order. We were joined by over 100 Monterey County residents who received brief updates from our County Chief Administrative Officer Charles McKee, County Health Department Director Elsa Jimenez, and Emergency Operations Center staff Kelsey Scanlon.

The video (which began recording after the meeting had started) of our Hot Topics meeting has been posted online at https://youtu.be/EjxckI3soIE. Supervisor Jane Parker – Virtual Hot Topics 

Meeting Summary of resources shared in the Virtual Hot Topics meeting:

• County COVID Website – www.mtyhd.org/covid19
• Daily Situation report, (public distribution list sign up on right corner of screen)
• To receive updates regarding COVID-19 in Monterey County, text MCCOVID19 to 888777. 
• To receive updates regarding COVID-19 in general, text Coronavirus to 211211. 
• Health Department Hotline (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm). Call: 769-8700 or 755-4521
• COVID-19 Economic Assistance Hotline (Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm). Call: 796-1909
• Montage Health Virtual Care Option Free for all community members experiencing mild respiratory symptoms. 
• Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System – COVID-19 Hotline 755-0793 (7am – 11pm)
• General Information call 2-1-1 (please be patient – 30 minute wait time)
• Sign Up for Jane Parker’s Email Newsletter – https://mailchi.mp/janeparker/parkerreport
• Additional Questions about coronavirus and the shelter in place order can be sent to covid-19@co.monterey.ca.us

Trusted Sources of Information
Monterey County Health Department – www.mtyhd.org/covid19
California Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response
California Department of Public Health
Centers For Disease Control (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
2-1-1 Monterey County information and referral hotline. 

Due to the “Shelter in Place” Order, my office is closed to the public. However, my staff and I are all working from home, coordinating essential County services, and responding as quickly as we can to calls and emails from the public.

You can reach my team by calling us at 831-883-7570 or emailing us at
District4@co.monterey.ca.us. If we don’t answer please leave a message so that we can get back to you. For general questions about COVID-19 or the Shelter in Place order you can also call 211 or visit the County COVID-19 website.

This is an unprecedented time, and we are all working together to navigate new challenges. Please take good care of yourself and check-in (remotely!) on your friends, neighbors, and loves ones. Thanks for your vigilance, please check in on your neighbors and support one another, and stay healthy. 

Sincerely,

Jane Parker
Monterey County Board of Supervisors, District 4

This is from WebMD, but it seemed worth sharing the first one and directing you to their website for the other 4:

These are challenging times for our mental and emotional well-being. The stress and uncertainty of the COVID-19 outbreak have been difficult enough, and now the social distancing requirements have led to profound changes in our daily routines. You may be feeling the strain already—personally it only took about two days before the stress and disruption led to tension between my wife and me. It’s hard to find your equilibrium when everything feels upside down.

Every life situation is bringing its own unique challenges during this time. Countless college students are living at home again, separated from their friends and partners. Parents are doing their best to homeschool their kids while working from home themselves. Single people are struggling with the unprecedented social isolation. And all of us are faced with daily uncertainty about how long this crisis will last and where it will take us, individually and collectively.

So many of the routines and activities we took for granted have suddenly fallen away: commuting to work, going to class, hanging out with friends, shopping in stores, going to the gym. Now that our lives have been stripped down, we need to be very intentional about protecting our mental health. Here are five key practices to guard your heart and mind during this crisis.

1. Be Good to Your Body

Mental health starts with physical wellness. A growing body of research supports our intuitive understanding that the mind and the body are intimately connected. The following areas are especially important:

• Make sleep a sacred priority. Give yourself enough time in bed to get the rest you need (typically seven to nine hours). Stick to a consistent sleep schedule as much as possible, resisting the tendency to let your schedule fall apart if you don’t have daily commitments. Build in a technology-free winding down routine for 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
• Move every day. Now that gyms are closed and our activities are so limited, it’s easy to become inactive and not realize that you’re barely moving throughout the day. Find a way to move. Go for walks every day if you’re still allowed to where you live—we’ve been scheduling short hikes with our kids each afternoon. Look into online exercise or yoga videos, or bust out those ballroom dancing home instruction videos you’ve been meaning to get to. Consistent physical activity is well known to lower stress and anxiety and improve mood, not to mention strengthening your immune system.
• Feed your body and mind. Speaking of your immune system, choose healthy food options like vegetables and fruits, and avoid highly processed foods and refined sugar. Resist the pull toward letting your diet turn to rubbish during this time. Limit your alcohol consumption, and beware of too much caffeine, which can aggravate stress and anxiety. If you’re aiming to eat better, focus on making one improvement to one meal at a time, and gradually build from there. Good nutrition is good not just for your body but for your mind and emotions.

Here is the link to the other 4: https://blogs.webmd.com/mental-health/20200320/5-ways-to-guard-your-mental-health-during-the-covid19_outbreak

Big Sur Health Center
Public Notice Saturday, March 21, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines include avoiding “discretionary” travel, shopping trips and social visits for at least 15 days.

But what should you do if you have to run an essential errand, such as grocery shopping or visiting the pharmacy?

“You cannot get infected if your hands are clean before you touch your face, and if you don’t breathe in air from somebody who’s sick and coughing,” Greg Poland, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic, told CNBC Make It. “So as long as those two conditions exist you cannot catch this virus.”

Here’s are some things you can do if you must go out for essentials:
Plan Strategically – Plan to run your errands during off-peak hours so you’ll be around fewer people. (Experts say that peak grocery store hours are typically in the afternoon on weekends and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.  Check with your favorite local store(s) before you go.  Some are setting aside special shopping hours for seniors over 60 who are at the highest risk.

Make a list before you go so you get the essentials and get out quickly.

Several Big Sur businesses are providing take-out food and fresh fruit and vegetables to save us from needless trips to town. Check out River Inn, Ripplewood, Fernwood, The Lodge and Big Sur  Bakery.

Bring Your Own Cleaning Supplies – “If you have access to disinfectants such, as Clorox Disinfecting Wipes or Lysol brand disinfectants, bring them with you to the store to wipe down any surfaces that you will have to touch, such as a grocery cart or gas pump,” advises Georgis Benjamin, a physician and the executive director of the American Public Health Association

If you have it, carry hand sanitizer in your car to use after shopping until you can get home and wash thoroughly with soap and water.

Gloves and masks still aren’t necessary, unless you’re sick: “We’re trying to keep those for healthcare providers,” says Benjamin.

CDC guidelines recommend that you always wash your hands before touching your face, especially.
• after you get home from your outing
• before and after unpacking groceries
• after you sneeze or cough

Those at high risk, over 60 and anyone with underlying medical problems should try to find someone to run errands for you so you can stay at home.

Finally, for those of you who live on gated roads, remember, the keypad is metal and the virus can live there for 3 days.  Carry hand wipes or sanitizer easily accessible in your car.  Punch the key codes with your knuckle, leaving your hands free to close the window, handle the steering wheel and pick up the gel to wipe off your knuckle.  Sound excessive?  Think of how many people use that keypad daily!  It’s the little things that can get you!

Please stay safe everyone!

For comments, questions or suggestions, please contact Sharen Carey, PA-C, Big Sur Health Center, at: sharen.carey@chomp.org.