Bay Area Book Festival Special, Upcoming Town Halls, and More COVID-19 Updates

April 4, 2020

Bay Area Book Festival - Berkeley Relief Fund Special

Please join us Sunday April 5th at 3pm for a special Berkeley Relief Fund program hosted by the Bay Area Book Festival on the Berkeley Relief Fund Channel.

The Bay Area Book Festival is one of the largest and most anticipated events in Berkeley every year. Tens of thousands of book lovers meet hundreds of acclaimed authors over an exciting weekend in downtown Berkeley, California. One of the premier literary events in the nation! Unfortunately, like many other events the six annual Bay Area Book Festival was disrupted by COVID-19.

Hosted by Cherilyn Parsons, Bay Area Book Festival Founder and Director, Sunday’s program will highlight how literature and poetry can offer solace, adventure and escape in a moment of physical isolation. Tune in to hear from prominent local authors and poets including Adam and Arlie Hochschild, Michael Pollan, Michael Chabon, T.J. Stiles, Adam Mansbach, Robert Haas and Brenda Hillman, interviews with owners of local bookstores, children’s book writers with advice on how parents can cope, and more!

Please join us on Sunday at 3pm on YouTube.

Upcoming Video Updates and Virtual Town Halls

Every Monday and Wednesday I will be posting a video update on the work the City of Berkeley is doing to address the COVID-19 state of emergency. These brief videos will provide a summary of the work our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has recently conducted, along with other relevant and critical information. The first video will be on Monday, April 6th. These videos will be posted on my Youtube page, usually in the early evening.

I will also be hosting weekly town halls on Fridays, starting on April 10. A future email will provide an exact time and ways you can participate.

New Face Mask Recommendation from the Health Officer

Berkeley Public Health Officer Dr Lisa Hernandez joined other health officers throughout the region in revising their recommendations for the usage of face masks. It is recommended that people cover their nose and mouth with a face cloth when conducting essential activities such as going to the grocery store. This can include bandanas, neck gaiters, or fabric material that can cover the face. N-95 masks, surgical masks, and medical-grade masks are not recommended, as priority for these supplies need to go to medical personnel and first responders.

The new recommendation is in addition to practicing social distancing measures and washing hands. Wearing a mask is not a substitute for this, so please keep six feet away from others when outside doing essential activities.

Keep Up on the Latest Information

As always, you can visit the City of Berkeley website and my Resource Guide for additional information on our city’s response to COVID-19, including tips to stay healthy, information on city services, and other resources and useful links. These pages are being updated regularly.