COVID-19: Retrospective One Year Later

Today marks one year since the local state of emergency was declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the same day the first case was reported in Berkeley. One year later, there have been 3,282 cases and 35 deaths in Berkeley from the virus that transformed the way we live our daily lives. In this newsletter, we look back at the past year, the efforts we took to address the emerging health and economic crisis, and next steps as the mass vaccination campaign is underway.

In January when it became increasingly clear that the novel coronavirus first reported in December 2019 posed a serious threat to Berkeley, the Emergency Operations Center was launched. This laid the groundwork for preparations that would ultimately involve 550 City employees across every department in responding to the pandemic. Below summarizes the work that has been done over the last year, and what is to come in the months ahead.

Early Shelter in Place Saved Lives

The Bay Area woke up to a new reality on March 17, when Health Officers from across the region implemented a Shelter in Place Order to limit the spread of COVID-19. At the time, research into the new virus was just beginning, but one thing that was clear was that limiting contact with others significantly reduced the spread. At the time, 258 cases were reported in the Bay Area, but with rapid community spread and limited testing, the number of actual cases would have been significantly higher than reported.

While this action was unlike anything that has been experienced in living memory, it was necessary in stemming the early surge that had been seen in other areas at the time such as Italy, Iran, and New York. And even a year later, the data is clear that such action did limit the spread of COVID-19. As of today, 2.75% of Berkeley’s population has tested positive at one point, compared to 8.73% of the entire country.

Swift Support for People and Businesses Impacted

Even before the Shelter in Place took place, businesses were beginning to feel the impact in a sharp decline in patronage. And while the Shelter in Place was essential in preventing an even larger disaster, the economic ramifications weighed heavily. Over the past year, the unemployment rate tripled and thousands of employees working in Berkeley businesses lost their jobs or had reduced hours. Meanwhile, both residential and commercial tenants who ran into financial hardships could no longer afford to pay rent.

On the same day as the Shelter in Place went into effect, the City Council approved several policies aimed at protecting those impacted by the pandemic. This included a ban on evictions for non-payment of rent for both residential and commercial tenants, making Berkeley among the first cities to implement such policies. Over the months, this policy was strengthened to eliminate almost all evictions for the duration of the ongoing local state of emergency. Also at the meeting was the establishment of the Berkeley Relief Fund, which provided a down payment of $3 million from the City along with a fundraising campaign from private donors and community members that raised over $1.5 million. The funds were used for an emergency grant support tenants, small businesses, and arts organizations impacted by the pandemic and related orders. In total, 700 businesses and 63 arts organizations were provided grants through this program. In partnership with the Eviction Defense Center, countless tenants have been given rental assistance.

As the situation evolved, the City stood ready to partner with individuals and businesses in guiding them through any changes. One example of this was the expedited approval for parklets for outside dining and commerce, including grants to support businesses setting one up.

Assistance to Vulnerable Communities

Early on, it became clear that additional protections would be needed for the most vulnerable members of the community, including unhoused individuals and seniors. At a time when testing and PPE supplies were limited, the City set up regular testing and additional PPE for Berkeley’s six skilled nursing facilities, with Public Health in constant communication to ensure compliance and to swiftly respond to any outbreaks.

With social distancing guidelines resulting in the closure or limitation of various volunteer organizations, the City stepped up to fill the gap in services to the unhoused communities. During the first month, hundreds of COVID-19 kits with sanitation supplies and important information was distributed among encampments, additional portable restrooms and washing stations were installed, and shower programs were expanded. Shelters were reorganized to allow for CDC compliance, while the City worked with the County and State on Project Roomkey, establishing hotel rooms and trailers to get the most vulnerable people off the streets and into safe, secure accommodations. Through these actions, we were able to significantly limit the spread of the virus throughout the unhoused community.

Responding to Outbreaks and the Winter Surge

After the summer surge, cases and hospitalizations began to drop. And while there were some loosening of restrictions as backed by science, social distancing protocols and wearing masks remained in effect. By late November, quarantine fatigue was kicking in, with millions of Americans deciding to travel for the Thanksgiving break and again in the winter holiday season. With the Bay Area preempting new State restrictions, the strictest since the initial Shelter in Place in March, we were able to prevent a collapse of the healthcare system which was pushed to the limits. ICU capacity plummeted throughout the State, but Berkeley and Alameda County was able to stay above 0%, unlike other parts of the State.

Over the last few months, there have been a couple of high-profile outbreaks within the community. In November through December, over 300 employees at Golden Gate Fields, many of whom work and live in close quarters on-site, tested positive for COVID-19. Because many of these employed spent all their time on the grounds, exposure to the greater Berkeley community from this outbreak remained limited, the City worked closely with Golden Gate Fields to implement new measures to stop the spread, including providing accommodations to isolate as many workers as possible.

In a three-week period from late-January through early-February, over 400 people from the UC Berkeley community tested positive, including 25% of people living in Greek housing. The City provided assistance to the University, which made a decision to have students self-sequester - a difficult decision that led to the sharp reduction in new cases and limited exposure to the greater community. The cause of this outbreak likely stemmed from students returning from the winter break.

Unprecedented Vaccination Campaign Rolls Out

As 2020 closed, the vaccination rollout was just beginning. Alta Bates was among the first places to receive the vaccine, which went to healthcare workers, while skilled nursing facilities were also allocated vaccines for its residents and workers. At first, distribution and usage of vaccines across California was limited, but in Berkeley every single drop was used shortly after receiving it. The City launched a mass vaccination site at Golden Gate Fields, which has vaccinated thousands of people in recent weeks. Our office has been working with community stakeholders from underserved communities to set up networks to create an equitable approach to vaccine distribution, ensuring that those who otherwise may not have access are given an opportunity to get vaccinated. As of today, over 25% of Berkeley’s population aged 16 and over has received the first dose of the vaccine (the FDA has not yet approved any vaccines for children under 16). This includes people most at risk for experiencing serious complications or death from COVID-19.

School Reopenings and the Path Forward

As cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations continue to decline, it is possible that Alameda County will enter the Red Tier as early as next week. In recent weeks, trends across California have been improving, with multiple counties, including five Bay Area Counties, having already moved to the Red Tier. Once Berkeley enters the Red Tier, the City will allow for the reopening of middle and high schools. A couple of weeks ago, we reached an agreement with BUSD and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers to vaccinate all teachers and classified staff so we can reopen schools.

This week, the Biden Administration announced it expects all adults to have access to a vaccine by the end of May. While the last few months we have experienced significantly more demand for the vaccine than there is supply, production is accelerating and as we move through the prioritization list, vaccines will become more readily available.

As we move towards a post-COVID world, we must take this moment to look towards a more equitable future. This virus has explicitly shown what we have always known - that social and racial disparities continue to exist. Latinos have been much more likely to contract the virus, while African Americans are twice as likely to die. Many who have been the most financially impacted were low-income to begin with. While there won’t be a singular day in which everything goes back to normal - and indeed some things may have altered permanently - each day we get closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Over the next few months, I remain committed to building an equitable path forward and working together to improve our community. I look forward to the day we can meet again in person. Until then, we must all continue our part in social distancing, wearing a mask, and looking out for our neighbors.