Tag Archives: Coronavirus COVID 19

Benicia school breakfast and lunch during coronavirus – available for pick-up at two schools

The following letter was posted on the City of Benicia websiteNote that families will pick up between 11am and noon, receiving lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day.  – R.S.

March 15, 2020

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

You are receiving this letter to inform that during the school closures, the Food and Nutrition Services Department will be serving free meals for all of our students.

Parents and students may drive or walk up to any of the two locations listed below to pick-up breakfast and lunch. If at all
possible please bring your students to receive those meals. Each student will receive a lunch for the day and a breakfast
for the next day. They will be all put together in a grab and go bag for your convenience. It’s food that’s in, while school
is out. Come one day or come every day it is your choice, but don’t miss this opportunity!

Meal Pick-Up Procedures:

● Start date: Tuesday March 17 through Friday March 27

● Locations:

Robert Semple Elementary
2015 E 3rd St, Benicia, CA 94510
*Entrance of the Staff Parking Lot

Benicia High School
1101 Military W, Benicia, CA 94510
*Turn into Plaza de Oro and keep right pass the gates until you see us

● Time: 11:00AM – 12:00PM

We are asking you to respond to this email: tcourtney@beniciaunified.org if you would like your child(ren) to participate in this program and which of the two serving schools they will pick up their meals. Please include their names, so we can
anticipate how many meals to prepare.

Sincerely,
Tania P. Courtney
Director of Nutrition & Food Services Department
Benicia Unified School District
1101 Military West, Benicia, CA 94510
Phone: (707) 748-2758
E-mail: tcourtney@beniciaunified.org

Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency by the City Manager of Benicia

PROCLAMATION OF EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY BY THE CITY MANAGER OF BENICIA

[Download the PDF document here.]

WHEREAS, the California Emergency Services Act (California Government Code sections 8630, 8550, et. seq.) defines a local emergency as the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a city, caused by conditions such as an epidemic, which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of a city, and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and

WHEREAS, Section 2.36.020 of the City of Benicia (“City”) Municipal Code defines emergency as the actual or threatened existence of conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within this City caused by conditions such as an epidemic, which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of this City, requiring the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and

WHEREAS, Section 2.36.050(A) of the City’s Municipal Code designates the City Manager as the Director of Emergency Services for the City; and

WHEREAS, 2.26.050(A)(l) empowers the City Manager, as the Director of Emergency Services, to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the City Council is not in session so long as such proclamation is ratified by the City Council within seven (7) days; and

WHEREAS, in December 2019, reports began spreading worldwide of a flu-like virus first found in China, that was significantly more deadly than the flu generally, with the virus becoming known as the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”); and

WHEREAS, from January 2020 to March 2020, COVID-19 spread throughout the world, with over 100,000 confirmed cases of individuals contracting COVID-19, and over 3,000 confirmed cases of individuals dying from COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, on March 3, 2020, the County of Solano (“County”) ratified a proclamation of a Local Emergency due to the threat of COVID-19 in the County; and

WHEREAS, on or about March 4, 2020, as part of the State of California’s response to address the global COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to make additional resources available, formalize emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and help the state prepare for broader spread of COVID-19 following one official COVID-19 death; and

WHEREAS, as of March 8, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) has confirmed 105,586 cases of COVID-19 internationally, with 3,171 cases resulting in death; and

WHEREAS, as of March 10, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) has confirmed 647 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with 25 cases resulting in death, with thirty-six (36) jurisdictions reporting cases, including California; and

WHEREAS, on March 13,2020, the President of the United States issued an emergency declaration relating to the widespread transmission of COVID-19.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Director of Emergency Services finds that:

A. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) has determined that the virus presents a serious public health threat, requiring coordination among State and local health departments to ensure readiness for potential health threats associated with the virus; and

B. The County has found that the conditions constituting a threat to community health, including a presumptive case of community infection, may be present in the County, warranting a proclamation of a County emergency; and

C. Conditions of disaster and extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the City caused by the threat of COVID-19 that will impact significant City and community operations, including critical public infrastructure and services, and which will require the provision of additional public safety and emergency services; and

D. As contemplated in the California Emergency Services Act contained in Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), a local emergency exists because of the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City caused by the aforesaid conditions, which are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel and facilities of the City, and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and the proclamation of a Local Emergency is necessary to enable the City and other local government entities to adequately plan, prepare and preposition resources to be able to effectively respond to the threat posed by COVID-19, and to warn City residents and visitors of the threat posed by COVID-19 and to enable them sufficient time to plan and prepare; and

E. In consequence of said conditions and pursuant to Government Code section 8630 and the City Municipal Code section 2.36.050, a local emergency now exists throughout the City of Benicia; and

F. At the time of this proclamation, the City Council is not in session.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, a local emergency is hereby declared on March 15, 2020, within the City of Benicia. During the local emergency, the powers and duties of the City Manager and the Disaster Council of the City shall be as defined in state and federal law, and the ordinances, resolutions, and approved plans of the City of Benicia in in order to mitigate the effects of said local emergency; and

This proclamation shall be transmitted to the City Council within seven (7) days for ratification, and this local emergency shall continue until terminated by further declaration of the undersigned, or by resolution of the City Council.

SIGNED AND SUBSCRIBED on this 15th day of March, 2020.
LORIE TINFOW
Director of Emergency Services
Press Release -City of Benicia COVID-19 Update 03.15.20.pdf

Benicia Parks & Community Services – closed or postponed through March 31

March 13, 2020

Benicia Parks & Community Services Closures

PRESS RELEASE
CITY OF BENICIA
Benicia Fire Department
250 East L Street
Benicia, California 94510
Contact: Fire Chief Josh Chadwick
Benicia Fire Department
(707) 746-4275 jchadwick@ci.benicia.ca.us

CITY OF BENICIA UPDATE ON COVID-19

Benicia, CA (March 13, 2020) — The City of Benicia continues to closely monitor the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak through local, county and state health officials. Our top priority remains the health, safety and well-being of our community.

California Department of Public Health issued guidelines on postponing or canceling gatherings and events through the end of March 2020 to protect public health and slow the transmission of COVID-19.

To that end, the City of Benicia Parks & Community Services Department announced that to address the possible spread of COVID-19, all Parks & Recreation programs, classes, events and rentals have been postponed or canceled from March 14 – 31, 2020 at the Benicia Community Center, Benicia Senior Center, Benicia City Gym and Benicia Clock Tower. Parks and athletic fields remain open.

City Hall and Benicia Public Library remain open and operational with appropriate measures in place to protect the health of staff and the community.

As conditions change, or City meetings or events are canceled, updates will be shared on the Coronavirus webpage at https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.

What can you do?

• See the CDC’s Coronavirus Disease website for updates, news and
symptoms to watch out for: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Wash your hands often and cover coughs and sneezes.
• Increase your social distance (no hand shaking or hugging) at events and gatherings.
• Stay in touch with older adults and encourage them to seek medical assistance, if they develop symptoms.

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Coronavirus – Benicia closes Senior Center and Community Center

This notice appeared around 2:30pm March 13 on Nextdoor:

City Closes Community Center and Senior Center

Based on recommendations from Solano County, we are cancelling all programming at the City Gym and Senior Center, and closing the two facilities until March 31st. The City will continue to post updates about COVID-19 on the website at www.ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.


In a March 12 press release, the City of Benicia announced detailed closures and postponements:

In response to the guidelines, the City of Benicia has canceled or postponed the following:

  • All senior activities at the Benicia Senior Center will be cancelled from March 13 – March 31, 2020 except for the Meals on Wheels program on Friday, March 13. Staff is working with Solano County to provide home delivery of Meals on Wheels beginning Monday, March 16.
  • Due to the difficulty in achieving recommended social distancing, the following meetings or events have been canceled through March 31
    • Benicia Public Library:
      • After School Zone, all storytimes, all book clubs, art gallery
        receptions, board games evenings, ESL classes, GED
        classes, Great Decisions discussions, Language Lab,
        Resume & Career Counseling, Technology Help, Teen
        Advisory Board, Writers’ Salon, Writer’s Workshop
      • March 12: Arts and Culture Commission meeting
      • March 14: Friends of the Library Book Sale
      • March 15: Three Poets Welcome Spring event
      • March 16: Art Gallery Committee meeting
      • March 17: Objective Planning Standards Stakeholder
        meeting
      • March 19: Public Art Subcommittee meeting
      • March 22: Ramana Vieira and Ensemble
      • March 29: Poet Jane Hirschfield
    • City Hall Commission Room:
      • March 16: Community Sustainability Commission meeting
      • March 25: Economic Development Board meeting

City Hall, Benicia Public Library and Benicia Community Center remain open and operational with appropriate measures in place to protect the health of staff and the community.