The Santa Clara County Public Health Department will be holding two free night vaccination clinics this week.
One will be tonight, August 10, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Del Monte Park, 806 W. Home Street, in San Jose. The second night clinic will be on Friday, August 13, in Downtown Campbell at 275 E. Campbell Avenue, also from 5.pm. to 9 p.m.
This is a great opportunity to get vaccinated for COVID-19 outside of normal working hours.
Our vaccination rates are among the highest in the nation. More than 85% of county residents age 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine and almost 80% are fully vaccinated.
The highly transmissible Delta variants are becoming increasingly prevalent in our community. In June, they comprised 43 percent of all specimens sequenced in California. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Delta variants are now responsible for 58 percent of new infections across the country. As a result, the seven-day case average in Santa Clara County has grown from the low 20s in late May to more than 200 now.
Vaccines are proven effective at preventing severe illness and death. However, because the Delta variant is transmitted so easily, including by people who are vaccinated, we need the added protection of masks back into our lives until everyone is able to be vaccinated, especially children.
If you have not been vaccinated yet, please do so. Anyone ages 12 and older who lives or works in Santa Clara County is eligible to get vaccinated.
Youth between 12 to 17-years old need to provide a signed consent form from a parent or legal guardian. For County-operated sites, the consent form is available here.
There are multiple opportunities to get easily vaccinated throughout Santa Clara County without any appointment necessary.
You can also get vaccinated at pharmacies throughout the County, including many Walgreen's, CVS, and Costco locations.
The easiest and most efficient way to make a vaccination appointment is at www.sccfreevax.org. That website also includes the most up-to-date information about who is eligible for vaccination and how to get vaccinated.
Residents without access to the internet can make vaccination appointments by phone for the County Health System vaccine sites through 2-1-1 or the Valley Connection Call Center at 408-970-2000.
The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4:30pm. Assistance is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and multiple other languages.
It is important for those who are at risk of exposure to COVID-19 to continue getting tested regularly, even after getting vaccinated.
Testing is more accessible than ever, with mobile testing buses going to new neighborhoods each week and saliva collection offered at pop-up sites to provide an easier, less invasive experience.
The most up to date list of testing locations can be found at www.sccfreetest.org. Appointments can also be made there. All test sites are mapped on that website. The site is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Tagalog. Information is also available by calling 2-1-1.
The County provides COVID-19 tests free of charge, regardless of immigration status, and no doctor’s note is needed. For people without COVID-19 symptoms, the County currently offers indoor and drive-through sites. People with symptoms are directed to drive-through sites to reduce the chance of getting others sick.
Appointment-based testing continues at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, with rotating appointment-only sites every week at cities throughout the County.
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Free COVID-19 Appointment Testing
- Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Expo Hall (Gate D):
- 2542 Monterey Rd., San Jose
- Wednesday, August 11, from 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, August 12, and Friday, August 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- Click here to schedule an appointment.
Free COVID-19 Drop-In Testing
- South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary):
- 9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy
- Thursday, August 12, and Friday, August 13, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Emmanuel Baptist Church:
- 467 N. White Rd., San Jose
- Wednesday, August 11, through Friday, August 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Residents can make appointments (often same day) and find more testing locations throughout the County at www.sccfreetest.org or by calling 2-1-1.
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Santa Clara County COVID-19 Case Numbers, Hospital Capacity, and Testing Dashboards Can Be Found Here
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Virtual Community Meeting About Results of Lead Emissions Study at Reid-Hillview Airport
On August 11 and 12, staff from the County of Santa Clara will host a virtual community meeting with Dr. Sammy Zahran to share the results of a recent study on airborne lead emissions at Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose.
The study concludes that “under periods of high piston-engine aircraft traffic, children proximate to Reid-Hillview Airport experience an increase in (blood lead levels) on par with the children of Flint (Michigan) during the (Flint Water Crisis)”
You can find a link to the complete study here.
The meeting will provide community members with the opportunity to learn about the study and ask questions.
In December 2018, the Board of Supervisors directed County staff to study whether there was any link between lead-based airplane emissions at Reid-Hillview Airport and blood lead levels of children living near the airport.
The County engaged Dr. Zahran to study lead emissions at Reid-Hillview Airport. He is a Professor of Demography in the Dept. of Economics at Colorado State University and a Professor in the Dept. of Epidemiology in the Colorado School of Public Health.
The study analyzed blood lead levels of children within 1.5 miles of Reid-Hillview Airport, piston-engine aircraft activity at the airport, and weather and prevailing winds for the study period to establish whether there is a significant relationship between airplane emissions and blood lead levels. Dr. Zahran and his team reviewed over 300,000 blood lead records provided by the California Department of Public Health, flight records from the Federal Aviation Administration, and weather data available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss the results of the study on August 17.
PUBLIC ZOOM LINK & DIAL-IN INFORMATION FOR AUGUST 11 (See Further Below for Additional Instructions)
Please click the following link to join the webinar: https://sccgov-org.zoom.us/j/93339943986 (recommended).
You may also call into the meeting by smartphone at: (669) 219-2599, Webinar ID 93339943986# (participant ID not required).
PUBLIC ZOOM LINK & DIAL-IN INFORMATION FOR AUGUST 12 (See Further Below for Additional Instructions)
Please click the following link to join the webinar: https://sccgov-org.zoom.us/j/95709413535 (recommended).
You may also call into the meeting by smartphone at: (669) 900-6833, Webinar ID 95709413535# (participant ID not required).
PUBLIC SPEAKER ZOOM INSTRUCTIONS
Spoken public comments will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. If you wish to speak, click on the link above to access the Zoom-based meeting.
Please read the following instructions carefully.
You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in-browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30+, Firefox 27+, Microsoft Edge 12+ or Safari 7+ .Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer.
You will be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak.
When staff calls for the item on which you wish to speak, click on “raise hand.” Staff will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak.
When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted.
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Silicon Valley Bike Summit on August 12 and 13
The 11th Annual Silicon Valley Bike Summit is being held virtually this week on August 12 and 13.
This is the region's largest gathering of active transportation leaders and organizers from government, the private sector, non-profits, and the general public. It is an information rich event that includes a key note speech by Assembly Member Laura Friedman who frequently bikes to work and is currently working on AB 43, which implements recommendations from the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force, and AB 1147, which strongly encourages environmentally-friendly transportation options including active transit.
On Friday, August 13, at 9 a.m., I will be moderating a discussion with local elected officials about what transportation could look like after the COVID-19 pandemic has finally ended.
You can find more information about the summit, including a detailed agenda, and register here.
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The Santa Clara County Library District and County of Santa Clara, in partnership with SVCREATES, have opened the application process for the position of Santa Clara County Poet Laureate for 2022-2023.
The Poet Laureate is an honorary post whose responsibilities are to elevate the awareness of Santa Clara County residents around poetry, and help celebrate the literary arts.
Six Poets Laureate have served to date: Nils Peterson (2009-2011), Sally Ashton (2011-2013), David Perez (2014-2015), Arlene Biala (2016-2017), Mike McGee (2018-2019), and the current title holder, Janice Lobo Sapigao.
Sapigao has led online poetry writing workshops on mental health for teens, aimed at helping them cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also actively represented the County in the world of the arts, including lending her voice to celebrations of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and drawing attention to social justice topics that intertwine with the arts and conversations happening in the creative community. Sapigao was a 2020 Poet Laureate Fellow with the Academy of American Poets and used fellowship funding to create the first Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate Program.
Eligibility Criteria for the Santa Clara County Poet Laureate
- The Poet Laureate will be available to serve a two-year term.
- The individual will be a current Santa Clara County resident who has resided in the County for the past three years and has been published or recognized for poetry and literary contributions.
- The individual’s poetic interests respond to, or represent, the diversity of arts and cultures in Santa Clara County.
- The individual has demonstrated a commitment to and passion for poetry and embraces the opportunity to engage with the community through the arts.
The Poet Laureate will not be considered an employee of the County of Santa Clara and will continue to have individual pursuits. They will be expected to attend several key poetry-related events across the County, which will be shared by SVCREATES and County staff.
Duties of Santa Clara County Poet Laureate
Undertake projects throughout the Santa Clara County community that will make poetry more available and accessible to people in their everyday lives, including:
- Design and lead events and participate in activities in Santa Clara County for National Poetry Month (coordinating with Poetry Center San Jose). Must include some activities outside of the City of San Jose.
- Act as a resource for poetry and literary activities of the Santa Clara County Library District, including readings, presentations, and workshops. Up to 25 hours per year, in coordination with and supported by SCCLD staff.
- Participate in readings and speaking engagements for the County Board of Supervisors, other County departments, Santa Clara County cities, and other community events. May include selecting and presenting appropriate works at dedications, or memorials. Up to 25 hours per year, as determined and scheduled through SVCreates.
- Attendance at SVCreates board meetings, serving as ex-officio special assignment to SVCreates board. Five meetings per year.
- Serve as a judge for the Poetry Out Loud County finals, coordinated through SVCreates.
- Readings/events for the local community as designed by and at Poet Laureate’s discretion, in collaboration with Poetry Center San Jose. Minimum of two per year.
- Actively participate in social media activity related to Poet Laureate events and projects.
The Poet Laureate will receive a stipend of $4,000 per year, which will be used to compensate their time to fulfill the duties listed above, plus a budget of $1,000 per year for reimbursable expenses related to their activities.
The application deadline is September 24, 2021, 5:00 p.m.
The selection process will be administered by SVCREATES. Applications will be peer-reviewed by established poets by October 2021. Interviews with finalists will be conducted and completed in November 2021. The recommended Poet Laureate will be announced at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors in January 2022.
All application materials will be submitted through the SVCREATES online grant portal. If you need a special accommodation for application submission outside of the online submission process, please contact Alyssa Erickson at SVCREATES: alyssae@svcreates.org or 408-998- 2787, ext. 204.
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