Monterey County talks attestation to reopen
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION)
Monterey County officials are going through a list criteria to see what indicators show they could be ready to move forward with a new plan that could lift restrictions.
Some of the items on their readiness criteria included: protection of Stage 1 essential workers, testing capacity, containment capacity, hospital capacity and protections for vulnerable populations.
One of the major things they looked at is whether the county had a stable hospitalization rate and testing capacity which, they say they do.
The testing availability requirement in their criteria stated testing should be readily available for at least 75% of the population.
The county pointed out some recent accessible test sites on the central coast and say this is a good sign.
"If you're just wanting to get a test done and you're not needing to get an evaluation by a health care provider, Optum sites are the way to go and also the new location at Monterey Peninsula College," said Monterey County Health Officer, Doctor Edward Moreno.
Officials say they still have some things to work on before deciding to submit the attestation forms.
One of their goals is to provide housing for at least 15% of homeless residents.
They say they are currently working with other groups to provide temporary shelters and separate bathrooms or sanitation procedures to protect them from possible exposure.
Another key item they are working on is making sure they have the protective gear and supplies they need to have a healthy work environment and reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure.
Right now, they say they are meeting 75% of the need for personal protective supplies but believe they can fulfill the rest.
"We have subject matter experts who are working in the area of the hospitals and skilled nursing facilities for example, who are working in each of the sections of attestation," says Doctor Moreno.
Doctor Moreno says more county officials are bringing plans together this week to complete the attestation.
