December 2020 Newsletter

Dear Neighbor,

As we near the end of this year, we reflect on the past twelve months and how our lives changed because of the pandemic. We learned to interact with our family and friends, and conduct activities such as shopping, dining and exercising differently.

You have made sacrifices and done your part to keep our communities safer by following public health safety protocols.

Thank you to all my constituents who worked tirelessly throughout the year to assist those in need by donating their time and money to local food banks, homeless shelters and other organizations.

My staff has continued to work during this public health crisis in areas, such as legislation, EDD issues, veterans concerns, food distributions, backpack giveaways and many other areas during the pandemic. 

We pursued a legislative agenda based on improving the safety of District 32 communities, the lives of military families and veterans, the environment and more.

Each senator was asked to limit his or her bill package due to the stresses of the pandemic. I limited my bill package to five bills, and I am happy to report that Governor Newsom signed all of them. My bills focused on helping our veterans, increasing the public safety in our communities, and protecting our environment.

As we head into 2021, there is still work to be done, and my colleagues and I, with the help of our respective staffs, will do what is best to meet the needs of all Californians.

God bless,

Senator Bob Archuleta

Thirty-Second Senate District

This year, the need to conduct food and toy giveaways was a greater one because of the pandemic. With the help of donations from our generous sponsors, my staff and I were to provide meals, toys and gift cards to those living in the district who need a helping hand this holiday season.

No office visit required for eligible drivers 70 and older until further notice

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is now offering Californians who are 70 and older the option to renew their noncommercial driver’s license online. Licenses that expire beginning March 1, 2020, and throughout the COVID-19 emergency are eligible, including REAL ID renewals. A mail-in option will be available in the coming weeks.  Most drivers 69 and younger can also renew at dmv.ca.gov – even if their renewal notice states they must come to an office.

The DMV previously provided yearlong extensions to senior drivers with noncommercial licenses expiring in March through December 2020. Those who received the extensions are eligible to renew online.

Commercial licenses, including those for drivers 70 and older, expiring between March and December are extended through December 2020, to align with federal guidelines.

The ability for senior drivers to renew online is the latest action to help Californians avoid or delay a DMV office visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DMV continues to streamline its processes to limit the time customers spend at an office. Customers applying for a REAL ID are encouraged to fill out the online application and upload the required documents before they come to the office for expedited service.

The DMV recommends that customers use its online services, expanded virtual services and other service channels to complete transactions, including eligible driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. Customers can use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks.

     - Courtesy of CA Department of Motor Vehicles

Regional Stay at Home Orders require Californians to stay at home as much as possible, close operations for certain sectors and require 100 percent masking and physical distancing.

Schools currently open can remain open and retailers can operate indoors at no more than 20 percent capacity to reduce exposure risk.

New order is a modification of the state’s initial Stay at Home Order signed in March and builds on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

As COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations continue to rise at an alarming pace and threaten to overwhelm the health care delivery system, California health officials have announced a Regional Stay at Home Order that will be triggered if Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity drops below 15 percent in a given region.

What does the Regional Stay at Home Order do? 

The Regional Stay at Home Order would be in effect for three weeks after the trigger and instructs Californians to stay at home as much as possible to limit the mixing with other households that can lead to COVID-19 spread. It allows access to (including travel for) critical services and allows outdoor activities to preserve Californians’ physical and mental health. This limited closure will help stop the surge and prevent overwhelming regional ICU capacity.

In any region that triggers a Regional Stay at Home Order because it drops below 15 percent ICU capacity, all operations in the following sectors must be closed:

• Indoor and Outdoor Playgrounds
• Indoor Recreational Facilities
• Hair Salons and Barbershops
• Personal Care Services
• Museums, Zoos, and Aquariums
• Movie Theaters
• Wineries
• Bars, Breweries and Distilleries
• Family Entertainment Centers
• Cardrooms and Satellite Wagering
• Limited Services
• Live Audience Sports
• Amusement Parks

The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100 percent masking and physical distancing:

• Outdoor Recreational Facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
• Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Shopping Centers: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Hotels and Lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
• Restaurants: Allow only for take-out or pick-up.
• Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
• Places of Worship: Allow outdoor services only.
• Entertainment Production including Professional Sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

The Order does not modify existing state guidance regarding K-12 schools.

The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100 percent masking and physical distancing:

• Critical Infrastructure
• Non-urgent medical and dental care
• Child care and pre-K

When does a Regional Stay at Home Order end? 

The Regional Stay at Home Order will be implemented regionally once there is less than 15 percent ICU capacity remaining in the designated region. After three weeks from the start of the Stay-at-Home Order, the following criteria would apply:

1. End for a county in a region if the region’s ICU capacity projected out four weeks (from three weeks since the Stay-at-Home Order started) is above or equal to 15 percent. Each county in the region would be assigned to a tier based on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
2. Remain in effect in a county if the region’s ICU capacity projected out four weeks (from three weeks since the Stay-at-Home Order started) is less than 15 percent. The order would remain in effect until the region’s ICU capacity meets criteria (1) above. This would be assessed on a weekly basis.

Non-Essential Travel Lodging

Except as otherwise required by law, no hotel or lodging entity in California shall accept or honor out of state reservations for non-essential travel, unless the reservation is for at least the minimum time period required for quarantine and the persons identified in the reservation will quarantine in the hotel or lodging entity until after that time period has expired.

Can people go outside?

Members of the same household are encouraged to maintain physical and mental health by safely going to a park, hike, walk or bike ride when safe to do so and socially distanced. Californians are also encouraged to keep connected with loved ones virtually.

For the latest information, log on to covid19.ca.gov and covid19.lacounty.gov.

• Courtesy of Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom

The holiday season is a time where some people in our community feel extra stress, lonely and depressed. Unfortunately, this year the number of people experiencing these feelings is greater because of the pandemic.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health has a list of resources for those who need assistance with mental health wellness.

For information, log onto the Department of Mental Health website.

Apply for Veteran health care benefits

The VA processes health care claims within a week. If more than a week has passed since you submitted your application and you haven’t heard back, please don’t apply again. Call them at 877-222-8387.

Vision and dental benefits

You may qualify for vision and dental benefits as part of your VA health care benefits.

• Vision benefits. VA health care covers routine eye exams and preventive tests. In some cases, you may get coverage for eyeglasses or services for blind or low-vision rehabilitation. 
• Dental benefits. In some cases, you may receive dental care as part of your health care benefits. 

Health care priority groups

When you apply for VA health care, we’ll assign you 1 of 8 priority groups. This system helps to make sure that Veterans who need immediate care can get signed up quickly. We assign Veterans with service-connected disabilities the highest priority. We assign the lowest priority to Veterans who earn a higher income and who don’t have any service-connected disabilities.

VA has always been here for Veterans, and we will continue to be here for you during the COVID-19 crisis. We will see and treat any Veteran—even if you are not yet enrolled in VA health care — but please call us first. A message from Dr. Richard Stone, Executive in Charge of the Veterans Health Administration and a former U.S. Army combat physician. For the latest VA updates on COVID-19, visit va.gov/coronavirus.

— Courtesy U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

My Christmas greeting this year, although hopeful, must acknowledge the suffering so many of our families and friends have endured because of the pandemic.

In the spirit of the holiday season, we must continue to support one another, whether by continuing to adhere to the county and state safety measures against the spread of the coronavirus, or on a more personal level through a phone call or a video chat to family and friends.  

This holiday message reminds all of us to come together to move toward a better and brighter new year in 2021.

Although differently, we can still observe Christmas with love and kindness for all as we continue to wear our masks, handwashing, and practice physical distancing.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!