Another COVID Sunday…

Dear Santa Clara County and City of San Jose:

This county has been very responsive and successful in keeping the rates of infection and deaths controlled. We have created processes and trained people to be more effective in addressing disability concerns around access. I had a great experience getting my booster shot at the Evergreen Library recently. Today’s pandemic is very different though and I’d like to know if the County and City plan to stay progressive in addressing the pandemic or revert back to the inadequate systems like so many other counties and states are doing. You have already made some changes that negatively impact disabled people with the lessening of mask mandates and physical distancing.

I continue to see the rise in rates and the justifications for safety when hospitalization rates are rising almost everywhere else, especially in the pediatric population. Our rates are trending up at a very quick rate based on the preliminary results posted on the dashboard. Most recent day reported was over 1000 positive cases. The 7-day average continues to climb.

These rates are probably on the low side because many people are not getting tested or they are testing at home or at sites that may not feed into the statistics the county holds. Last week, I was in a Walgreens to pick up my prescription when a young person (early 20s probably) walked into the store and all the way to the pharmacy counter to ask if they offered walk-in testing. I am hoping she did not have COVID because I was standing in front of her in line and while the risk may be minimal as she was not coughing or showing other symptoms, it woke me up to a number of issues currently (or at high risk of) occurring.

We are at a time when the social safety net that was created in the early pandemic is quickly going away and the acceptable rate of loss is higher than we ever should be comfortable with. Businesses want to return to the process of making (more) money. Airlines are not turning symptomatic passengers away. People are threatened with termination when they call in sick. Not everyone has sick leave and the wait time for unemployment or disability payments is long and all of us living paycheck to paycheck quickly drown in our bills.

Our government and many residents in the US still fail to realize how disabled people have been left out of most supportive efforts. The examples are plentiful on this and most of them I have experienced or heard about from friends and colleagues. These have all been mentioned and addressed at varying level when they occurred. Sadly, not all were addressed adequately.

Because we are no longer in a shelter in place, Meeting the human needs become more difficult and nuanced. It is essential that all resources are easily accessible to those who may not know what they are looking for. We are at a time of great risk especially when we look at the risk factors and loss of pandemic supports. Student loan payments start back up this month. Rent protections are going away. Insurance and medical providers are doing their best to push costs onto us again.

• Are the hotlines still up and going?
• Do we have access to a supply of N95 or KN95 masks as this is what is currently recommended to control the spread of the Omicron variant? I received Basic paper. masks from IHSS that are probably not the best unless 2–3 are worn..
• Will there be any additional testing sites?
• When will the country OTC test program start and what is the process around accessing them?
• What if someone doesn’t have access to a testing site? Downtown San Jose still has very limited options for walk up testing.
• What is happening with students returning to school? To university?
• Is any contact tracing happening?
• What are country residents with defaulted student loans and eviction notices to do when sick and their access to sick time is limited?
• What alternatives to incarceration exist as the COVID rates in jails increase? Do those detained have adequate access to masks and PPE? What is the vaccination rate of staff and those currently incarcerated?

I want to share the UN Policy Brief on a Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19.

• What if any of their suggestions are actively being implemented in this county/city?

Too many people want to move on from this pandemic when there are some in our communities who are still at high risk. It is not okay to sacrifice the “few,” especially when they lack many of the supports needed to continue to shelter in place and stay safe.

Thank you for all you do. I hope you had a pleasant and restful holiday season.

Michele Mashburn