Local

By Curtis Bunn ,Urban News Service, A Division of Zenger News 

Vada O. Manager found his purpose in his East St. Louis childhood. Amid the trappings of inner-city life, where crime and poverty dominated, he was inspired to achieve.

The president and CEO of Manager Global Consulting Group—who has traveled the world as an executive for Nike and Levi’s—sees that journey as more than about his own success. 

Manager, now 58, resisted the pull of crime that permeated his city and lured and devastated many of his classmates.

“Despite what challenges were all around me, [I] still had to find a way, either through education, spirituality or like-minded friends/family to persevere and succeed,” he said. “My story, like many others, demonstrates that it isn’t how you start in life, it is how you finish. I had great family support—albeit a single mother and grandparents who helped raise me.”

The teachings of his mother and grandparents helped him reject a life of trouble. He participated in school organizations, often alongside award-winning film producer Reginald Hudlin, who directed Eddie Murphy in “Boomerang” and worked on “Django Unchained.”

“I could not have imagined all that when we represented SWAPO back in our Model UN days,” Hudlin said, referring to the Namibian political party South West African People’s Organization. “But I’m not surprised either.”

Manager would serve as former Washington, D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly’s press secretary, and advise the late South African President Nelson Mandela and U.S. President Barack Obama. he sees his story as a barometer for black and brown young people who feel limited by their circumstances.

“I keep a sense of history in mind,” Manager said. “Having the privilege of serving President Mandela, even in a small capacity, was a historic moment as both his release from prison and the eradication of apartheid were the most pressing global priorities at the time.”

That’s a long way from where Hudlin and Manager met in high school.

“We quickly bonded over shared values: a drive to succeed, a deep interest in politics, and a healthy sense of humor,” Hudlin told Zenger News. “All three qualities have served us well over time. Vada has an amazing life, working in government and the private sector, serving on boards, advising high profile clients, and raising a beautiful family with his wonderful wife. He’s a success story in every sense of the word.”

Manager attended Arizona State University, and is now the school’s first African American trustee. The companies that make up his business invest in hotel and hospitality companies, along with strategic consulting, real estate and parking services.

“With President Obama, while I never served in his administration, I was an early donor when he came to Arizona and we had lunch with a small group to make a compelling case for governing,” he said. “I consider my contribution [to his presidential exploratory committee] after that lunch one of best investments in our civil society that I have ever made.”

He participated in mergers and acquisitions work at Nike when it bought Converse, Starter and Umbro. He joined the board of Ashland Inc., thanks to a recommendation from former Honeywell executive Mannie Jackson, who helped the Harlem Globetrotters emerge from bankruptcy.

Manager is turning his sights toward Hollywood, advising a project that debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival.

Manager hopes his story encourages black youths to resist difficult circumstances. East St. Louis, which is 95 percent black, had America’s highest murder rate last year and has a low high school graduation rate. When Manager, who has great pride in his hometown, was growing up, the city’s residents faced crime and poverty but not to the same degree. 

He said he carried a burden in corporate America that many African Americans would recognize.

“The duality of successful African American men and women in America is that you have to be twice as competent, uphold the race and still be able to authentically be yourself and relate to your people,” Manager said. 

“It is a heavy mandate, which each person has to interpret for themselves.”

By Liz Elting

Keep a cool head. 

“We’ve been warned to expect a huge surge in mortality in the very near future, and it cannot be overstated how hard it will be to cope with. It’s critical you keep your composure, especially right now, because emotional decision-making is often bad decision-making. Focus on the data, not the news; you can’t control the mortality numbers, but you can control your own internal processes and strategies. Now is not the time to panic; rather, it’s time to hunker down and hold fast.”

Protect your employees. “Joblessness is spiking in a way we’ve never seen since unemployment insurance record-keeping began in the 1960s, and that’s got to have your team’s anxiety spiking too. People need assurances that their jobs are safe, even in the midst of this, as much as is realistically possible. Luckily, the CARES Act has created a system for paycheck protection loans designed to alleviate layoffs. If you’re in a position where you may have to begin letting people go at this worst possible time, it’s worth looking into whether or not your business qualifies.”

Maintain normal operations as much as possible. “There is always work to do. Emails need answering, clients need servicing, files need maintenance, even birthdays need celebrating. You and your people alike need normalcy, and the best way to maintain that is to keep chugging along. We’re all stuck at home in the midst of an onslaught of bad news, and we need to stay occupied. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of things that need doing. Work especially hard to keep your team focused this week, and the machinery working. This isn’t going to last forever.”

Show up for your clients. “There remains in the middle of this mess very real business opportunities, and I’m not talking about price-gouging or profiteering. Your clients are still out there, and they’re as scared and uncertain as you are. Times of great stress and difficulty can foster even stronger partnerships. Be there for your clients. Start looking for ways you can provide them with a solution to their problems; how has the pandemic affected their lives and their businesses in ways you are uniquely suited to relieve? Building client loyalty has never been more important because everyone is cutting costs. If you’re able to anticipate and meet the unique needs of your clients during these times, you’re far less vulnerable to lost business.”

Lead with hope and positivity. “These are uncertain times, but they will not last forever. The worst will pass, the clouds will part, and we’ll all return to our lives. It’s up to you to keep that candle lit in this darkness, for yourself and your team, so that you all remember that there is a tomorrow, a light at the end of this tunnel, and we’re going to make it there together.”

Courts fail to compel Governor Newsom to release elderly and medically vulnerable people from prison as coronavirus cases rapidly increase 

People incarcerated in the California Institution for Women (CIW) report that as of April 7th, the entire prison has been locked down as a response to a new COVID-19 infection. This comes 48 hours after sources within CIW reported that staff from the men’s prison (California Institution for Men)––where 16 positive cases of COVID-19 have already been confirmed––had been moving back and forth between both prisons without taking appropriate safety precautions. 53 California prison officials have now tested positive for the coronavirus.

“Staff are not taking it as seriously here,” said a woman incarcerated at CIW prison, who wished to remain anonymous. “They cough without covering their mouths, most wear no face coverings at all and they cluster on the yard in groups of five or six, high fiving and hugging each other.”  

On April 4th, a federal court panel denied a motion to compel prison officials to release elderly and medically vulnerable people at-risk from the coronavirus, even as confirmed cases reported by CDCR continue to rise. While ruling that releasing prisoners to protect them from COVID-19 was beyond their authority to decide, the judges admonished lawyers for the state. “The current circumstances appear to expose, in stark terms, the potential need to revisit the current population cap,” said U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller.

Another federal judge asked that lawyers for the state provide information on the 3,500 people Governor Newsom said he plans to release who are within 60 days of their parole date, and to show if that number could be potentially tripled to include incarcerated people who are within 6 months of their release date. “I don’t see any difference between 180 days and 60 days, in terms of public safety,” said U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar, as reported by the L.A. Times. “I see proximate release dates as low-hanging fruit.” 

Community advocates balked at the expanded numbers, maintaining they are insufficient to meaningfully address the COVID-19 crisis. “Releasing 10,000 people is not enough,” said Amber-Rose Howard, Executive Director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB). “37% of the total prison population have at least one health factor that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says put them at risk for COVID-19. That’s at least 46,000 people. Governor Newsom calls himself a progressive, yet he’s using fear-based, ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric right out of the Republican playbook. People in prison are someone’s father, mother, sister or brother. Keeping them there without inadequate protection from the coronavirus is potentially a death sentence. Governor Newsom placed a moratorium on the death penalty in California because he recognized that it’s fundamentally unjust. We need him to show that kind of leadership now.”

The Ontario City Council on Tuesday approved a temporary moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent by residential or commercial tenants adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The moratorium, which also applies to storage unit patrons, protects tenants who cannot make their rental payments for any of the following reasons:

• The tenant is unable to work while sick with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or must care for a household or family member with a suspected or confirmed case of the virus.
  • The tenant experiences a layoff, loss of hours or other income reduction resulting from COVID-19, the City’s local emergency declaration, or related government response.
  • The tenant must miss work to care for a child whose school was closed in response to COVID-19.

The eviction moratorium builds on the protocol established by the state of California to prohibit the removal of residents at the very time they’re being instructed to stay in their homes. It

does not forgive rental payments, but provides breathing room for tenants who fall under one of the covered reasons while the City is under its state of local emergency. All missed rental payments are due to the landlord within six months of the emergency being lifted.

The moratorium provides tenants with a tool they can use in an unlawful detainer proceeding. It does not apply to eviction proceeding begun before the local emergency was declared. Tenants would need to provide verifiable documentation that they meet one of the qualifying standards. On March 14, Ontario was among the first cities in San Bernardino County to declare a local state of emergency and implemented a comprehensive COVID-19 emergency response plan to minimize the risk of exposure, anticipate potential vulnerabilities and act quickly and responsibly to any new developments.

For updates on the City’s COVID-19 response efforts, including the eviction moratorium, please visit: www.ontarioca.gov/coronavirus

Water 101: Guidance from the CDC, USDA, Mayo Clinic, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and other top-tier experts and physicians on proper hydration, dehydration avoidance

Water. We all need it—and know we need it—for optimum health and wellness, but a shocking few live daily lives in a properly hydrated state and certainly not with appropriate consistency. One doctor-driven report revealed that fully 75 percent, a staggering three-fourths majority, of Americans may suffer from chronic dehydration. It went on to underscore that, “Over time, failure to drink enough water can contribute to a wide array of medical complications, from fatigue, joint pain and weight gain to headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure and kidney disease.” Apparently, this is the tip of the proverbial dehydration-induced illness iceberg.

“During a normal day, we lose about two liters of water just through breathing, sweat and other bodily functions,” notes board certified internist Dr. Blanca Lizaola-Mayo. “Even while asleep, we can lose over one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of water-weight not just through sweating, but respiration as well. Even air conditioning has drying effects on our body. The health implications of dehydration are vast and can range from mild to severe, including problems with the heart, blood pressure and breathing, headaches and cognitive issues like concentration … just to name a few. Those who’ve felt that ‘afternoon slump’ should know that dehydration is the number one cause of daytime fatigue. And, it’s important to understand that when we first start to sense thirst, we are already close to two percent dehydrated.”

For all of its importance, proper hydration is a delicate balance to uphold. An Institute of Medicine report cited the fragility of keeping the body duly hydrated, noting, “Over the course of a few hours, body water deficits can occur due to reduced intake or increased water losses from physical activity and environmental (e.g., heat) exposure.” So, a perfectly hydrated body can tip the scales into a dehydrated state in a fairly short amount of time, whether actively (as with exercising), or passively (as with breathing). 

Understanding there are commonplace facets of our collective lifestyles that put us at a higher risk of developing mild to severe dehydration, here are some insights and tips from preeminent health experts help you stay happily hydrated:

How Much Water Do You Need? 
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Many factors impact how much water you need, including your age, gender, activity level and overall health. For women, the amount of total water is about 11.5 cups per day and for men about 15.5 cups. These estimates, however, include fluids consumed from both foods and beverages, including water. You typically get about 20 percent of the water you need from the food you eat. Taking that into account, women need about nine cups of fluid per day and men about 12.5 cups in order to help replenish the amount of water that is lost.”

What Are Common Causes of Dehydration?
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Sometimes dehydration occurs for simple reasons: You don’t drink enough because you’re sick or busy, or because you lack access to safe drinking water when you’re traveling, hiking or camping.” While certainly not all-inclusive, known causes for dehydration can encompass sweating from exercise and playing a sport; air travel; traversing in overly hot, humid, cold or windy weather conditions; drinking too much coffee and other diuretic beverages; recovering from a hangover; and a litany of other relatively commonplace daily activities.

Do All Fluids Hydrate the Body?
No. The Cleveland Clinic is very clear with its advisory that “Some beverages are better than others at preventing dehydration,” and that “alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, teas and colas, are not recommended for optimal hydration. These fluids tend to pull water from the body and promote dehydration. Fruit juice and fruit drinks may have too many carbohydrates, too little sodium, and may upset the stomach. Adequate hydration will keep your summer activities safer and much more enjoyable.”

What Are Some Benefits of Proper Hydration?
While the benefits of a properly hydrated body are copious, the CDC points to a few top-line health advantages, including keeping your temperature normal; lubricating and cushioning joints, protecting your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues; and getting rid of wastes through urination, perspiration and bowel movements. Healthline also offers a number of evidence-based health benefits of drinking plenty of water, which include maximizing physical performance; optimized energy levels and mood; and aiding digestion and elimination. Be mindful of water intake, however, as Dr. Lizaola-Mayo warns, “Drinking too much water or fluid can lead to hyponatremia, which causes sodium in the cells to become diluted and too low and can be dangerous—and even life threatening—if untreated.”

What Are Signs of Early or Mild Dehydration?
The Rehydration Project non-profit organization says that “the degree of dehydration is graded according to signs and symptoms that reflect the amount of fluid lost. In the early stages of dehydration, there are no signs or symptoms. Early features are difficult to detect, but include dryness of mouth and thirst. As dehydration increases, signs and symptoms develop.” According to the organization, symptoms of early or mild dehydration include the following: flushed face; extreme thirst; consuming more than normal or the inability to drink; dry, warm skin; the inability to pass urine or reduced amounts (dark, yellow); dizziness made worse when standing; weakness; cramping in the arms and legs; crying with few or no tears; sleepiness or irritableness; sickness; headaches; dry mouth or dry tongue with thick saliva.

What Are Signs of Moderate to Severe Dehydration?
The Rehydration Project also denotes that symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration include low blood pressure; fainting; severe muscle contractions in the arms, legs, stomach, and back; convulsions; a bloated stomach; heart failure; sunken fontanelle—soft spot on a infants head; sunken dry eyes with few or no tears; skin loses its firmness and looks wrinkled; lack of elasticity of the skin (when a bit of skin lifted up stays folded and takes a long time to go back to its normal position); rapid and deep breathing (faster than normal); and a fast, weak pulse. They say that, “In severe dehydration, these effects become more pronounced and the patient may develop evidence of hypovolemic shock, including diminished consciousness; lack of urine output; cool moist extremities; a rapid and feeble pulse (the radial pulse may be undetectable); low or undetectable blood pressure; and peripheral cyanosis. Death follows soon if rehydration is not started quickly.”

Who is At Greatest Risk of Dehydration?
No one is immune to a dehydrated condition, but certain populations are at greater risk. The Mayo Clinic indicates that these vulnerable groups include infants and children, older adults, those with chronic illnesses and people who work or exercise outside. Serious complications can ensue, which they point out can include heat injury (ranging in severity from mild cramps to heat exhaustion or potentially life-threatening heatstroke); urinary tract infections, kidney stones and even kidney failure; seizures due to electrolyte imbalance, sometimes with a loss of consciousness; and low blood volume (hypovolemic) shock.  They say it’s time to call your doctor if you or a loved one “has had diarrhea for 24 hours or more; is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual; can’t keep down fluids; and/or has bloody or black stool.”

How Can You Be a Water-Wise Shopper?
The USDA recommends consumers shop smartly, advising us to “Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose beverages at the grocery store. The food label and ingredients list contain information about added sugars, saturated fat, sodium and calories to help you make better choices.”  There are also highly efficacious and economical dehydration avoidance and treatment innovations that can be integrated into one’s lifestyle and used on a daily basis. The experts at SOS Hydration explain that their medically-formulated drink-mix powder accelerates hydration equivalent to an I.V. drip, rehydrating the body fully three-times faster than by drinking water alone. This unique product’s heightened hydration process leverages the body’s digestive “sodium/glucose co-transport system”—an Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

Can Foods Help You Stay Hydrated?
Yes, the body intakes hydration not only from water and other liquids, but foodstuffs as well—some boasting as much 90 percent water content. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, those in the 90-100 percent water content range include fruits like cantaloupe, strawberries and watermelon; as well as vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach and cooked squash. The organization further states that options with a 70 to 89 percent water content include fruits like bananas, grapes, oranges, pears and pineapples; vegetables such as carrots, cooked broccoli and avocados; and dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese. For drinks, the good folks at EatRight.org advise we focus on unsweetened beverages, like water, in order to limit calories from added sugars, and to use strategies to increase water intake—like adding a flavor enhancer. For this, a fruit-flavored rehydration accelerant like the SOS Hydration drink mix can do tasty double duty.

Can Sports Drinks Actually Undermine Hydration?
Yes. Why pay extra money for excess sugar when what you really need are electrolytes?  Dr. Lizaola-Mayo says that, “in truth, only a very small amount of sugar is required to help transport electrolytes and water into the cells as part of the sodium glucose co-transport system. In fact, this system is most effective when it utilizes one molecule of sugar and one molecule of sodium in combination, which helps create the fastest and most effective way to transport water into the cells for hydration. Even water rehydration and other drinks that do actually claim to utilize the sodium glucose co-transport system have been shown to contain excess sugar to enhance taste, apparently discounting the fact that that this added sugar commensurately increases calorie count and actually undermines cellular H2O absorption. If there is excess sugar in a drink, even one engineered as a rehydration solution, then you can trigger reverse osmosis. This process occurs when there is an incorrect balance of sugar to sodium. Sodium always follows sugar and water always follows sodium. In a drink that is correctly balanced (utilizing the sodium glucose co-transport system) then the water and electrolytes optimally flow into the cells.  In high sugar “rehydration” drinks there is too much sugar for the quantity of sodium and, as such, sodium and then water is actually leeched from the cells and passed out of the body as urine.  This can actually cause dehydration—the opposite effect for a rehydration or sports beverage one has spent their hard-earned dollars to purchase.”

So whether indoors or out, active or at rest, suffering illness or perfectly healthy, one thing is clear: Keeping your water sources well at hand and ingesting with regularity (and consistency) can have a profoundly beneficial effect on your health and well-being. It’s one easy and highly accessible assist for a multitude of maladies.

~~~

Sources:

https://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393

https://www.nap.edu/read/10925/chapter/6

https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/healthy-eating/how-much-water-do-you-need

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-water

https://rehydrate.org/dehydration/index.html#symptoms

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9013-dehydration

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/nutrition/index.html

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-make-better-beverage-choices

https://www.mashed.com/135553/the-untold-truth-of-gatorade/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323462150000203

SACRAMENTO, CA—- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FTB’s Tax Day’s media availability has been postponed from April 15 until Wednesday, July 15, 2020.

FTB postponed until July 15 the filing and payment deadlines for all individuals and business entities including:

• 2019 tax returns
• 2019 tax return payments
• 2020 1st and 2nd quarter estimate payments
• 2020 LLC taxes and fees
• 2020 Non-wage withholding payments

More information regarding media availability for the Tax Day event at FTB will be released as the July 15 Tax Day approaches. We look forward to welcoming the media interviews then.

Click here  for more information about extensions to file and pay and COVID- 19 FAQ’s.

By Lou Yeboah

“…I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways, for, why will ye die…?” [Ezekiel 33:11]. There is no reason for you to perish; there is no reason for you to die in your sin. Why do you insist on doing things your way? Why do insist on being disobedience? “I will not tolerate this stubborn, hard head stiff-necked spirit any longer.” Repent and live! Don’t be one of the multitudes of people who will lift up their eyes from Hell, crying out as they remember the “random” incidences where the Holy Spirit tried to reach them. I have provided a way of escape for you. Take it! If you don’t you will reap the consequences of your choice.  It will be Hell before going to Hell!”

For years now I have shown such long-suffering towards you, just as I did Sodom, restraining My anger, giving you much time to repent and change your ways, but naw, you insist on doing things your way. You are just like Jehoram, who knew the path to take, but chose not to walk in it. As a consequence of his choice, his end was the most pathetic and dishonorable of any of the other kings of Judah. [2 Chronicles 21:12-15]

Listen, and listen very carefully. If you do not make some radical decisions NOW, and set your face like flint to walk another way. If you go on yielding to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life as your way of life, you will get just what sin warrant? Death! Do not be misled – My justice will not be mocked. I will judge you according to your ways, and I will repay you for all your abominations. My eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity… [Ezekiel 7:3-8]. Know ye not that the unrighteous; nor fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortion, shall inherit the kingdom of God…” [1Corinthians 6: 9-10]. Behold, NOW is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, NOW is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” [2 Corinthians 6:2].

“So, this I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God…” [Ephesians 4: 17-21]. Understand, you may never have another day to repent in. Therefore, says the voice of wisdom, “REPENT NOW! Consider your “latter end,” and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days…” [Deuteronomy 30:19-20]

COLTON, CA—- Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) will conduct Drive-Through testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) beginning April 9. The COVID-19 testing will be available for the public by appointment only. For appointments, call 1-855-422-8029. Instructions are available at this link: https://www.arrowheadregional.org/covid-19-updates/

The following dates are available for scheduling an appointment, as space allows:

• Thursday, April 9, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Friday, April 10, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 14,8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 15, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Thursday, April 16, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Drive-Through testing will be conducted at the outpatient building entrance on the ARMC campus. The entrance will be on Meridian Avenue at the back of the ARMC campus. Once entering the campus from Meridian, signage will be displayed for the COVID-19 Drive-Through testing. Additional testing dates will be announced at a later date.

“We have been treating COVID-19 patients with all of the latest best practices in our fight against this disease,” said Dr. Sharon Wang, infection disease specialist at ARMC. “We would like to provide our expertise to help test members of the community.”

The San Bernardino County Health Officer declared a local health emergency to help ensure county government and the public are prepared. ARMC is working with other county departments and in partnership with cities, schools, and the business and nonprofit communities to ensure an effective response.

For social distancing guidelines and other tips to protect yourself please go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

These are unprecedented and challenging times for the nation and the state of California as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic alters the course of our lives for the foreseeable future.

As job-loss claims hit record highs, more and more Californians will be dealing with a loss of income and their health insurance coverage. Covered California and Medi-Cal are providing a path to coverage for those affected by this pandemic.

Covered California announced a special-enrollment period related to the crisis. Anyone who meets Covered California’s eligibility requirements, which are similar to those in place during the annual open-enrollment period, can sign up for coverage from now through June 30.

“The goal is to have as many people covered as possible to ensure they have access to vitally needed health care,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “This is the right thing to do and we to make sure no one is left behind in California during this pandemic.”

Those signing up through Covered California will have access to private health insurance plans with monthly premiums that may be lowered due to federal subsidies and new state financial help that became effective in 2020. Once a plan is chosen, coverage begins on the first day of the following month — meaning individuals losing job-based coverage will not face a gap in coverage.

That was the case for Jose Gonzalez Fernandez. The 60-year-old Bay Area resident lost his construction job and health insurance at the end of February, but in March he heard on the local news that Covered California’s special-enrollment period would apply to his circumstances.

“I have always had health insurance through my union,” Gonzalez Fernandez said. “It was scary to think that I would not be able to go to the doctor if I got sick or if I catch the coronavirus. I can’t imagine getting sick, not having health insurance and not having money to pay for the medicine and medical services. That truly is scary.”

Gonzalez Fernandez is thrilled to be enrolled in Covered California plan for just $2 a month for him and his wife, Luz. “The best thing ever is that I get to keep my same coverage. I get to keep my doctors.”

Consumers who sign up through CoveredCA.com may find out that they are eligible for no-cost or low-cost coverage through Medi-Cal, for which they can enroll in online. Those eligible for Medi-Cal can have coverage that is immediately effective because California has put a 90-day hold on Medi-Cal renewal reviews, ensuring those already enrolled can continue their coverage. The move also frees up resources to quickly process the expected new enrollments. 

All medically necessary screening and testing for COVID-19 is free of charge. This includes doctor’s office visits as well as network emergency room or urgent care visits when necessary for the purpose of screening and testing for COVID-19. In addition, all health plans offered through Covered California and Medi-Cal will provide telehealth options for enrollees, giving individuals the ability to connect with a health care professional by phone or video without having to personally visit a doctor’s office or hospital.

Medi-Cal covers costs associated with COVID-19 in both its managed care plans and with fee-for-service providers. Covered California health plans will help cover costs that arise from any required treatment or hospitalization.

“A core part of our mission is improving access to high-quality health care, and that has never been more important than it is right now in California,” Lee said. “Covered California will help you find a path to the coverage you need for you and your family.”

Consumers can easily find out if they are eligible Medi-Cal or other forms of financial help and see which plans are available in their area by using the CoveredCA.Com Shop and Compare Tool and entering their ZIP code, household income and the ages of those who need coverage.

Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also:

• Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
• Get free and confidential assistance over the phone, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
• Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

By Ebone Monet | California Black Media

“One size does not fit all,” said Gov. Newsom at a press conference yesterday addressing mounting evidence that more African Americans are dying from COVID-19 complications than any other race across the United States and here in California. 

“We are disaggregating the data to break things down — on hospitalizations, ICUs and the death rates. We have gotten preliminary data back on that, but we are waiting to get all the data before I make it public and present it. I want it to be accurate. But that is being broken down in real time.”

The governor says the state plans to dig up the numbers on disparities in testing as well, “to make sure all communities in California are being tested.”

From all indications, early evidence shows Black people are dying at a disproportionate rate from the coronavirus. That is what data from a handful of states revealed. Numbers show African Americans are more likely to experience novel coronavirus complications from hospitalizations to death.  Black people are also less likely to have health insurance compared to their White counterparts.

And despite the national campaign to “Stay Home and Save Lives,” a recent report  from the National Bureau of Economic Research has found that working from home is not an option for most people. 

Democratic lawmakers, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass), have joined advocates in calling on state and federal leaders to release demographic information about people infected with and dying from COVID-19. 

Los Angeles County released figures amid a national conversation on how COVID-19 is affecting racial groups differently. The city’s racial breakdown of coronavirus deaths shows the majority of people who died were White or Latino. However, Black people accounted for a disproportionate 17 percent of the deaths while making up 9 percent of the population.

Across the nation, states including New Jersey, North Carolina, and Illinois have released numbers that reveal racial disparities as well. Illinois, for example, reports that African Americans account for 42 percent of 380 deaths. That jumps to 70 percent in Chicago, a hotspot where cases are concentrated.

In Michigan, Black people make up 41 percent of the deaths but only 14 percent of the population. Louisiana reports a staggering 582 deaths, most were Black.

“It’s not that they’re getting infected more often. It’s that when they do get infected with their underlying medical conditions: diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma — those are the kind of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately death,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci during Tuesday’s White House briefing on the federal response to the pandemic. 

The nation’s top infectious disease doctor says the coronavirus is magnifying health disparities that “have always existed” between Whites and African Americans. “It is shining a bright light on how unacceptable that is because, yes, again when you have a situation like the coronavirus, they’re suffering disproportionately.”

Dr. Fauci says the efforts to limit health care disparities should resume after this global crisis.

“There is nothing we can do about it right now except to give them the best possible care to avoid complications,” he said. 

Back in California, Newsom says the state’s COVID-19 Testing Task Force will address health equity as it relates to COVID-19.

 “The disparities on testing are a point of obvious and real concern,” he said.

Newsom’s task force includes Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California’s first-ever African-American woman Surgeon General.

Harris says she researches the cause of health disparities, “because of the true and unfortunate history of medical maltreatment of different groups of people, but especially African Americans in the United States.

“There are real issues of trust between the African American community and the health care system,” she said.  

Newsom says as the state scales up testing efforts he wants to make sure resources reach underserved communities, “to make sure we’re in East Palo Alto, East LA, East Oakland and other parts of this state, and making sure that we do justice to the prism as it relates to race and ethnicity as well as making sure that geographically needs are met.”

Newsom has not offered details about how the state will address disparities if presented. He also did not give a timeline for the release of data specific to race.

Advocates say this information is needed to pinpoint the source of racial disparities and to ultimately better protect vulnerable communities.