COVID-19 and You: Shelter In Place

Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a sobering forecast on Thursday March 19, projecting that over half of all California residents will contract COVID-19 in the coming weeks.

The most important thing for you to do right now is comply with shelter-in-place and social distancing directives. Remain in your home whenever possible. The State of California has launched a website as a daily resource for updates and guidance: https://covid19.ca.gov/

It is vitally important we comply, because there is confirmed community spread in our county. It is likely that many of us are already infected, even if we are not showing symptoms. We have many vulnerable residents in our community, and you can protect their lives by:

1. Knowing the symptoms of COVID-19 and self-quarantining if you show those symptoms
   • If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. Use the CDC’s self-checker tool
   • Testing in Santa Clara county through Project Baseline
   • California’s COVID-19 site links to unemployment, disability, and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department is posting daily updates
2. Practicing excellent hygiene, particularly when interacting with local shops
   • Read the CDC’s guide on how to protect yourself and others
   • Clean your hands often, avoid close contact with people who don’t live with you, stay home and wear a face mask if you are sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily
3. If you are able, donating to food banks and other support services, and patronize local businesses, to help your neighbors through this difficult time
   • Silicon Valley Strong provides ways you can get involved and support our community
   • The Japantown Business Association is continually updating its website on which Japantown businesses are affected and how you may support them
   • Consider volunteering to assist quarantined neighbors with grocery runs

Stay safe, try to stay healthy, and be especially kind to heath care and essential services employees you meet.

JTP hosts CERT workshop, Feb. 29, 2020

Rob’s radio exercise

Jim briefs cribbing team

Search & Rescue exercise

Rescue using cribbing

SJSU Professor A.J. Faas, keynote speaker

Rob, Aurelia, Rich and Jeff listen to Prof Faas

Corona Virus tips

To reduce the risk of contracting respiratory infections, good hygiene practices should be followed:

· Stay up to-date on all required immunizations, including the flu shot.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

· Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough with a tissue or flexed elbow.

· After using a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

· Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like flu.

· Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.

· If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

· If you have flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Immediately contact your healthcare provider if conditions and symptoms get worse.

· If prescribed antiviral medication, please complete the entire treatment regimen.

· Restrict non-essential travel to China.

· Staying informed and engaged, every step of the way.

County Public Health website: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/novel-coronavirus/Pages/home.aspx

Welcome Gordon Smith, Japantown Prepared! CERT member

We welcome our newest Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member Gordon Smith. He recently completed the 20 hour San Jose CERT class and has volunteered to support disaster preparedness for Japantown. Thank you Gordon!

Great California Shake Out Drill at Roy’s Station

On Thursday October 17, 2019 at 10:17 am, Japantown Prepared! presented the annual earthquake drill at Roy’s Station. Lynne Yamaichi brought the Lotus Pre-School children and San Jose Fire Station 1 dropped by to answer questions. The patrons at Roy’s thought they were just stopping by to get their cup of great coffee or tea but they ended up participating in the earthquake drill. We also had seniors come from the Japantown Senior Apartment and Mark Teagle represented Wesley United Methodist Church. Thanks to Frank and Carole Rast, Jasmine and the staff at Roy’s for being our community incident command post. If there is a problem in Japantown, Roy’s is the community center. If you would like more information about preparedness, please send an email to: japantownprepared@gmail.com