Connect with your community each week with the following updates on COVID-19, City services, events and programs, wellness opportunities, and family resources. 

-Coronavirus Report

-Details on Palo Alto Measures Establishing a Business Tax & Affirming the Natural Gas Utility Transfer

-Celebrate National Wellness Month: Fun Activities to Connect with the Community

-Back to School: Safety & Wellness Tips for the Whole Community

-Weekly City Manager Blog: August 15, 2022

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Revised COVID-19 Guidance

The CDC updated their COVID-19 guidance last week to help make informed decisions to protect yourself, your family, and your community from severe illness. While social distancing is not required, they suggest continuing to keep a safe distance from others as one strategy to reduce exposure. The guidance around wearing a mask has not change: CDC still recommends that everyone 2 and older wear a well-fitting mask in public indoor spaces when community levels are high. If you’ve had close contact to someone who has COVID-19, instead of quarantining if exposed, wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and Santa Clara County Public Health recommends you get tested on day 5. Regardless of vaccination status, isolate from others when you have COVID-19 and if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not have test results. If you test positive, stay home for at least 5 days, and isolate from others in your home. Read more about the CDC guidance here. If you test positive for COVID-19, check out this tool from Santa Clara County Public Health to help you determine your next steps.

FDA Recommends Repeat COVID-19 Testing After Negative At-Home Tests

Regardless of symptoms, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration now advises that community members should repeat a COVID-19 test to prevent false positives and unknowingly spreading the virus. The new advice stems from the at-home antigen test kits being less likely to detect the coronavirus than molecular tests. Find free at-home test kits from the federal government here. Other testing options are available throughout Palo Alto each week, go here to learn more.

In other public health news …

County Implements Approved Method of Monkeypox Vaccine Administration that Increases Available Doses

The County of Santa Clara is expanding access to vaccination for people at highest risk of contracting monkeypox (MPX) by administering the Jynneos vaccine using an authorized technique that stretches vaccine supply. This comes at a time when vaccine supply still falls far short of the need. Previously, a

single vial of vaccine could serve only one person; that vial can now serve as many as five people. Read the full press release from the County here.

Details on Palo Alto Measures Establishing a Business Tax & Affirming the Natural Gas Utility Transfer

At a special meeting on August 10, the City Council continued their fiscal sustainability discussions. At this meeting, the City Council passed a motion to place two measures before voters on the General Election ballot this November 8: one to establish a new business tax, the other to affirm the decades old practice of annually transferring a percentage of revenues from the natural gas utility to the City’s general fund. The measures would generate approximately $16.6 million in gross revenues annually. Read a new blog to learn more.

Celebrate National Wellness Month: Fun Activities to Connect with the Community

As we continue to focus on community recovery through the pandemic, this August is National Wellness Month and a perfect opportunity to focus on community health and well-being. Next Thursday is the last of the Free Virtual Meditation sessions offered by the Art Center, so be sure to join at noon. If you’re looking for something a little more physical, there are virtual – and soon to be in-person – Tai Chi and Qigong classes to improve wellness, mind-body connection, reduce stress and more. Visit the new Rinconada playground with your kids and get in a workout at the same time by taking advantage of the new outdoor exercise equipment! You can also find a summer reading list full of mindful book recommendations. Check out the August wellness month blog for these and other ideas!

Back to School: Safety & Wellness Tips for the Whole Community

Last week marked the start of a new school year for the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), and over 50% of PAUSD middle and high school students bike to school. With increased bicycle, vehicle, and pedestrian traffic in and around Palo Alto schools and neighborhoods, it’s important to be mindful when on the road. Did you know that there are 16 public schools and 11 private schools in Palo Alto? Please take note that the speed limit is 20-miles-per-hour in school zones. Read a new blog to learn some safety and wellness tips, plus other resources and reminders for the whole community to connect, and stay safe in and around Palo Alto.

Weekly City Manager Blog Series: August 15, 2022

Each Council meeting, City Manager Ed Shikada provides “City Manager Comments” sharing recent City news, and updates for the community to stay informed on important issues. This week, learn about the CDC's updated guidance for COVID-19, proposed green building code updates, Festival of the Arts hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, an upcoming volunteer clean-up day, and more. Read the blog here.

Palo Alto Community Health Fair: Join us for a free event for all ages that includes: non-profit booths, health talks and presentations, storytelling experiences, healthy food samplings, therapy dogs from the Palo Alto Humane Society, Stanford Teen Health Mobile, and Silicon Valley Bike Coalition’s coordinate bike ride to the fair. The Palo Alto Community Health Fair is this Sunday, August 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Mitchell Park Community Center. 

Benefits of Adding Yoga to Your Routine: Yoga helps you tune into your body to become your own expert on what feels good, when you should push yourself, or when you need to pull back. These skills are transferable to the weight room, track, or wherever else you find yourself working out. Try out a routine for free in these upcoming outdoor sessions.

Recipe of the Week: Here’s a summer recipe turning fresh corn into a finger-food variation of traditional Elote, or Mexican street corn. This recipe uses leftover gilled corn, but freshly shucked corn can also work. 

Prepare for Flex Alerts: A Flex Alert is typically issued in the summer when extremely hot weather drives up electricity use, making the available power supply scarce. This usually happens in the evening hours when solar generation is going offline, and consumers are returning home and switching on air conditioners, lights, and appliances. Track when electricity is expected to reach capacity. You can help reduce the power load by planning to use major appliances during off peak hours and unplugging items not in use. Find all the steps you can take to save energy.

Avoid Scams and Fraud Workshop: Stay aware of potential scams and frauds! AARP CA is hosting a webinar on August 24 from noon to 1 p.m. about latest investment fraud schemes and how to keep your information and money protected. Find more information about this free event here.

Free Shredding Event: On Saturday, August 27 from 9 a.m. to noon, safely destroy old documents with confidential information with the City’s free shredding service. Proof of Palo Alto residency is required (ID, driver’s License, or Utility Bill) and there is a maximum of 3 banker-size boxes (12”x10”x15”) or 3 brown paper bags of equivalent size per vehicle only. This event will take place at the Baylands Athletic Center parking lot at 1900 Geng Rd. See complete information here.