South Lake Tahoe, CA…El Dorado County District V Supervisor, Sue Novasel Updates and Input Newsletter.

New Way to Find COVID-19 Vaccine Locations

There’s a new way to find a #COVID19 vaccine location! Just text your zip code to 438829 to find the closest place to get a vaccine. You will receive a list of locations and their phone numbers in seconds!

CVS Pharmacy Offering COVID-19 Vaccinations

CVS Pharmacy is currently accepting appointments for COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccinations will be given through Monday, May 17, 2021.
To schedule an appointment, click HERE.

CalScope Study for COVID-19 Antibodies

The State is conducting a study to help better understand the spread of COVID-19 in our community. In collaboration with Stanford University, Gauss Surgical, Enable Biosciences and seven county departments of public health, including Alameda, El Dorado, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Diego, and Shasta counties, CalScope will ask randomly selected households to complete an anonymous survey and a test using a finger-prick to draw a few drops of blood to see if they have COVID-19 antibodies.

The study will not ask for identifying information such as name or date of birth. Mailed invitations will be sent to more than 200,000 households. If you got one, please fill it out. For more information about the CalScope study, please visit the study website & FAQ at CalScope.org.

CDPH Monitoring Misinformation

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has established a Trust and Safety team committed to making sure the public has accurate and timely information on COVID-19 vaccination across the State. If you see or hear of any vaccine-related rumors across social media or in your communities, share them with the Trust and Safety team at Rumors@cdph.ca.gov for awareness and possible action.

FCC Emergency Broadband Program to Help Households

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled out the $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Wednesday. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.

Charter Communications, a supplier of internet services to South Lake Tahoe residents and millions of others in the 41 states it operates in, announced its participation in the program.

Beginning today, households meeting the income thresholds are eligible for a credit up to $50 per month (up to $75 for households on Tribal Lands) toward qualifying plans for the duration of the program.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:

– Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
– Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
– Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
– Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
– Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

The emergency program has been developed to bridge the internet accessibility divide in the country.

Charter is offering a variety of broadband options under the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and all Spectrum Internet plans available have no modem fees, data caps, or contracts and include free self-installation. Interested consumers who are not currently Spectrum customers should visit spectrum.com/getqualified or call 1-855-662-9946. Current Spectrum customers can visit spectrum.net/broadbandbenefit to learn more.

“Charter has a long track record of increasing connectivity through expanding broadband access, adoption, and affordability,” said Catherine Bohigian, Charter Executive Vice President, Government Affairs. “Through our participation in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, we are further breaking down barriers to connectivity for American families, as part of our long-term commitment to advance access and improve broadband adoption.”

Consumers can verify their eligibility for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program through the Universal Service Administrative Co.’s Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier portal.

For more information on the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program for all service providers, including eligibility requirements, visit:
 https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit/

Rubicon Trail Tahoma Staging Area Paving Project

El Dorado County, the United States Forest Service and Placer County are working jointly on a project to pave the existing Rubicon Trail staging area (parking lot), located
approximately 1.5 miles west of Evergreen Way near Tahoma. The work is being completed with grant funds made available through the State of California Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Division.  The work is anticipated to start mid-June to be completed before July 1st, 2021.

Questions should be directed to:

El Dorado County (Project Lead)
Daniel Kikkert (Project Manager – Primary Contact)
Department of Transportation, Tahoe Engineering
dan.kikkert@edcgov.us
(530) 573-7914

Placer County
Peter Kraatz
Placer County Public Works Dept
PKraatz@placer.ca.gov
(530) 581-6230

USDA Forest Service
Mike Gabor
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Michael.gabor@usda.gov
(530) 543-2642