Health & Fitness
CoCo Buildings Close Lobbies To Limit Coronavirus Exposure
Seven county buildings are closing their lobbies to the public to limit exposure to the coronavirus, as Contra Costa County's cases grow.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — As the number of positive novel coronavirus tests in Contra Costa County grew to 25 as of Friday morning, officials at the county Employment & Human Services Department announced that the lobbies of seven county buildings will close to the public in an effort to limit exposure.
The closure will start Monday and continue until further notice, county officials said.
"Community members can still access the services and benefit programs the department provides, however EHSD is encouraging they do so in ways that limit exposure, such as through phone appointments or online applications," the department said.
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Affected programs include CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal and General Assistance.
The closed lobby locations are at 400 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill; 4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch; 3105 Willow Pass Rd., Bay Point; 151 Sand Creek Rd., Brentwood; 1305 Macdonald Ave., Richmond; 1535 Fred Jackson Way, Richmond; and 151 Linus Pauling, Hercules.
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The locations will allow limited in-person access to people with no access to a telephone or computer, a pre-scheduled in-person appointment, emergency EBT card or check pick-up, a scheduled CalWORKs or General Assistance mental health assessment, and homeless mail pick-up.
"Applications will be available outside the lobby areas for all benefit programs, and community members may complete, sign and return documents for processing using a secure drop box during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.," the department said.
The public can go online to www.EHSD.org to apply for benefits, email their worker, report changes, upload documents, and other functions, as well as view updates and resources related to the coronavirus. They may also get assistance from lobby staff by calling (925) 957-5647 or (925)957-5648 for Spanish.
County health officials said they expect the number of cases to grow in the weeks to come and are keeping an updated tally online at http://cchealth.org/coronavirus.
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