COMMUNITY NEWS
Covid Funeral Help Available T he COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus. Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. Santa Cruz County reports 207 people died because of COVID-19. All of those deaths were after Jan. 20, 2020. How to Apply ou can reach the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) Monday thru Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call this dedicated toll-free phone number to get a COVID-19 Funeral Assistance application completed with help from FEMA’s representatives. Multilingual services will be available. Get answers to frequently asked questions about the application process on our Funeral Assistance FAQ page. (https:// tinyurl.com/covid-funeral-help) If you use a relay service, such as your videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, please provide your specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA
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“Staff of Life” from page 20 Their goal was to make nourishing and natural old world-style bread as a healthy alternative to the highly processed and chemical-laden bread that dominated the “Grand Jury: CZU Fire” from page 26 The supervisors, elected to their positions by our community, fail to recognize that they are responsible to adequately address these concerns. F2. There was a marked difference in content and depth of analysis between Cal Fire’s Virtual Community Meeting presentation given to San Mateo County and the two given to Santa Cruz County. The discrepancy is disappointing and not acceptable. F3. The Board of Supervisors did not adequately respond to their constituents’ concerns and questions. F4. The Board of Supervisors has not held Cal Fire accountable for their lack of analysis of their performance in the CZU Lightning Complex fire. F5. No provision exists in the current
is able to contact you, and you should be aware phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number. Funeral Assistance Policy n June 29, 2021, FEMA amended the funeral assistance policy to assist with COVID-19 related fatalities that occurred in the early months of the pandemic. This policy change will allow applicants to submit a statement or letter from the death certificate’s certifying official, medical examiner, or coroner, that attributes the death to COVID-19 fatalities that occurred between Jan. 20 and May 16, 2020. Read the amended policy at https:// tinyurl.com/feta-funeral-assist-new
Who is Eligible? o be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions: • For deaths that occurred after May 16, 2020, the death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19. • For deaths that occurred from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020, any death certificate that does not attribute the cause of death to COVID-19 must be accompanied by a signed statement listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death. ° The signed statement must be provided by the original certifier of the death certificate or the local
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medical examiner or coroner from the jurisdiction in which the death occurred. ° The statement must provide an additional explanation, or causal pathway, linking the cause of death listed on the death certificate with COVID-19. If you had COVID-19 funeral expenses, we encourage you to keep and gather documentation. Types of information should include: • Official death certificate that shows the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories. ° If the death certificate is from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 it must either attribute the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 or be accompanied by a signed statement provided by the original certifier of the death certificate or the local medical examiner or coroner from the jurisdiction in which the death occurred listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death. This statement must provide an additional explanation, or causal pathway, linking the cause of death listed on the death certificate with COVID-19. ° If the death certificate from May 16, 2020 or later the death certificate must attribute the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19. n
market. At the time there was no clear definition of “organic” but the two founders sought out the best ingredients that aligned with their principles. They found wheat from family farms that were still practicing traditional agri-
cultural methods that were pesticide-free and healthy for both individuals and the planet: essentially the principles of what is now considered organic farming. Over time the bakery grew into Staff of Life Natural Foods Market, moving into a
larger store in Santa Cruz in 2011 and then to Watsonville this year. The founders, with co-owner Jason Bazarnick, have kept the tradition of working with regional producers and local family farms to provide the best quality products. n
contract between the county and Cal Fire to develop after-action reports during the non-fire season. F6. The Board of Supervisors’ responses to the Findings and Recommendations of the 2020 Ready? Aim? Fire! report show a lack of engagement with the material and a lack of understanding of their role as advocates for the county. F7. The adequacy of resources for firefighting in the future is questioned due to uncertainty of mutual aid assistance, deployment and management of volunteer companies, and availability of funding. Recommendations R1. In the next 30 days the Board of Supervisors should conduct an investigation to challenge Cal Fire on their preparation for future fire events, Cal Fire’s response to the CZU Complex Fire, and
give satisfactory answers to all residents’ questions and concerns as documented in this report. (F1, F2, F3) R2. In the next six months the Board of Supervisors should adopt a formal policy for handling and logging resident complaints and requests for information. (F1, F3) R3. Within the next six months, the Board of Supervisors should require that Cal Fire produce timely after-action reports for all major incidents. (F1, F2, F4, F5) R4. In the next 90 days the Board of Supervisors should direct staff to produce a lessons-learned document for the public summarizing their investigation of Cal Fire and an action plan detailing how preparation for future fire events and response will be improved. (F1, F2, F4, F5) R5. The Board of Supervisors should
revisit its responses to the Grand Jury’s 2020 Ready? Aim? Fire! Report, and rewrite their responses by December 31, 2021 in a document posted on their website to demonstrate hands-on engagement and better preparation for the next fire season. (F6) R6. Within six months the Board of Supervisors should direct staff to advocate for additional funding for fire preparation and prevention resources from the state of California. (F7) Commendations C1. The County Office of Response, Recovery, & Resilience has done an excellent job of providing information and resources on the website. C2. The County Office of Response, Recovery, & Resilience has developed an excellent capability for expediting permitting and rebuilding. n
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / July 15th 2021 / 27
