Coronavirus California

Coronavirus California: SF expands COVID-19 outreach, funding to Latino communities

The campaign is to let immigrants and undocumented people know that there is money that they can access, should their family be impacted by COVID-19.

ByKate Larsen KGO logo

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Coronavirus California: SF expands COVID-19 outreach, funding to Latino communities

One of the funds accessible to the Latino community provides two-week wage replacement amounting to $1,285, for up to 1,500 San Franciscans who test positive for COVID-19.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The City of San Francisco announced a new strategy to bring recovery resources to the Latino community, which accounts for half the city's coronavirus cases.

"We as a community need to be able to say 'it's okay to come out and get tested' because we have resources to help you," said Jon Jacobo, the Health Committee chair for the Latino Task Force, which partnered with the city to bring awareness to new and existing programs.

"If you are undocumented, you know that you don't qualify for any of the state or federal benefits that apply to others. And so if you know that, you more than likely will be timid to get tested if you're asymptomatic or not and be told that you have to stay home for two weeks. At that point, if you have to stay home for two weeks and you're going to lose your wages, you may not be able to recover that and that really could be the ball game for you financially," said Jacobo.

A press release from Mayor London Breed's office said the La Familia Unida Contra COVID-19 campaign "will focus on culturally-responsive safety messaging to increase awareness of health orders and guidelines, as well as programs that support the community with food, housing, finance, and mental health services." (Scroll to the bottom of this post to read the full press release)

VIDEO: Virtual town hall addressing COVID-19 impact on Latino community

ABC7 News has partnered with the Latino Community Foundation to present, "Race and Coronavirus: A Bay Area Conversation" a virtual and interactive town hall addressing the impact of COVID-19 on Latinos.

The campaign is to let immigrants and undocumented people know that there is money that they can access, should their family be impacted by COVID-19.

The Right to Recover Fund provides two-week wage replacement, based on minimum wage amounting to $1,285, for up to 1,500 San Franciscans who test positive for COVID-19.

Family Relief Fund already offered $500 to $1000 monthly for families that do not qualify for local, state, or federal assistance.

And, Immigrant Workers Fund makes one-time $200 payments available for supportive services and food for immigrant workers impacted by COVID-19.

On Wednesday morning, the Latino Task Force and UCSF launched a testing program and study in the Mission District for commuters and essential workers. Jacobo was there and said they tested 500 people, who lined up down the block.

"In April when we started to do testing, we had to get gift cards from Safeway to try to incentivize people to get tested. So just for me anecdotally, there's been a huge mood shift, where people are taking it very serious."

Full press release from City of San Francisco

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