Recommendation for Covering Face/ Craneway Pavilion Temporary Medical Facility April 3, 2020 General COVID-19, Public Health Bay Area health officials are recommending that residents cover their nose and mouth with cloth when leaving home for essential travel such as to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, or pharmacy visits. The regional recommendation aligns with new guidance from the California Department of Public Health. The face coverings do not have to be hospital-grade but need to cover the nose and mouth. For example, bandanas, fabric masks, and neck gaiters are acceptable. Fabric covers and bandanas can be washed and used again. We do not recommend that the public use medical masks (N-95 or surgical masks), which are in limited supply and must be preserved for our health care workers and pre-hospital transport providers. To view the full Alameda County Press Release, click here . As part of local emergency preparations, Contra Costa County officials are working with Federal and state partners to convert the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond into a 250-bed medical station for COVID-19 patients. Beds and medical supplies are being brought in by the National Guard this week to begin transforming the Craneway Pavilion, a large event center on the Richmond waterfront, into a temporary medical facility. The goal is to have the facility ready to receive patients by the third week of April, when health experts predict the Bay Area will see COVID-19 cases begin to peak. To view the full press release, please visit the Contra Costa Public Health Department website.