Brief Report on COVID-19 Outreach & Communications
When COVID-19 first hit our community, the City created a dedicated website that over time grew to be a steady source of information for our community. The City’s website includes a dashboard of COVID-19 trends in the City of Alameda, showing monthly and cumulative cases. Below are a few data highlights.
City Website
• From March 1 – December 31 2019, we had 270,000 website users, compared with 536,000 users during the same period in 2020.
• So far in 2021 (through April) we have had 233,000 website users to date. • In 2020, the top 3 webpages were 1) COVID-19 main page with 191,324 pageviews, 2) COVID-19 Alameda dashboard with 170,378, and 3) the City’s homepage, 163,337 pageviews. • In 2021, the top 3 webpages are 1) vaccine guide with 145,034 pageviews, 2) vaccine appointments available with 87,780 pageviews, and 3) the City’s homepage with 85,600 pageviews.
In addition, the City posted press releases, created posters and graphics, used photography and video, posted on social media, sent email blasts, and hosted Town Halls to engage the community.
Posters
• 2 different COVID-19 posters were created to encourage mask wearing that were displayed in all City parks and in City businesses.
COVID Electronic Newsletters (sent to more than 23,000 unique email addresses) • 2020: 19 COVID-19 updates
• 2021: 4 COVID-19 updates
Social Media
• From March 1 – December 31, 2020 our Facebook page had a reach of 494,072, an increase of 197% from the year before. Our Instagram reach was 21,962. • In 2021, our Facebook reach was 222,225 and Instagram 19,734. • In 2020 our top 3 posts were 1) December 4: Stay Home order announcement with a reach of 134k (shared 613 times), 2) December 8: CA Notify post with a reach of 26k, and 3) June 1:
Curfew notice with a reach of 24k.
• In 2021 our top 3 posts are 1) January 12: Vaccine update with a reach of 107k, January 21: Feed Alameda post, with a reach of 107k, and February 11: public art mural post (non-COVID) with a reach of 17k.
Town Halls: March 2020 – April 2021
• We have hosted around 100 Zoom Town Halls regarding COVID-19 since March 2020, including the Mayor’s Town Hall, Councilmembers’ Town Hall, and Business Town Hall.
Exhibit 1