Vaccines NOW Available to Everyone 50+
San Bernardino County’s effort to vaccinate all of its residents has shifted into high gear, with appointments currently available to everyone age 50 and over.
In addition, anyone who accompanies an eligible family member to an appointment is also eligible (regardless of age) – but they must have an appointment at the same location and at approximately the same time as their eligible family member.
The decision to expand vaccine eligibility is a result of increasing vaccine supplies. California currently receives 1.8 million vaccines per week, which is expected to increase to more than 3 million per week by the end of April.
San Bernardino County has been making great progress in vaccinating its residents since Dec. 16, when we became one of the first counties in the California to receive and administer vaccines. Almost 28% of the county’s adults have been vaccinated (at least one dose) and almost 16% have been fully vaccinated, and that has been with limited eligibility.
People can make an appointment by visiting the county’s SBCovid19 vaccination webpage, and choose from county or state run sites, or several pharmacy options. Individuals are also encouraged to contact their physicians who might be able to schedule appointments through their health system.
COVID-19 Helpline offers assistance for appointments
Those who need further assistance in making an appointment can call the county’s COVID-19 hotline at 909-387-3911 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours have been reduced by an hour in the evening to expand staffing and reduce wait times during the busier early-morning hours. Residents of San Bernardino County may also call the COVID-19 hotline for general information and resources about the virus, although the helpline is not intended for medical-related calls or questions.
Omnitrans to Offer Free Vaccination Shuttles in Ontario and
San Bernardino
Omnitrans is doing its part to help protect the health and safety of San Bernardino County residents by offering two FREE shuttle services to those with COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Ontario and San Bernardino. The vehicles used will be OmniAccess buses, which are ADA compliant and wheelchair/mobility device accessible.
Starting Monday, April 5, 2021 and continuing until further notice, two shuttles will serve two of the county’s largest vaccination sites – the Ontario Convention Center and Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino.
The Ontario Shuttle operates every 40 minutes, Tuesday through Saturday, between the Montclair Transit Center (MTC) and Ontario Convention Center, starting at 9:25 a.m. Pick-up/drop-off at MTC is located across from Foothill Transit’s Silver Streak stop. The San Bernardino Shuttle Operates every 30 minutes, Tuesday through Saturday, between the San Bernardino Transit Center (SBTC) and Arroyo Valley High School, starting at 9:40 a.m. Pick-up/drop-off at SBTC is located past the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) bus bay, right after the driveway bend.
More information, including connections and specific arrival and departure times can be found here at http://omnitrans.org/vaccine.
Graduation Ceremonies Now Allowed with Restrictions
Amusement Parks, Concerts, Sporting Events Can Also Proceed
Starting April 1, students, parents, and educators across San Bernardino County can once again enjoy the tradition of an in-person graduation ceremony, with specific restrictions. The new standards also apply to the reopening of amusement parks, live concerts and sporting events.
Specifically, outdoor venues (including sports stadiums and amusement parks), may open to 15% capacity outdoors and indoors (with time limits). Graduation ceremonies, sporting events and concerts and will be permitted in venues that meet certain criteria, including:
- The venue must be a permanent and fixed facility, focused around a stage round, field court, or other central area designed primarily for viewing entertainment or athletics by an audience.
- The facility must either be open to the sky or have at least 50% of the total perimeter open — i.e., there are no walls, doors, windows, dividers, or other physical barriers that restrict air flow, whether open or closed.
- Seat assignments must be marked clearly with at least six feet of distance between household groups.
- There must be permanent or added barriers to create at least 12 feet of space between the audience and the stage.
“This is great news for anyone longing to see their child graduate from school, or just get outside and enjoy a concert or watch a ball game,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “This news is especially welcome now, as weather conditions make outdoor events particularly inviting.”
Other specifics regarding commencement/graduation ceremonies
“We’re excited that students, teachers, families and school administrators will be able to celebrate the milestone of graduation,” said Hagman. “But it is still important to remain cautious and take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Such cautionary steps include:
- Conducting ceremonies outdoors in open-air venues offering unrestricted airflow.
- Requiring attendees to wear masks and maintain physical distance from others outside their immediate households. All attendees, including school staff, performers, students and families are counted toward any occupancy capacity limit.
- Requiring attendees to sign up in advance of the ceremony, and limiting attendance to those who have pre-registered.
- Screening (including self-screening) attendees for COVID symptoms, with schools establishing expectations according to public health guidelines.
If possible, districts and schools are strongly encouraged to send students their diplomas, caps and gowns prior to the ceremony so they can arrive dressed and with their diplomas in hand. Also, those schools planning to host multiple ceremonies during a single day must allow for at least two hours between ceremonies, which will help prevent attendees from separate events from mixing.
County Approaching the Orange Tier, but Springtime Caution is Still Important
As we enjoy Spring Break and the upcoming Easter weekend, the county continues to show favorable numbers for case rates and hospitalizations, and officials say if positive trends continue, San Bernardino County could proceed into the Orange Tier very soon.
Yet officials are also cautioning that the pandemic is still with us — and that we all need to continue being careful to ensure conditions continue to improve.
“We seem to be improving rapidly, especially as we continue to vaccinate more and more residents every day,” said County Interim Public Health Director Andrew Goldfrach. “But to be honest, we’ve seen a plateau in the decline of COVID-19 cases recently, reminding us that we need to remain vigilant if we’re to keep the coronavirus at bay.”
Goldfrach wants to remind residents that those not yet “fully vaccinated” — meaning it’s been 14 days since their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (or first shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) — are still at some risk of either catching or spreading the virus. And everyone else not yet vaccinated needs to continue wearing face masks when indoors (and outdoors when social distancing isn’t practical), avoiding close contact with others, and washing their hands frequently.
“We’ve made excellent progress the past few weeks,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We’re thrilled our residents will be able to celebrate this Easter with few restrictions, and that our weather outlook bodes well for small, mixed household outdoor gatherings. But let’s all remain cautious and keep safety top of mind until everyone has a chance to get vaccinated.”
ABC7 News Looks Back at a Year of COVID-19 through Eyes of ER Doctor
It was one year ago when Dr. Danny Fernandez began to treat his first COVID positive patients at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, and Inland Empire Reporter Leticia Juarez took a look back at his journey in a recent television segment.
In an effort to protect his family, Fernandez moved out of his home and into an apartment. Fernandez said he spent his days working long hours in the ER while outside the hospital COVID-19 had become a polarizing issue.
"I knew what I was seeing in the hospital, I knew how many sick patients I had, I knew I was putting in long hours,” said Fernandez, who was one of the county’s first to receive the vaccine. “I knew I was going into these COVID-positive rooms trying to help and intubate or put in airways, (yet) some people would say it is made up or it does not exist."
The segment also includes a look back by the County’s recently retired Public Health Director Corwin Porter, who reminded viewers of the efforts made to contain and control the disease.
Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 990 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. A total of 987 inmates have recovered from the illness.
A total of 1,020 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating at home; 1,006 employees have recovered from the virus. Other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks. It is unknown when or where the employees were infected with the virus. The department continues to encourage all department members to heed the warnings of health officials.
Latest Stats
290,954 Confirmed Cases (up 0.1% from the previous day)
4,011 Deaths (up 0.3% from the previous day)
2,700,929 Tests (up 0.1% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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