Vaccines NOW Available to Everyone 16+
San Bernardino County officials have announced that every County resident aged 16 and older is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The decision means thousands of additional residents may now schedule an appointment to receive one of the three FDA-approved vaccines.
Residents ages 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine currently approved for people under 18, and in San Bernardino County Pfizer is available only at the County’s public health sites and the State’s OptumServe sites. They will also need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive the Pfizer vaccine. (Again, the Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available only to those who are 18 years and older.)
More than 800,000 vaccinations have been administered to San Bernardino County residents, according to the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard on the County’s COVID-19 website. The vaccines have been administered through County-run sites and a variety of independent providers such as hospitals, physician practices and major pharmacies. To schedule an appointment, please visit the County vaccination page or call the COVID-19 helpline at (909) 387-3911, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The COVID-19 helpline hours will narrow to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Monday, April 12, to allow for additional staffing during the busier morning hours.
Straight Talk for Anyone Worried About Getting Vaccinated
Vaccination eligibility continues to expand: anyone age 16 and older is now able to schedule a shot. The County is now receiving a steady supply of the vaccines, reducing the shortages that have complicated efforts over the past three months.
The biggest challenge now may be reassuring those reluctant or skeptical about getting the vaccine.
“Despite overwhelming evidence that the approved vaccines are both safe and effective, there are some in our population who continue to express fears,” said the County’s Interim Public Health Director Andrew Goldfrach. “We want to do all we can do to answer any questions about the vaccines to help individuals overcome their reluctance and schedule a vaccination appointment as soon as they can.”
The County has made specific outreach efforts to underserved communities, including a collaborative effort with many of the County’s African-American churches and a town hall and upcoming vaccination event with the Mexican Consulate.
“Our Black and Latino residents have been especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more likely to have front-line, essential jobs that cannot be performed from home,” Goldfrach said. “Many of these individuals also tend to be overrepresented in severe COVID-19 cases and death, so getting them vaccinated is a top priority.”
Goldfrach said that vaccine skeptics are not limited to minority communities, but rather can be found in almost every neighborhood in the county. He listed five main reasons why every eligible resident should get a vaccination shot as soon as possible.
A COVID-19 vaccination will prevent you from getting sick
All three of the vaccines currently available in the United States have demonstrated a remarkable ability to prevent serious COVID-19 symptoms. They were carefully evaluated in clinical trials and were only approved after repeatedly showing their efficacy in preventing illness. Even in rare cases where an individual does get sick in spite of being vaccinated, the drug prevents the illness from becoming serious.
Though the COVID-19 vaccines were fast-tracked, the approval process remained stringent
The companies that created the COVID-19 vaccines were careful not to cut corners when testing the drugs for safety and efficacy. Moreover, before issuing Emergency Use Authorization for the vaccines, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) meticulously evaluated the potential benefits and the potential risks of the vaccines and confirmed they are both safe and effective.
Vaccine side effects are temporary and tend to produce minimal discomfort
The vast majority of vaccine recipients experience very little discomfort from the vaccines, usually limited to a sore arm, a mild fever or body aches. Such symptoms are temporary, typically lasting only a day or two, and merely indicate that the body’s immune system is learning to recognize and fight the coronavirus. Also, since none of the approved vaccines actually contain live coronavirus, it is not possible to get COVID-19 from a vaccination.
Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 helps others in your community — including those most at risk of hospitalization and death
Getting vaccinated not only protects you from COVID-19; it also protects the people around you, especially those at heightened risk for severe illness from the disease. And while wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of spreading the virus to others, such measures will not suffice in ending this pandemic.
More vaccinations for COVID-19 mean a chance to return to normal
After more than a year of coronavirus pandemic closures, cancellations, and postponements, the overwhelming majority of County residents are eager to begin returning to work, school, sporting events, family celebrations, restaurants, movie theaters, and various social activities. Every person who gets a vaccination contributes to our returning to normal life sooner rather than later.
“We are employing every tool we have to stop the pandemic, and our most powerful weapons are the vaccines,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “But it is essential for us to move forward as quickly as possible. If people wait too long to get vaccinated, they will enable the coronavirus— including new variants — to continue spreading.
“COVID-19 can be very dangerous; it has already killed more than 4,000 people in San Bernardino County alone,” said Hagman. “So the sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you can protect yourself and others from this terrible disease.”
San Bernardino County Enters Orange Tier
This brief video shares some of the highlights of what it means that San Bernardino County is now in the Orange Tier. Anyone up for bowling?
FEMA to Help Pay Funeral Costs for COVID-19-Related Deaths
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide financial assistance for funeral expenses incurred for deaths related to COVID-19. Beginning Monday, April 12, 2021, FEMA will begin to accept applications through a dedicated call center.
The assistance is a provision under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which will cover up to $9,000 of verified expenses for funeral services and interment or cremation. The aid is for funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.
Applications can only be taken over a dedicated assistance toll-free phone number, 844-684-6333, beginning on April 12, 2021. The phone line is staffed by FEMA Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. A list of covered expenses, FAQs and more information can be found on FEMA’s funeral assistance webpage.
To be eligible for COVID-19 funeral assistance, the policy states:
- The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien
- If multiple individuals contributed toward funeral expenses, they should apply under a single application as applicant and co-applicant.
- An applicant may apply for multiple deceased individuals.
- This assistance is limited to a maximum financial amount of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application.
Documentation necessary during application process
After applying on the phone, applicants will need to submit supporting documentation, such as the following:
- An official death certificate that attributes the death to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States. The death certificate must indicate the death “may have been caused by” or “was likely the result of” COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms.
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Funeral expense documents (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) that include the applicant’s name, the deceased individual’s name, the amount of funeral expenses and dates the funeral expenses were incurred.
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Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs. Funeral assistance may not duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, federal/state/local/tribal/territorial government programs or agencies, or other sources.
For more information about this assistance, visit COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov.
State Updates Guidance for Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports
Spectators and observers are now permitted to watch outdoor live events and performances under new guidelines issued by the State Department of Public Health late Tuesday.
Previously, there were limitations on spectators and observers – and observers were only allowed for “age-appropriate supervision” for sports participants under age 18. That was further limited to a single parent or guardian. No spectators were previously allowed for adult sports.
The new guidance also allows inter-team competitions, meets, races or similar events, but the competitions must only occur with other teams from within the state of California.
Previously, competition was only allowed between teams either from the same county, or with teams from counties that shared a border. Now teams from all over the state may compete, but there is still a requirement that a single team can only play another single team in any given day, meaning that a team cannot play multiple teams in the same day.
For more information on the updated guidance, please visit the State’s website.
Omnitrans Now Offering 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.
Available until further notice, 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.
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 992 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 989 inmates have recovered from the illness.
A total of 1,023 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating at home; 1,008 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
291,989 Confirmed Cases (up 0.1% from the previous day)
4,137 Deaths (up 0.2% from the previous day)
2,755,602 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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