Three Important Tips for a Safe Fourth of July Weekend
San Bernardino County residents will be gathering with friends and family this weekend to not only celebrate our nation, but enjoy the fun and camaraderie lost during the pandemic. The County wants to wish everyone a very happy Fourth of July, with a few reminders on how to keep it safe.
Tip #1: Plan your gatherings with safety in mind
With more and more people getting the COVID-19 vaccine, this holiday weekend will start to look and feel more normal – but with the coronavirus still present, it’s important to keep health and safety top of mind.
If you are fully vaccinated, any gathering is allowed without wearing a mask or physically distancing (in places where it is not otherwise required by mandate or policy, such as healthcare settings).
For people who haven’t received the vaccine, however, current recommendations still include wearing a mask and remaining socially distant from those not living with you. With dangerous variants still lurking (see related story below), the non-vaccinated should avoid large crowds and indoor gatherings.
Additionally, with masks now off, regular germs are now more apt to spread. If someone is feeling sick, it’s best for them to stay home to prevent spreading illness to others. And of course, everyone can help prevent the spread of many kinds of germs by frequently washing their hands.
Tip 2: Remember food safety guidelines
When it comes to food, and with the likelihood that there will be some unvaccinated people at your gathering, reduce the risk of spreading germs (including COVID-19) by avoiding shared food items that are hand-touched, like bowls of chips or peanuts.
It’s also important to store your food safely. Hot summer temperatures combined with food that’s left out for too long can lead to food poisoning. Pack up and chill your leftovers as soon as you can. Bacteria grows fast at room temperature – two hours is the maximum time food can sit out. If it’s hotter than 90 degrees, then the longest food can sit out is one hour.
Tip 3: Practice firework safety
Fireworks and July 4th go hand-in-hand, but it’s important to remember that fireworks are dangerous, especially in our excessive heat and drought conditions. It’s best to leave the fireworks shows to the professionals, and in fact, only a few cities in our county allow the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks.
Under California law, all fireworks that explode, shoot into the air, or move along the ground are considered dangerous and are illegal to possess. That includes firecrackers, skyrockets, roman candles, mortars, and “chasers” that dart along the ground, and “safe and sane” fireworks that have been modified.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, on a typical Fourth of July, fireworks cause more fires in the U.S. than all other causes combined. In addition to fires, fireworks cause deaths, blindness, maiming injuries to children and adults, re-traumatize war veterans suffering from PTSD, and frighten household pets.
If you are in a city where legal fireworks are allowed and you will be lighting them yourself at home, remember to use them far away from any buildings, including your house. Don’t use fireworks on dry grass or near any leaves, trees or shrubbery. And finally, know the location of other people, your children and your pets at all times. Don’t let them stand close while setting off fireworks.
The San Bernardino County Fire website has compiled a list of all firework celebration events across the county, as well as more information on firework safety and a reporting page for illegal fireworks.
Doctors Still Seeing New COVID-19 Cases; Express Concerns about Delta Variant
While San Bernardino County has experienced dramatic improvements in COVID-related cases, hospitalizations and deaths since the winter spike, doctors here are continuing to treat patients newly suffering from the disease.
“The widespread pandemic has largely receded, but the reality on the ground is that the virus, and the disease, are still very much with us,” said County Health Officer Dr. Michael Sequeira. He noted that most recent patients are relatively young and healthy, and much less likely to suffer a life-threatening condition than older patients. Still, he expressed ample concern about the disease’s continued spread and the emergence of the new Delta variant, which has made its way to the county.
First identified in India, this version of the coronavirus has spread to at least 77 countries and regions and now makes up more than 20 percent of all U.S. cases.
“As of this week, we have isolated 75 cases of the Delta variant in San Bernardino County, which accounts for 3.55% of our COVID-19 isolation,” said Dr. Sequeira. “This specific variant seems to have a predilection for the younger population groups which just emphasizes the need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”
Studies suggest the Delta variant is between 40 and 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant first identified in the U.K.—which was already 50 percent more transmissible than the original viral strain first detected in Wuhan, China.
“This is the most easily transmissible, contagious version of the virus we’ve seen thus far,” said Dr. Sequeira. “But the good news is that studies by both Pfizer and Moderna show that the immunity conferred by their vaccines is very good against the Delta variant.”
While the new variant is unlikely to cause a nationwide surge comparable to last winter, Dr. Sequeira and other medical experts are worried about local outbreaks in specific communities where vaccination rates remain low. In addition, we could see significant outbreaks in high temperature areas, like most places in San Bernardino County, where people tend to spend a lot of time in air-conditioned buildings.
Dr. Sequeira also worries about the misguided confidence that a healthy person will not likely die from the virus. “Contracting COVID-19 can be a very unpleasant experience, regardless of the ultimate outcome,” he said. “We’re also concerned about potential long-term effects, such as fatigue, lung problems, joint pain, brain fog and loss of smell.”
According to officials at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, most new COVID-19 patients share one factor in common: he or she has neglected to get vaccinated (or is not yet fully vaccinated).
“The evidence is unassailable: the difference between staying healthy and getting sick is a simple, cost-free vaccination shot,” said Interim Public Health Director Andrew Goldfrach. “Vaccine complacency is now our single greatest challenge in getting this disease under control.
“As a result, our primary focus now is on overcoming any lingering hesitancy and getting more people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Much of our attention is on convincing younger people to take a few minutes to get inoculated.”
Would You Like Fries...or a Vaccination...with Your Meal?
County residents who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have new options for obtaining a shot — easily and conveniently. A statewide initiative spearheaded by the California Department of Public Health is providing free vaccinations at local McDonald’s restaurants.
A similar program, initiated by San Bernardino County, enables residents to quickly and easily obtain a shot at Cardenas Markets stores in Rialto and San Bernardino.
“This represents yet another strategy for making getting vaccinated as simple and easy as possible,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We are doing everything we can to enable residents to protect their health without having to travel, wait in line or deal with any other inconvenience. We really appreciate how McDonald’s and Cardenas have stepped up to help protect the public’s health.”
McDonald’s franchisees are establishing pop-up vaccination clinics at more than 70 locations across the state — including restaurant locations in Colton, Lake Arrowhead, Victorville, Big Bear Lake, and San Bernardino. Visitors who receive either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also be given a coupon for any one item on the menu.
Although appointments are encouraged, walk-ins are welcomed at all locations. More information on the McDonald’s vaccinations can be found at https://camcdevents.com/.
“While infection and hospitalization rates have declined dramatically since peaking in January, we are still seeing new cases almost every day,” said Interim Public Health Director Andrew Goldfrach. “Without question, getting vaccinated is the key to avoid getting sick.”
The following are dates, times and locations for vaccinations at McDonald’s and Cardenas Markets in July.
County to Honor Independence Day by Closing Vaccination and Testing Sites
The Independence Day holiday is just around the corner, and County officials are recognizing it by temporarily closing all County-run COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites on Monday, July 5.
“Our people on the front lines have been working relentlessly for months on end, and they are long overdue for a day off,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We hope they use this time to relax and safely visit family and friends. They deserve it.”
Chairman Hagman noted that the tireless efforts of these front-line workers have played an instrumental role in diminishing our County’s COVID positivity rate.
“By way of comparison: last December, the County’s positivity rate was more than 27 percent,” said Chairman Hagman. “Today our positivity rate is around 1 percent — a huge improvement. We’ve also given at least one vaccination shot to more than half of our residents — a considerable achievement when one considers the sheer vastness of San Bernardino County.”
County-operated testing and vaccination sites will reopen on Tuesday, July 6. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, please visit our new COVID-19 website.
Also, effective immediately, the County’s national-award-winning COVID-19 data dashboard will be updated only on business days. It will no longer be updated on weekends or holidays, including the upcoming three-day Fourth of July holiday weekend. This is because the State Department of Public Health has recently adopted a business-day-only data update schedule, and the state data is a primary information source for the County dashboard.
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 1,062 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic; of these, 62 current inmates are experiencing minor symptoms and are recovering. The infected inmates are isolated, monitored around the clock, and provided with medical treatment.
A total of 1,041 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1,029 of the 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
299,763 Confirmed Cases (up 0% from the previous day)
4,679 Deaths (up 0% from the previous day)
3,405,563 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.
|
