COVID-19 is now a Pandemic of the Unvaccinated
One Dose J&J Vaccine Now Available at All County Events
With the current COVID-19 vaccines showing strong effectiveness against the more contagious Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control is saying that 97% of people entering the hospital nationwide with COVID-19 are unvaccinated and nearly all of the deaths related to the virus are unvaccinated.
Here in San Bernardino County, confirmed cases and hospitalizations are also on the rise and, in fact, if the State’s color tier system were still in effect, we would now be in the Red Tier, with capacity restrictions on businesses.
Nationwide, the Delta variant of COVID-19 now makes up 83% of sequenced samples, which is up from 50% for the week of July 3. Fortunately, with nearly 50% of San Bernardino County residents fully vaccinated, the development in the county has been slower, with the Delta variant accounting for 9.0% of the rising cases (up from 5.1% on July 14); although this number only reflects testing at County sites.
“While we are nowhere near the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths we saw pre-vaccine, it is still concerning to see patients once again coming into our ICU units with COVID-19,” said County Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Sequeira. “If you are still unvaccinated, you are playing Russian roulette with your health – most will get through a COVID-19 infection unscathed, but there will be others that will have severe reactions, and yes, some will die.”
J&J vaccine now an option at County events
The vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson (J&J), one of three approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, is now available on request at all County-run vaccination sites for residents aged 18 and older in addition to the two-shot Pfizer vaccine, which is available to those 12 and older.
The J&J vaccine offers advantages in terms of convenience: it only requires a single dose to be effective, unlike with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require second doses to be maximally effective.
Want to help? Community-based organizations and employers can request to host a vaccination event, or bring in a health education ambassador to address vaccine questions and concerns. To request either, simply email the County Department of Public Health at communityevents@dph.sbcounty.gov.
“Family Fun” Community Vaccination Events This Weekend
McDonald’s also continuing to Host Vaccinations with Offers of Free Food
A series of “Family Fun” vaccination events has been scheduled for this Saturday, July 24. Attendees who receive either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine during the event — as well as those who have previously been vaccinated — will each be given free vouchers for food items, desserts and games.
The Family Fun events will run from 4-7 p.m. at locations in Fontana, Victorville, Ontario, Highland/San Bernardino, and Rialto. (See below for details). Those already vaccinated can also receive the vouchers for the food and games by showing a valid vaccination card.
“This represents an excellent opportunity for families to gather for some food, fun and play time — while taking steps to protect themselves and their families and friends from this dangerous and deadly virus,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman.
Guests can obtain a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which is available to people 12 and older, or a single dose shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is limited to people 18 and older.
“The event locations have been carefully selected on the basis of a variety of criteria, including current vaccination rates, COVID-19 case rates, health equity, and population demographics,” said Hagman. “Planners also sought convenient, centralized locations throughout the county.”
Vaccination events are also continuing to be held at select McDonalds’ restaurant locations, with guests receiving vaccines being given vouchers for free food items. The McDonald’s events are hosted at different days and times, depending on location. Although appointments are encouraged, walk-ins are welcomed at all locations. All special events and ongoing County-administered vaccine sites can be found on the County’s vaccination website.
Following are locations for the Family Fun events this Saturday, July 24 from 4-7 p.m.:
Hook Community Center
14973 Joshua St, Victorville
Fontana Community Senior Center
16710 Ceres Avenue, Fontana
Warm Springs Elementary
7497 Sterling Ave, San Bernardino
Chaffey High School
1245 N Euclid Ave, Ontario
ARMC Westside Clinic
850 Foothill Blvd, Rialto
El Sol Efforts to Fight COVID-19 Celebrated at Event at White House
Nonprofit Selected to Attend Event with President Biden
It’s been quite a month for El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center.
Representatives of the San Bernardino-based nonprofit were among a select group of first responders and healthcare workers honored at a July 4 White House event for their contributions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Lawn celebration featured remarks from President Joe Biden.
El Sol also received a video message from Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he lauded the organization for its leadership in expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines among underserved communities in the Inland Empire. In addition to these accolades, the organization was selected as a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year for its work with vulnerable communities throughout the pandemic.
“El Sol’s innovative outreach efforts have helped save countless lives and slowed the spread of the deadly coronavirus in some of our hardest-hit communities in the Inland Empire,” said State Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes.
Responding quickly to the pandemic, El Sol sent community health workers and promotoras (specially trained Spanish-speaking health workers) to address vaccine hesitancy, overcome access barriers and otherwise help meet the needs of underserved communities. Over the past several months the organization has:
- Delivered nearly 6,000 COVID-19 vaccinations by leading dozens of pop-up vaccination events and clinics throughout the Inland Empire.
- Provided 40 hours of COVID-19 training modules for community health workers and promotoras on community safety, mental health, risk communication, contact tracing, disease prevention, COVID-19 basics and community primary care.
- Produced and distributed nearly 7,000 COVID-19 care kits, which included masks, hand sanitizer, vaccination card holders.
- Developed “Time to Heal” virtual tool kits which include mental health check-in plans and self-care planning tools sheets to help community members heal from the trauma of the pandemic.
- Produced original music videos in both English and Spanish that used lyrics and imagery showing community members receiving vaccinations in a supportive environment to address vaccine hesitancy.
- Produced youth-friendly content including comic strips, activity books and posters to help parents and community health workers talk about the importance of vaccines with youth.
- Activated a call center to provide information and answer the community’s questions about vaccines.
- Managed a communications campaign in both English and Spanish to dispel vaccine myths and encourage COVID-19 harm reduction actions.
- Collected and shared “Stories of Impact” about the community health workers and promotoras who are key in fighting COVID-19.
A hallmark of El Sol’s distinct approach to community outreach is integrating pop culture to reach its audiences. El Sol produced original music videos in both English and Spanish that used lyrics and imagery showing community members receiving vaccinations in a supportive environment.
“El Sol has been playing an invaluable role in our community for three decades,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “The group’s community health workers often share the language and culture of the people they serve, and as a result are perceived as a helpful, credible resource. El Sol’s contributions during these difficult times have been particularly impactful.”
“El Sol has long been committed to empowering people in our community to become messengers of health, and connecting our residents to critical resources and care,” said Alexander Fajardo, executive director. “I am so grateful that the tireless efforts of our team and promotoras have been honored. It further inspires us to ensure everyone we serve can get vaccinated against COVID-19.”
Kids picking up Activity Kits for Museum’s virtual events
County Museum Honored with Four National Awards for Exceptional Virtual Events
San Bernardino County Museum Continues to Receive Well-Deserved Recognition
The County museum is the recipient of four 2021 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards, recognizing the museum’s programs in the Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation category for Arthropolooza: The Ultimate Bugfest; Developing Ethnobotany: Creative Collaboration and Indigenous Stories; Museum Programs Gone Virtual; and Science Spooktacular: Demystifying Science for our County Families.
The NACo Achievement Award Program recognizes innovative county government programs throughout the nation. The awards are even more impressive given they are programs offered during the pandemic.
The San Bernardino County Museum received an award for Arthropolooza: The Ultimate Bugfest, an annual program that focuses on the diversity of arthropods in the region and their ecological roles and significance to our environment.
The second award was for the Developing Ethnobotany: Creative Collaboration and Indigenous Stories project which is in collaboration with native people and their telling of indigenous stories in order to more effectively connect the public to the Museum’s ethnobotany spaces.
The third award was for Museum Programs Gone Virtual. The COVID-19 pandemic halted onsite museum programming since with temporary closure in March 2020. Our educational public service meant that maintaining communication and connecting with the county’s over 2 million residents would be crucial during this ongoing health crisis. From March 2020 through February 2021 the museum pivoted six regularly scheduled annual and quarterly onsite programs to the virtual environment.
The fourth award was for Science Spooktacular: Demystifying Science for our County Families which is meant to help demystify science and build science literacy in our county.
“We are thrilled to be the recipient of four NACo awards this year,” said Museum Director Melissa Russo. “I’m incredibly proud of the museum staff who rose above the challenges of the pandemic closure to continue to serve our county residents. It has been heartwarming to see residents with children drive up for activity kits and express so much appreciation for our continued presence with these virtual events.”
NACo is dedicated to advancing excellence in public service to help people and places thrive across America. The NACo Achievement Awards honor counties which are innovatively working to strengthen services for their residents.
For more information, visit www.sbcounty.gov/museum to see the full schedule of activities.
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 1,174 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic; of these, 43 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 1,067 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1,044 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
303,350 Confirmed Cases (up 0.1% from the previous day)
4,836 Deaths (up 0% from the previous day)
3,510,680 Tests (up 0.2% 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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