One Million People Vaccinated in San Bernardino County
Fourteen-year-old Keonte Johnson of San Bernardino became the one millionth San Bernardino County resident to get a COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, helping our county reach an important milestone in the pandemic.
Keonte and his mom went to the vaccination clinic at Middle College High School and were thankful to get him vaccinated and to be part of the experience of being the 1 millionth resident served.
“This was really cool,” he said.
“This is going to be an experience he remembers for the rest of his life,” said his mom, Keisha Johnson, who thanked County Chief Executive Officer Leonard Hernandez and the Public Health staff for presenting Keonte with balloons, a custom T-shirt and a cupcake with a gold No. 1 on it.
“This one-millionth Shot for Hope is a testament to our community’s commitment and resiliency,” Hernandez said. “This is also a testament to the dedication of the entire County Government workforce, especially those who work in Public Health. Getting vaccinated is how we end the pandemic and bring our communities fully back to life.”
San Bernardino County residents are nearly 50 percent fully vaccinated with a goal of 70 percent, or just 180,000 residents left to vaccinate to get to what we hope will be herd immunity.
Lisa Matus, a licensed vocation nurse with the Department of Public Health, administered Keonte’s shot. Matus has vaccinated more than 5,000 residents against COVID-19. Hernandez presented her with a card and a bouquet of flowers in recognition of her heroic efforts.
“I want to thank our Public Health staff for working so hard to get our residents vaccinated,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “They have saved lives and saved our health care systems from being overburdened. Their commitment to this work has allowed many of us to get back to business, our favorite activities and visiting the people we love.”
 California Now Offers Portal to Access Digital Vaccine Record
San Bernardino County residents (and others throughout the state) who’ve been vaccinated can now obtain a digital vaccination record to complement their paper card. The digital record will be virtually impossible to lose, and it won’t get torn, damaged, or lost in the wash.
The Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal is a voluntary system that offers every vaccinated Californian an opt-in, secure, and shareable digital copy of their COVID-19 vaccination record. The Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal is easy to use: a person enters their name, date of birth, and an email or mobile phone number associated with their vaccine record. After creating a 4-digit PIN, the user receives a link to their vaccine record that will open upon re-entry of the PIN.
“While CDPH recommends that vaccinated Californians keep their paper CDC card in a safe and secure place, we recognize that some people might prefer an electronic version,” said California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. “And if one of the state’s vaccinated Californians misplaces their paper card, the Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record provides a convenient backup.”
QR code allows record to be stored on smartphone
The tool features a QR code along with a text display listing the individual’s name, date of birth, vaccine dates and vaccine manufacturer. The state employed the SMART Health Cards framework standard to generate the QR code, which enables users to store their digital vaccine records on their smartphone.
The QR code can then be scanned by venue operators with SMART Health Card-compliant scanners — enabling venue personnel to move people through event lines much faster than visual inspections. The code is readable only by a SMART Health Card scanner — a technology option chosen to protect users’ privacy.
“We worked with CDPH, tech industry leaders, and consulted with California’s top businesses, service and event purveyors to create a system that works well for all sectors,” said Amy Tong, the state’s chief information officer and director of the California Department of Technology. “We achieved our goal to quickly produce an intuitive portal that offers Californians another way, and an easier way, to access their own COVID-19 immunization history.”
California mandates vaccinations for state employees, health care workers
In related news, Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that, beginning next month, all State of California government employees and health care workers will need to verify they’ve been vaccinated in order to return to work.
Unvaccinated health care employees will be required to undergo mandatory, twice weekly COVID-19 testing and continue to wear a mask in the workplace. Vaccine verification will also be required in jails and homeless shelters and all State of California government workplaces, with unvaccinated workers required to test once a week.
The State today also recommended that all Californians, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in indoor public places, mirroring a recommendation by the CDC on Tuesday.
California's Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said the governor’s decision is in response to public health officials’ concern that the swift rise of the Delta variant now accounts for 83% of all COVID cases statewide. He noted that although the Delta variant is more highly contagious than previous versions of the coronavirus, the three approved vaccines have proven to be largely effective against it.
"The Delta variant is a different beast," said Dr. Ghaly. "Bottom line, vaccines are the road through this even with the Delta spreading faster."
The state has thus far administered more than 43 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. While 75% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and some 62% are fully vaccinated, San Bernardino County is lagging behind the state percentage, with just under 48% fully vaccinated. Here in the county, infection rates and even hospitalizations are increasing significantly (though the numbers are still well below where they were during the peak of the pandemic in December and January.
This video features San Bernardino County Project Coordinator Mayra Barcenas
Cardenas Markets Continues to Offer Vaccines to County Residents
Cardenas Markets is continuing to host both first and second dose vaccination events for those who live or work near their Rialto and San Bernardino locations.
“Cardenas Markets is entrenched in the communities where we operate, and we are pleased to host San Bernardino County vaccination sites to provide local residents with a convenient way to get vaccinated,” said Adam Salgado, chief marketing officer for Cardenas Markets.
The company’s Rialto store (250 W. Foothill Blvd.), will be offering initial doses of the Pfizer vaccines on both August 3 and August 10. Second doses can be obtained at the same location August 24 and August 31. The company’s San Bernardino store (2045 E Highland Ave) has a similar schedule, offering first doses on August 2 and August 9, with follow-up shots administered on August 23 and August 30.
The events at both stores will be conducted from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available on request.
 “This is yet another example of how we are trying to make getting a vaccine as simple, easy and convenient as possible,” said Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Curt Hagman. “We are grateful to Cardenas Markets for stepping up to help protect residents and get our County back to normal as quickly as possible.”
The vaccines are available, at no cost, to all residents aged 12 and above.
Bird and Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Lake Arrowhead and Needles
Public health officials offering tips for protection
San Bernardino County Public Health officials are urging residents to take precautions after a bird carcass collected in Lake Arrowhead and a collection of mosquitoes from Needles tested positive for West Nile virus.
The Steller’s jay, collected on July 5, is the first positive case of 2021 within the area served by the County Environmental Health Services Mosquito and Vector Control Program (MVCP). In the same week, a collection of mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus in the city of Needles. MVCP is taking steps to eliminate mosquito breeding hazards.
People bitten by an infected mosquito may develop West Nile fever and experience flu-like symptoms which may include fever, body aches, skin rash, and fatigue. In some people, West Nile fever can develop into a more serious form of the disease. If you have been bitten by mosquitoes and are experiencing these symptoms, contact your medical care provider as soon as possible.
Residents can protect themselves from West Nile virus by following these tips:
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Remove all standing water around your property where mosquitoes can lay eggs such as birdbaths, green swimming pools, ponds, old tires, buckets, flower pots, clogged gutters, or even puddles from leaky sprinklers.
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Avoid spending time outdoors at dawn and dusk – this is when mosquitoes are most active.
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Dress appropriately when outdoors. Wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts that are loose fitting and light colored.
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Apply insect repellent, and make sure your insect repellent contains DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus and apply it according to manufacturer’s directions.
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Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
Property owners with pools and spas are encouraged to keep them clean. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in unmaintained green pools and can fly up to 20 miles, potentially transmitting the virus and impacting entire neighborhoods.
As birds are susceptible to West Nile virus, any dead birds (e.g. crows, jays, magpies, raven, sparrows, finches or raptors) found in local areas should be reported to assist in monitoring for the virus.
To learn more about West Nile virus or to report a dead bird please visit westnile.ca.gov. For more information or to report a green pool or mosquito breeding source, contact the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Environmental Health Services at (800) 442-2283 or visit our website.
Latest Stats
305,827 Confirmed Cases (up 0.1% from the previous day)
4,851 Deaths (up 0% from the previous day)
3,553,823 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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