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Reminder: children 11 and under are not vaccinated.
Anyone aged 12 and over can be vaccinated against COVID-19 and reduce their risk of getting sick, protecting themselves while protecting those around them.
According to national health guidelines, children (and everyone) over 2 years of age who are not vaccinated should continue to use masks and continue to follow COVID-safe protocols
As we begin the holiday weekend, here are this week’s COVID-19 updates:
Why are the concerns about the Delta variant?
New cases of COVID-19 are on the rise from last week as the delta variant spreads across the United States, health officials said Thursday, USA Today reported.
The national weekly average of daily new cases was 10% higher, although cases were down 95% from the national peak in January, said Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The delta variant, which is said to be more contagious, is the second most common variant in the United States and is expected to become the most common “in the coming weeks,” Walensky said.
Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) gathered on July 2 for a press conference on various topics, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between 15 and 16 minute marks, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of transmissible variants “like the delta – which is rapidly becoming the dominant strain in many countries – we are in a very dangerous period of this pandemic”.
“In countries with low immunization coverage, terrible scenes of overflowing hospitals are becoming the norm again,” he said. “No county on Earth has come out of the woods yet.”
The delta variant is “dangerous and continues to evolve and mutate, requiring constant evaluation and careful adjustment of the public health response,” Tedros said.
Unlike the Centers for Disease Control, the WHO is monitoring the pandemic across the world, where the CDC is focused on the United States. Compared to other countries, the United States is among the countries with the most vaccines and people vaccinated.
The United States is not in a precarious and uncertain position like other countries, but the delta variant is present and a concern that health experts are watching.
For the full hour-long WHO press conference, you can access the video at https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OdKrVVZYYlKX or https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1410939796516597761.
How to stay safe this July 4th?
“In addition to the usual safety precautions regarding fireworks, we should always think about being safe from COVID,” said Dr. Maggie Park, SJC public health official.
For good measure, “it’s always a good idea to wash our hands a lot, stay home if we are sick, and use common sense infection control measures such as safe food handling.” , she added. Park further recommended to avoid buffets, shared appetizers, utensils and drinks.
People can get together and celebrate the holiday weekend, but “due to the current spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant, it’s a good idea to keep gatherings small and out,” Park said. .
For children 11 and under, Park refers to the American Academy of Pediatrics “Stay Safe This July 4th»Announces on June 29 of this year:
If your children are still too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, be sure to stay a safe physical distance during public gatherings. Anyone over the age of 2 who has not yet been vaccinated should also wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is especially true with the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 circulating this summer.
Additionally, “due to the heat and our current drought situation, extra care needs to be taken with fireworks and people need to make sure to stay hydrated,” Park said.
Where are we now
This Tuesday San Joaquin County Public Health Department Weekly Report reads 6 new deaths and 231 new cases of COVID-19 were detected in the county between June 20 and June 26 of this year.
Among the eligible population – 12 years and over – 48.84% are fully vaccinated and 8.86% are partially vaccinated. As mentioned, these percentages do not include and do not take into account children aged 11 and under.
So the 48.84% does not mean that nearly half of the county is almost vaccinated, but half of the population aged 12 and over is.
In early May, health officials noted an increase in COVID-19 cases in San Joaquin County.
Among the various reasons that could then be responsible, Park noted the “big bump” in cases was after Easter, when people gathered for the holidays.
Will we see more cases of COVID-19, more sick people after July 4? Maybe, maybe not. Why? Unlike Easter, there are more people vaccinated now, but the restrictions and collection limits changed after June 15.
The CDC has updated its advice on masks for unvaccinated people June 29 online. It reads:
- If you are not fully immunized and are 2 years of age or older, you should wear a mask in indoor public places.
- In general, you do not need to wear a mask outdoors.
- In areas with high COVID-19 cases, consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor areas and for activities with close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated.
- If you are fully vaccinated and have an illness or are taking medicines that weaken your immune system, you may need to continue taking measures to protect yourself, such as wearing a mask. Talk to your healthcare professional about steps you can take to manage your health and risks.
- If you have been fully vaccinated, see When you have been fully vaccinated (at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html)
For more details on masks and how to avoid getting sick, you can visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html.
For the full county report you can access it at http://www.sjcphs.org/Disease/documents/20210629_Weekly%20COVID-19%20Report.pdf.
Record-breaking journalist Laura Diaz covers social justice and societal issues. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @laurasdiaz_. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record on https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
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Sources 2/ https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/local/2021/07/03/covid-19-updates-what-we-know-whats-new-sj-county-fourth-of-july-delta-variant-stockton/7845011002/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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