Having a Safe Thanksgiving
This week, many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving and gathering with friends and family over the long weekend. We are grateful this year to have the tools that allow us to gather with a lot of safety. It will mean however that all of us are likely to need to take some common-sense precautions to avoid future disruptions and the spread of illness.
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Get Vaccinated:?First, we should all do our very best to be sure we are up to date on our vaccines. The flu shot and the COVID-19 updated bivalent booster are both widely available in LA County and you can receive both vaccines at the same time. Many people may be thinking that it is too late to get vaccinated before Thanksgiving because the vaccines need time to be effective. While protection does ramp up over the 1-2 weeks after you are vaccinated this does not mean that you will have zero protection until this point. You will still have some protection and you will be prepared for future events. Most pharmacies have these vaccines readily available without an appointment. You can also visit our website:?ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated.
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Test Before Gathering:?If you are hosting, consider asking guests to take a home COVID test before they come over. If you are going to a gathering and you know there will be an older person there or others who are at high risk for severe illness for COVID, test before you arrive just to be safe and ensure that you are not passing along anything that you do not want to be. COVID-19 home tests for all DPH employees are covered by your insurance.
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Stay Home if Sick:?If you are coughing, sneezing, have a runny nose, fever, or other concerning symptoms, you should stay home and not risk infecting others. Even a scratchy throat could result in passing along a respiratory virus. Please stay home, rest, and recover.
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Maximize Ventilation:?Look for ways that you can improve ventilation in your home. If it is not too cold, stay outdoors as much as possible. When inside, open windows or a screen door and use fans to move the air. If you have an HVAC system in your home, set the fan to ?on? and make sure your filters are installed properly. You can also use a portable, high-efficiency air cleaner, also known as HEPA air purifiers. Improving ventilation in your home, as well as gathering in larger rooms where people are spaced apart or going outside, if possible, can help reduce the transmission of airborne illnesses.
Masks Now Strongly Recommended Indoors
As COVID cases continue to rise, the elevated transmission means masking is now strongly recommended for all individuals. A high-quality mask that fits well is recommended in the following settings:
- In public indoor spaces;
- When using public transit, including buses, ride shares, taxis, and medical transport;
- Correctional and detention facilities;
- And homeless and emergency shelters.
Masking continues to be required:
- For people who have been exposed to COVID during the past 10 days;
- In healthcare settings and congregate care facilities;
- And anywhere where it is required by the site.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has developed a wide array of documents, guidance documents, and resources for the workers, businesses, partners, and the general public on a variety of topics related to COVID-19, including:
For the Public:
For Businesses:
It is recommended you follow @lapublichealth on?Facebook,?Twitter?or?Instagram?the latest updates about Los Angeles County.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
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