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Voice of the Fields California
December 2020
FREE
COVID-19 Rages On
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ALIFORNIA—and the rest of the nation—are arguably at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide cases total the millions, deaths are in the tens of thousands, and ICU capacities are limited. Most people now know someone or multiple people who have been directly affected by coronavirus. On December 6, 2020, another stay-at-home order went into effect that varies in severity depending on the county you live in. The order will remain in place
through December and has the potential to be extended through January if infection rates do not go down. Prior to the fall season, medical experts warned that the U.S. would see another wave of coronavirus cases as the weather shifted to colder and drier air. The virus actually spreads much more easily in this environment than it does in warm weather and humid air. Making matters worse, we are also in the midst of flu season. Scientists worry that with both the flu and coronavirus in full swing, peoples’ susceptibility to COVID-19—CRUSH THE VIRUS! both viruses are even Doprevent Your torespiratory Crushdiseases the Virus! Help thePart spread of like COVID-19. greater. Help prevent prevent the the spread spread of of respiratory respiratory diseases diseases like like COVID-19. COVID-19. Help Help prevent prevent the the spread spread of of respiratory respiratory diseases diseases like like COVID-19. COVID-19. Help One of the biggest obstacles to stopping the spread Help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19. of COVID-19 are Help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19. Stay at least 6 feet Cover your cough or sneeze with a social gatherings. Stay at at least 66length) feet Cover your your cough or sneeze with (about 2 least arms’ tissue, thencough throwor the tissuewith in the Stay feet Cover sneeze aaa Stay at leastpeople. 6length) feet Cover your cough or sneeze with (about 2 arms’ tissue, then throw the tissue in the The Center for Stay at least 6 feet Cover your cough or sneeze with a from other trash and wash your hands. (about 2 arms’ length) tissue, then throw the tissue in the ft (about arms’ length) tissue, then throw the tissue in the the from other other people. trash andthrow washthe your hands. (about 22 arms’ length) tissue, then tissue in from people. trash and wash your hands. from other people. trash and wash your hands. Disease Control from other people. trash and wash your hands. Stay at least 6 feet Cover your cough or sneeze with a (CDC) continues (about 2 arms’ length) tissue, then throw the tissue in the from other people. trash and wash your hands. Stay at least 6 feet Cover your cough or sneeze with a to beg Americans (about 2 arms’ length) tissue, then throw the tissue in the from other people. trash and wash your hands. to stop gathering with people outside When in public, Do not touch your When in public, wear a mask over your of their immediate When in public, Do not not touch touch your eyes, nose, and your mouth. When in public, public, Do wear mask over your your When in nose and mouth. . Do nose, not touch touch your wear aa mask over eyes, and mouth. mouth. Do not your wear mask over your your eyes, nose, and nose and mouth. . family home. Over When in public, wear aa mask over eyes, nose, and mouth. nose and mouth. . Do not touch your nose and mouth. wearnose a mask over your in public, eyes, nose, and mouth. When and mouth. .. eyes, nose, and Domouth. not touch your nose and mouth. . wear a mask over your the course of the eyes, nose, and mouth. nose and mouth. . pandemic, studies have shown that the biggest reason coronavirus conStay home when you are sick, Wash your hands often with soap Stay home when you are sick, hands often with Stay home when you are sick, Wash your hands often with soap except toStay get medical care. and water for atsoap least seconds. home when you are sick,Wash yourWash Wash your hands often with20 soap Stay home when you are sick, your hands often with soap tinues to spread at Stay home when you are sick, Wash your hands often with soap except to get medical care. for at least except to get are medical care. and waterWash and water for20 atseconds. least 20 seconds. except to when get medical care. and water for at least least 20with seconds. Stay home you sick, your hands often soap except to get medical care. and water for at 20 seconds. except to to get get medical medical care. care. and water water for for at at least least 20 20 seconds. seconds. except and the rate that it does cdc.gov/coronavirus cdc.gov/coronavirus cdc.gov/coronavirus is because of social cdc.gov/coronavirus
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You can view any page of the covid19.ca.gov’s in Spanish by clicking the drop-down menu that says “Select Language” and selecting “Español.”
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Volume 30, Number 12 gatherings. As we head into the busiest part of the holiday season, remember to only gather with those inside your household. This way of life isn’t permanent. Assuming that the vaccine is effective and enough people get it, we can go back to celebrating with friends and family outside our home as early as next year. Protect yourself and those you love this holiday season by staying home. To learn more about how the stayat-home order affects your county, visit covid19.ca.gov. Find a flu shot near you by visiting vaccinefinder.org/find-vaccine.
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Wednesday 10am January 20 February 17 Voice of the Fields California Circulation: 45,000 copies www.LaCooperativa.org Published monthly by: La Cooperativa Campesina de California 1107 9th Street, Suite 420, Sacramento, CA 95814 This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner. Content produced by ALZA Strategies, a full-service strategy firm that offers pertise into the growing Latino market.
Another Round Of Relief
Vaccines Are Here
HE SECOND WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS brought with it a second wave of economic devastation for many families across the country. Small businesses continued to close with restaurants and small retailers struggling to survive on little income. Some businesses had to downsize due to the pandemic and as a result people were laid off. Those who contracted coronavirus without adequate health coverage suffered high medical costs for treatment. And families struggled with going to work or paying for daycare since many schools went to a distance learning model. All of these factors and more contribute to a decline in economic stability for families across California and the U.S. To address this issue, the federal government is planning to roll out another COVID-19 relief deal that will provide direct payments to individuals. Learn more about whether you’re eligible for COVID-19 relief funds by visiting covid19.ca.gov.
HE VACCINE THAT PROTECTS individuals from contracting coronavirus is now available. However, many of us will not have access to it yet. Vaccine access is being rolled out in phases, meaning that the highest risk populations will receive it first. As of now, frontline healthcare workers and those living in long-term care facilities are the only people able to be vaccinated. Following them will be seniors, people with preexisting health conditions, essential workers, and on down the priority list of the most vulnerable populations. California has employed a vaccine taskforce responsible for managing these phases and ensuring that everyone who wants a vaccine has the ability to get one. Right now, a vaccine is our most valuable weapon against COVID-19, but it’s important to understand just how a vaccine works. Vaccines work by helping the body’s immune system to fight off future infection - they protect the body from illness without actually giving the recipient the illness. You can protect yourself and everyone around you by getting the vaccine when it becomes available to you. According to medical experts and scientists that developed the vaccine, its effectiveness is testing at over 90 percent, and in some cases, at 95 percent. Even still, we will not fully understand its effectiveness until many more people get the vaccine and it can be studied further. According to California’s COVID-19 website, there are a few important things to be aware of before getting your vaccine: n COVID-19 vaccines will not give you COVID-19 n COVID-19 vaccines will not cause you to test positive for COVID-19 n People who have already gotten sick from COVID-19 may still benefit from being vaccinated n Vaccination can help prevent getting sick with COVID-19 For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, when it will be available, and other frequently asked questions, visit covid19.ca.gov/ vaccines/#A-COVID-19-vaccine-is-here .
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Tracking, Testing and Treatment
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AIFORNIANS CAN NOW be notified if they may have been exposed to coronavirus by downloading a mobile app. The app, CA Notify works without you needing to interact with it. You simply download the app, leave your Bluetooth on, and the app does all of the work for you. CA Notify will alert you if you were near someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. Most importantly, the app does not track your identity or private information and does not track your location. The app works by recognizing when someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 comes into close contact with someone who has also downloaded the app. In other words, the more people that download the app, the more knowledge Californians have about their health safety. iPhone users do not have to download an app and can enable CA Notify in their device settings: n Make sure that your phone is updated to iOS 12.5 or later n Go to Settings n Scroll down to Exposure Notifications n Turn on Exposure Notifications n Select United States > California Android users can download CA Notify on the Google Play store. Testing services are still available across the state, even if you can’t afford it. California has already committed to paying for COVID-19 tests for individuals who do not have health insurance or cannot afford the test. If you suspect that you may have contracted coronavirus, you can get a test whether or not you are showing symptoms. Results of immediate tests are available in less
than an hour and standard tests are available between 24 and 72 hours later. It’s important to note that immigration enforcement will not be conducted at medical clinics and testing sites, according to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). To find a testing site near you, visit covid19. ca.gov/get-tested/ n Click the “Find a testing location” button located in the center of the page n To view the location-finder in Spanish, scroll down and select “La aplicación está disponible en español.” n If you do not see this option, click the “i” in the white circle at the top-right hand corner of the “Find a testing site” title n Then scroll down and select “La aplicación está disponible en español.” If you test positive for COVID-19, it’s important to monitor your symptoms and stay in contact with your doctor in case your condition worsens. Emergency warning signs include: n Difficulty breathing n Pressure or pain in the chest n Bluish lips or face n Confusion or trouble waking up If you experience any one of these symptoms, go to your nearest hospital. Call ahead of time so that the hospital can prepare for your arrival and treat you immediately. You can also dial 911 and tell the operator that you have coronavirus symptoms so that ambulance personnel can meet your needs when you arrive. For more information about treatment options, visit covid19.ca.gov/treatment-forcovid-19/.
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