La Voz June 2021 - English

FA R M

L A B O R

I N F O R M AT I O N

B U L L E T I N

Voice of the Fields California

June 2021

FREE

COVID-19 UPDATES

Progress in California

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FTER NEARLY A YEAR AND A HALF of stay-at-home orders, state-wide shutdowns, and widespread illness, California is recovering from the ongoing health crisis in a variety of ways. Infection rates have dropped below one percent and death rates have drastically declined since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Most California schools have reopened for in-person learning. Businesses are allowed to reopen at full capacity on June 15. And vaccines continue to be distributed throughout the state with nearly 40 million individuals receiving at least one dose. Californians—especially fully vaccinated individuals—are starting to return to a sense of normalcy now that we can once again enjoy socializing with others and participate in some of our favorite activities.

California is certainly making progress, but we still have work to do.

Things to Work On

COVID-19 Vaccines Age Requirement

Pfizer

Moderna

Johnson & Johnson

12 years and older

18 years and older

18 years and older

Dosage

2 doses, 21 days apart

2 doses, 28 days apart

1 dose

Common Side Effects

Injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and fever

Injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and fever

Injection site reactions, headache, fatigue, myalgia, nausea, and fever

Side Effects Are Normal

How Effective

According to clinical trials data, all 3 authorized vaccines are nearly 100% effective at preventing hospitalization and death related to COVID-19.

Patients with Chronic Conditions

Pregnancy

COVID-19 Variants

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html

Individuals are encouraged to receive any authorized vaccine that is available at this time. COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe. *Source: Centers for Disesase Control and Prevention (2021)

We all need to do our part to stop this pandemic:

Wear a Mask, Wash Your Hands, Watch Your Distance, Wait to See Your Loved Ones, and Get Vaccinated!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COVID-19 VACCINES VISIT: www.fcdph.org/covid19vax

5/10/2021

Even though many Californians are getting vaccinated, the numbers are slowing, and millions of individuals have either yet to be vaccinated or only received one dose.

If trends continue at this rate, California will be unable to reach herd immunity or population immunity. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) herd immunity or population immunity means that enough people are vaccinated to keep the virus from spreading and will eradicate the virus altogether.

A great example of population immunity can be found in the his-

Volume 31, Number 6 ——— Schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment or find a walk-in site near you by calling (833) 422-4255 or by visiting the Center for Disease Control’s vaccine finder website at: English: www.vaccines.gov/search/ Spanish: www.vacunas.gov/search/ ——— Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to get one on California’s COVID-19 website: English: covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/ Spanish: covid19.ca.gov/es/vaccines/ ——— tory of smallpox. Smallpox was a horrible, highly infectious disease caused by the variola virus in the 6th century. Three in 10 people who contracted it died, and those who didn’t perish were often left with lifelong scars. Since 1900 alone, it’s estimated that more than 300 million people died from smallpox. Even though a smallpox vaccine was developed in 1796, it took nearly 200 hundred years for the world to reach population immunity due to slow development and distribution of the vaccine. By 1980, the World Health Organization announced that the disease was eradicated and since that time, no case of smallpox has occurred in any individual, anywhere in the world. The eradication of smallpox is known as one of the greatest public health achievements in world history and demonstrates the effecContinuesd on next page

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Content produced by ALZA Strategies, a full-service strategy firm that offers pertise into the growing Latino market.

Progress

California is Open

Continued from previous page

tiveness of a vaccine, if we choose to use it.

In order to reach herd immunity or population immunity from COVID-19, medical experts estimate that anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of individuals need to be fully vaccinated. Right now, a little over 45 percent of Californians are fully vaccinated. These are the highest vaccination rates in the country, but they are still below the threshold that we need to get rid of COVID-19 altogether.

Protect your family, your loved ones and your community by getting vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccinations are free and available to all Californians regardless of immigration status.

New Guidance Starting June 15

On June 15, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidance for Californians regarding health and safety measures and the Governor terminated many of the long-standing orders that have previously guided California’s pandemic response. Many things have changed and the requirements differ based on whether or not you’re fully vaccinated.

For more information about changes to the current COVID-19 guidelines, visit the CDPH website: English: www.cdph.ca.gov Spanish: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/CDPHespanol.aspx For more information about COVID-19, testing, vaccinations, guidelines and resources available, visit the California COVID-19 website: English: covid19.ca.gov Spanish: covid19.ca.gov/es/

What Does This Mean?

California is Open, With Some Restrictions As of June 15, California retired its Blueprint for a Safer Economy.1 California’s economy is now fully open. Restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters, and most everyday places are operating as normal – with no capacity limits or physical distancing required.2 However, everyone is still required to follow masking guidelines in select settings. Some restrictions also still exist for large events.

Masking is Still Required In Some Settings

EVERYONE, regardless of vaccination status, is still required to wear masks on public transportation (buses, trains, planes, etc.) and some other places (like hospitals and shelters)3 per CDC guidelines.

People who are NOT fully vaccinated must still wear masks in all INDOOR public settings (such as, but not limited to, the grocery store and the movie theater) and should wear masks in OUTDOOR crowded settings when that region is experiencing high COVID transmission.

Fully vaccinated4 people may go unmasked in most settings (except public transportation and places like hospitals and shelters). Workers must follow Cal/OSHA rules.

Read our full masking guidance.

Large Events are Subject to Some Restrictions Some public health measures are still in place for large, or mega events, which include 5,000+ people indoors or 10,000+ outdoors. Think concerts, sporting events, festivals, and conventions. Mega events are high risk for spreading COVID-19 because they attract people from around the world, and people gather in crowds. Indoor mega event attendees will be required to confirm proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 status to attend. Outdoor mega event attendees will be strongly encouraged to do so.

What’s Next

California will keep a close eye on COVID-19 vaccination and infection rates over the summer and will review these guidelines by September 1, 2021.

See the full Beyond the Blueprint guidance. Read the Beyond the Blueprint Q&A.

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2 Local health jurisdictions may impose stricter criteria. In workplaces, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or in some workplaces the CalOSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard, and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements.

3 This includes K-12 schools, childcare and other youth settings, healthcare settings (including long term care facilities), state and local correctional facilities and detention centers, homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling centers.

4 Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks or more after their second dose of Pfizer/Moderna or two weeks after receiving the single dose J&J vaccine.

Wildfires and Droughts

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S TEMPERATURES BEGIN to heat up, California is once again in the midst of wildfire season when fires are much more likely to start and spread given the warm weather conditions and dry land. This year alone, over 17,000 acres of California land has burned due to wildfires and over 3,100 wildfire incidents have already taken place, according to Cal Fire.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous because air pollutants in the smoke can irritate the lungs, weaken your immune system and increase the risk of lung infections like COVID-19.

Wildfire smoke can also cause symptoms similar to those experienced with COVID-19, so it’s important to know the difference between symptoms of wildfire smoke inhalation and COVID-19. Visit the following CDC link for more information about wildfire smoke and COVID-19, what to watch out for, and

Scan the QR code to see interactive links on this flyer

more resources about wildfires: English: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ php/smoke-faq.html Spanish: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ php/smoke-faq-sp.html According to a recent report from California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, rural low-income Latino communities have been hit the hardest by recent droughts in the state. And now, California is heading into another extreme drought that experts warn will be even worse. Governor Gavin Newsom recently declared a drought emergency in 39 of California’s 58 counties, including the majority of the Central Valley where farmworker communities live. The report was used as a tool to urge lawmakers to act now and provide resources so that communities are not devastated as they have been in the past by extreme water shortages.

Until those measures are enacted, we can all work together to help lessen the severity of the

June 15 • © 2021, California Department of Public Health

drought, especially in smaller rural communities that rely almost exclusively on rainwater and wells.

State officials are urging Californians to save water whenever possible by taking quick showers, not leaving the water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes, forgoing car washes, and saving excess water by using buckets. You can do this by putting a bucket in your shower to fill up while the shower is heating and using the cold water collected for watering plants, doing dishes, etc.

For more information about California’s drought and resources available, visit the official California Drought website at www.drought.gov/ states/california#state-resources.

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