Halloween is right around the corner; kids and adults are gearing up to have a spooky and fun holiday. Halloween will look different than it did last year because we now have safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to protect yourself and those around you. Let’s have a fun and safe Halloween this year!
Trick-or-Treat
This year, if you plan to trick-or-treat or hand out candy, please keep these tips in mind for a fun and healthy outing:
- Get everyone 12 and older vaccinated.
- Stay outdoors if you gather with people from another household.
- Keep six feet of distance from the zombie dragons and pirates you pass. Even with the best of intentions, it’s hard to predict whether a child will be able to maintain distance while trick-or-treating.
- Wear a proper face covering. A plastic costume mask is not a COVID-safe face covering.
- Remember, it’s not safe to wear a costume mask over a face covering, but decorating a child’s face covering might bring an added touch of fun to their costume!
- Also, remember it’s not safe for children younger than two to wear a mask.
- Pay attention when going door-to-door. If one house looks a bit crowded with fellow trick-or-treaters, maybe try another house that isn’t as busy.
Hosting a Halloween Party
When hosting a gathering, these tips can help keep you and your guests stay healthy:
- Host the party outdoors in a space that allows for guests to stay six feet apart.
- Wear face coverings if you are within six feet of others.
- Discourage guests from crowding together.
- Keep the guest list small and stick with vaccinated guests (no children under 12).
- Don’t replace COVID-safe face coverings with costume masks.
- If your party takes place during trick-or-treating, please wear a mask when handing out candy.
When eating and drinking with others that are not in your household and who have not been isolating for 10 days or longer, please:
- Don’t crowd the food table and maintain distance from other people.
- Wash your hands before and after eating.
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
If guests go inside, be prepared in advance by opening windows and running a fan or air purifier to maximize ventilation. Remind guests that when they are indoors to keep on their masks and physically distance.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
COVID-19 Testing
Booster Doses for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccines
Booster doses for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are not available in Oregon yet. We are still in the approval process. Once approved by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Western States Workgroup will need to review the recommendations, and from here, the Oregon Health Authority will adopt the recommendations. Local COVID-19 providers will still need to have standing orders in place to provide the booster doses safely.
There has been information in the media about mix-matching COVID-19 vaccines. At this time, the FDA has not approved the mix-matching of COVID-19 vaccines, and it has not gone through the approval process with the CDC, Western States Workgroup and has not been adopted by the Oregon Health Authority. At this time, mix-matching of COVID-19 vaccines is not available.
Daily Number of New COVID-19 Cases
As of 12:01 a.m. on October 20, 2021, Jackson County Public Health is reporting 76 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total cases in Jackson County to 22,914.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations for Region 5 (Jackson and Josephine Counties)
As of 10:30 a.m. on October 20, 2021, the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is 53, and there are 15 patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit.
The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.
COVID-19 Related Deaths
Jackson County Public Health reports 3 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 307 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Jackson County’s 305th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old woman who tested positive on September 23 and died on October 14 at a Good Samaritan Hospital in California. They had underlying health conditions.
Jackson County’s 306th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man who tested positive on September 10 and died on October 9 at Providence Medford Medical Center. They had underlying health conditions.
Jackson County’s 307th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man who tested positive on September 30 and died on October 19 at Rogue Regional Medical Center. They had underlying health conditions.
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