Jackson County Public Health is reporting nine new COVID-19 cases, as of 12:01 AM, July 3, 2020. This update brings the total reported COVID-19 cases in Jackson County to 140. To access additional data on the total COVID-19 cases, visit the Situation in Jackson County, Oregon webpage.
Tips for a Safe Fourth of July Holiday Weekend
COVID‐19 cases are surging throughout Oregon since the state began its phased reopening. Recent modeling suggests the virus is continuing to spread rapidly in all age groups. COVID-19 is still in our communities, and each of us has a role to play in reducing its spread. As you prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with families, friends and loved ones, we want you to consider the risks of your holiday activities.
The safest choice for this holiday is to celebrate at home with the members of your immediate household. If you choose to celebrate in other ways, activities that take place outdoors that allow for enough room to maintain physical distancing and involve fewer people are lower risk activities compared to activities that take place indoors that do not allow for physical distancing and involve more people. Below are some extra tips for enjoying the holiday safely:
- Stay home if you’re sick, have a pending COVID-19 test, or if you have an underlying medical condition that puts you at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
- If you host a gathering, provide hand sanitizer or give people easy access to places where they can frequently wash their hands.
- Adjust your food offerings to avoid sharing utensils and offer individual servings. Don’t share drinks.
- During and afterward, thoroughly clean all frequently touched areas your guest had access to.
- Wear a face covering if you cannot maintain 6 feet of physical distance.
By knowing and understanding the risk of our actions and activities, we can make informed decisions that not only impact our own health but also protect the health of everyone around us.
Oregonians statewide are now required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. The guidance applies to businesses and members of the public visiting indoor public spaces. Jackson County Public Health also recommends that face coverings made from cloth or paper be worn in social settings that consist of people outside the immediate household. Wearing a face covering will help protect people around you, including those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and workers who frequently come into close contact with other people (e.g., in stores and restaurants). Overall, face coverings worn by others protect you from getting the virus from people carrying the virus.
Wear your Face Covering Correctly:
- Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
- Put it over your nose and mouth and secure is under your chin
- Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
- Make sure you can breathe easily
Face coverings are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions and social distancing in public and social settings. COVID-19 cases and deaths have been reported in all 50 states, and the situation is continuously changing. Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading COVID-19, staying close to home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick, especially during the 4th of July holiday weekend. It is recommended that everyone practices physical distancing (stay six feet away from people who are not in your household), practice good hand hygiene, and frequently disinfect surfaces that or touched often. It is also important to stay home if you are sick or if you have a pending COVID-19 test; do not attend social gatherings, go to work or travel.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, or vomiting, diarrhea.
For more information:
The public can call 211-information with general questions
OHA Emerging Respiratory Disease page: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus
CDC COVID-19 page: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
CDC Travel within the US: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html
Jackson County Health and Human Services: http://jacksoncountyor.org/hhs/COVID-19
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