Details

Written by: William Petri, University of Virginia

Published: 12 March 2021

 

If you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, is it safe to gather with friends and loved ones in person? According to guidelines issued Monday by the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention, yes, fully vaccinated people can gather in small groups with other fully vaccinated people. And you can do that without the encumbrance of a mask or social distancing.

More than 30 million people in the U.S. are now fully vaccinated against coronavirus, meaning that a fraction of the population is immune to COVID-19. This is because vaccination with the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines offers very high levels of protection against the coronavirus. However, there is still a small risk that vaccinated people could transmit the disease to others.

As an infectious-disease doctor, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from my patients as well as my friends and family about what someone is allowed to do once vaccinated. Do vaccinated people need to wear masks, socially distance and avoid travel?

If you are fully vaccinated – that is, if you are more than 10 days out from receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson – you can visit other fully vaccinated people without socially distancing or wearing masks, according to the new CDC guidelines. You can even visit indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease without wearing masks or physical distancing.

The CDC does suggest you be tested if you develop symptoms that could be COVID-19. You should then stay isolated until you are shown to be uninfected. If you are fully vaccinated, you should still avoid social settings that include multiple unvaccinated households. And, you should avoid medium to large crowds because of the increased risk. You also should continue to wear a well-fitted mask, wash your hands frequently and maintain physical distance when outside the home. Worshipping indoors at a synagogue, mosque or church is still not advisable unless all attending are vaccinated.

Also unchanged are travel recommendations: The CDC recommends avoiding travel even if you are fully vaccinated. The aim of delaying travel is to protect yourself and others from the small risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19, since travel on public transportation exposes you to unvaccinated people from multiple households.

So in the face of continued pandemic transmission and new viral variants, we all need to remain vigilant and observe good health practices even after being vaccinated. However, it is very good news that we can prudently lift some of the restrictions that have so limited our ability to be with loved ones. This is especially good news for seniors who are particularly vulnerable to the downside of isolation.

[Research into coronavirus and other news from science Subscribe to The Conversation’s weekly science newsletter.]

William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Details

Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 12 March 2021

The California Department of Public Health on Thursday updated public health guidance in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to allow for additional safe and sustainable reopening activities in the state.

Breweries, wineries and distilleries

Beginning March 13, breweries, wineries and distilleries that do not serve meals may open outdoors only with modifications in the purple (widespread) and red (substantial) tiers.

The modifications include ensuring that patrons have reservations and patrons observe a 90-minute time limit. Service for on-site consumption must end by 8 p.m.

Previously, and through March 12, breweries and distilleries not serving meals were closed in the purple and red tiers.

In the orange (moderate) tier, indoor operations may begin with 25 percent of maximum capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

In the yellow (minimal) tier, indoor operations may increase to 50 percent of maximum capacity or 200 people, whichever is fewer.

The updated guidance does not apply to breweries, wineries and distilleries that provide meals. Those establishments should continue to follow the restaurant guidance.

Bars

Beginning March 13, bars that do not serve meals remain closed in the purple (widespread) and red (substantial) tiers.

In the orange (moderate) tier, bars may begin outdoor operations with modifications.

In the yellow (minimal) tier, bars may begin indoor operations with modifications of 25 percent maximum capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.

Overnight sleepaway camps

Beginning June 1, overnight sleepaway camps will be allowed to resume with modifications in the red, orange and yellow tiers.

More information about these updates, and which activities are allowed in the various tiers, is here.

Details

Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 11 March 2021

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities said a man who was found seriously injured in Clearlake Oaks on Wednesday has died.

The man, whose name has so far not been released pending notification of next of kin, was found by sheriff’s deputies shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday near Clark’s Island and E. State Highway 20, as Lake County News has reported.

Lt. Rich Ward of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the man, described as a middle-aged Caucasian, was found unconscious with visible head injuries and a puncture wound to his stomach.

The assault victim was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital. Ward said the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:42 p.m. Wednesday.

Ward said the man’s death is being treated as a homicide and is under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit.

A cause of death will be determined at the conclusion of an autopsy, Ward said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information pertaining to this investigation and/or surveillance footage in the area to contact Det. Richard Kreutzer at the Central Dispatch nonemergency line at 707-263-2690 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.