Weekly Roundup for March 11, 2022
Published: March 11, 2022
As of today, masks are no longer required in schools and childcare facilities, though continue to be strongly recommended by health experts. Individual school districts can decide to be more restrictive than the state and may continue to require masks. Masks and regular testing will still be required in school settings for unvaccinated employees.
There have been 4,330 COVID-19 cases reported in Sonoma County schools since August and 407 staff cases. More than 2,700 new student cases have been reported since classes resumed in early January. As of now, 47.1 percent of the county’s eligible children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of vaccine since it became available in November; 39 percent of those children are fully vaccinated.
Sonoma County health and education officials participated in community briefings on Wednesday (in English) and Thursday (in Spanish) to address concerns and provide an update regarding next steps.
Watch the latest County of Sonoma COVID-19 community briefings here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CountyofSonoma
Updated state guidance regarding masking is available here:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx
Today’s digest provides helpful and important updates on the following:
- Local COVID vaccine and testing opportunities
- CDPH information on “Long Covid” condition
- Other County of Sonoma news of note
Local Vaccine & Testing Opportunities
Vaccination and testing clinics are being held throughout the county to serve people who do not have convenient or affordable access to healthcare providers.
Visit the Sonoma County Office of Education to learn about clinics for students and families:
https://www.scoe.org/pub/htdocs/school_staff_immunization.html
View the county’s vaccine clinics and appointment page here:
https://socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/vaccine-information/clinics/
For details or appointments at COVID-19 testing clinics, including a pop-up testing calendar, please visit:
https://socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/testing-and-tracing/
Residents who test positive using an at-home antigen test are urged to report the result by calling the county’s COVID hotline at 707-565-4667 (4701 in Spanish). Anyone who needs help making a vaccination or testing appointment may also contact the hotline.
“Long Covid” Update and Information from CDPH
Some individuals experience returning illness, recurring health problems, or a range of new symptoms four or more weeks after having COVID-19. This is referred to as post-COVID conditions or long COVID. As of July 2021, “long COVID,” is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Anyone who had COVID-19 can develop post-COVID conditions, including people who had COVID-19 with no symptoms or very mild symptoms. It can happen to people in any age group but appears to be less common in children compared to adults.
The best way to prevent post-COVID conditions is by taking precautions to prevent COVID-19.
This includes getting the COVID-19 vaccine and booster, and wearing a face mask that has both good fit and good filtration, like an N95, KF94, or KN95.
California Department of Public Health toolkit of information on Post-COVID conditions:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Post-COVID.aspx
Other County of Sonoma News
Russian River Rally for Ukraine set for March 11 in Guerneville
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CAO/Press-Releases/Russian-River-Rally-for-Ukraine-set-for-March-11-in-Guerneville/
Windsor voters invited to attend educational webinars on Voter’s Choice Act election model
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CAO/Press-Releases/Windsor-voters-invited-to-attend-educational-webinars/
County accepting applications for American Rescue Plan Act funding through April 7
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CAO/Press-Releases/County-accepting-applications-for-American-Rescue-Plan-Act-funding-through-April-7/
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https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Newsroom/SoCo-Correspondent/