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WEEKLY COVID-19 UPDATES

Covid-19 Information and Resources for Luster Team Members.
*For internal use only - Covid-19 updates synthesize information from New York Times, CDC, the WHO, BBC, and CNN

3/29/2021 COVID-19 Update

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All,

 

I hope everyone has a great start to their week. Thank you to those of you who could join me for “Wellness Office Hours” on Friday – I will be posting the recorded video on the Luster Wellness website for anyone who couldn’t make it!

 

COVID-19 Update:

  • Arizona COVID-19 vaccine eligibility:

    • March 24th: All individuals 16+

  • California COVID-19 vaccine eligibility:

    • April 1st: Individuals aged 50+

    • April 15th: All individuals 16+

  • Georgia COVID-19 vaccine eligibility:

    • March 25th: All individuals 16+

  • New York:

    • March 30th: Individuals 30+

    • April 6th: All individuals 16+

  • Texas COVID-19 vaccine eligibility:

    • March 29th: All individuals 16+

  • Vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer are proving highly effective. Two-dose regimens prevent 90% of infections by two weeks after the second shot. One dose prevents 80% of infections by two weeks after vaccination.

 

The CDC is reporting increases in COVID-19 cases as states reopen. Whether you are vaccinated or not it is important to continue to wear a mask and avoid large crowds. Now is the time to hold on a little longer and continue to be cautious.

 

Have a great week everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions about getting vaccinated.

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3/22/2021 COVID-19 Update

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All,

 

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. 

 

This Friday I will be hosting  “Wellness Office Hours” via MS Teams (link to come) at 12-12:20pm EST. The topic will be Mental Health in the Pandemic and I will focus on resources and tools you can use to manage stress, anxiety, and/or depression. The presentation will be brief to allow for questions/discussion and to ensure you all can get back to work!

 

COVID-19 Update:

  • 1 in 4 people in the US have received at least one dose of vaccine, and more than 1 in 8 people have been fully vaccinated.

  • Residents in Arizona aged 16 and above will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting this Wednesday at state-operated sites in Maricopa, Pima, and Yuma counties.

  • Residents in New York aged 50 and above will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting this Tuesday statewide.

  • President Joe Biden has said he will direct all states to remove eligibility requirements for adults by May 1st.

  • AstraZeneca said Monday that advanced trial data from a U.S. study on its vaccine shows it is 79% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization.

 

As a reminder, you are considered fully vaccinated:

  • 2 weeks after your second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

  • 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

 

For more information on each vaccine, click here to be directed to the CDC website.

 

Whether you have been fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or not at all, continue to wear a mask in public, practice proper hygiene, and avoid large crowds.

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3/8/2021 COVID-19 Update

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All,

 

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

 

The CDC recently released new guidance for inoculated Americans. People who have been fully vaccinated can gather with other vaccinated people inside without masks or social distancing. Additionally, vaccinated people can gather with unvaccinated people from a single household, as long as the unvaccinated visitors are at low risk for severe disease. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks following either a single shot of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine or two weeks after your second shot of Moderna’s or Pfizer’s vaccine.

 

More COVID-19 Updates:

  • U.S. COVID 19 cases: more than 29 million

  • U.S. deaths: more than 525,000

  • More than 30 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated

  • U.S. hospitalizations fell to the lowest level since October 2020

  • A recent study looking at COVID-19 hospitalizations found that the majority of people who have needed a ventilator or who died from COVID-19 were overweight or obese

  • The CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear well-fitted masks, avoid large gatherings, and physically distance themselves from others when out in public

 

Have a great week everyone!

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2/26/2021 COVID-19 Update

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Vaccine Information by Location

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Arizona

Phase 1b:

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • Education & childcare workers

https://www.maricopa.gov/5659/COVID-19-Vaccine-Locations

https://www.maricopa.gov/5659/COVID-19-Vaccine-Locations

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Marin

Phase 1b:

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • Residents age 65 and older

  • Education & childcare workers

Food and agriculture workers

  • CVS

  • Rite-Aid

  • Safeway

  • Walgreens

  • Costco

  • MarinHealth Medical Network

  • Kaiser Permanente

  • Sutter Health

  • Marin Center

  • Larkspur Ferry Terminal

 

https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org/vaccine/status

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San Francisco

Phase 1b:

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • Education & childcare workers

  • Food and agriculture workers

  • CVS

  • Rite-Aid

  • Safeway

  • Walgreens

  • Dignity Health

  • Kaiser Permanente

  • Sutter Health

  • UCSF Health

https://sf.gov/get-vaccinated-against-covid-19

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Los Angeles

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • LA residents age 65 and older

 

Phase 1b will begin March 1st

 

LA Public Health

Appointments

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Bakersfield

Phase 1b:

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • Residents age 65 and older

  • Education & childcare workers

  • Food and agriculture workers

Go to kernpublichealth.com

Go to kernpublichealth.com

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Georgia

Phase 1a:

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • Residents age 65 and older

 

Vaccine locator

Pre-register for vaccine (if you are not eligible)

Register for vaccine (currently eligible)

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New York

  • Healthcare workers

  • Healthcare support occupations

  • Emergency medical services workers

  • Long-term care facility staff and residents

  • Residents age 65 and older

  • Education & childcare workers

  • Food and agriculture workers

  • Public Transport Workers

  • New Yorkers age 16 and older with preexisting conditions

Locations

Appointments

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Texas

Phase 1b:

  • Healthcare workers

  • Long-term care residents

  • People age 65 or older

  • People 16 and older with preexisting health conditions

Locations

Appointments

 

 

2/19/2021 COVID-19 Update

 

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great, safe week. I am sending my thoughts to the Luster employees in Texas – I have included some links to information and resources at the end of my update in case you know anyone in need of food, warmth, or shelter.

 

COVID-19 Update:

  • Over 57 million vaccine doses have been administered – translating to about 12.4% of the U.S. population receiving at least 1 dose

  • New COVID-19 cases and deaths have trended lower for over a month in the U.S.

  • Cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes continue to drop rapidly, signaling that widespread vaccinations among these facilities are starting to have an impact

  • Pfizer and Moderna have indicated that they will have enough vaccine doses to vaccinate all of the U.S. by July

  • People who got a single dose of Pfizer vaccine were 85% less likely to get sick two to four weeks after getting their first shot – indicating that a single dose of coronavirus vaccine might be enough to significantly reduce disease

  • For those of you who have been vaccinated – it is important for you to continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing when in crowds, and practice good hygiene

 

Mask Information:

Masks will likely be a lingering effect of COVID-19 – it is important to continue to wear them and to wear them correctly. The CDC has updated their mask recommendations to include more detail. Here are some Dos and Don’ts of mask wearing:

 

DO:

  • Choose a mask with a nose wire

  • Use a mask fitter or brace

  • Check that the masks fits snugly over your nose, mouth, and chin

  • Add layers of material

    • Use a cloth mask that has multiple layers of fabric

    • Wear one disposable mask underneath a cloth mask

  • Make sure you can see and breathe easily

  • Knot and tuck ear loops of a 3-ply mask

 

DON’T

  • Combine two disposable masks

  • Combine a KN95 mask with any other mask

 

 

Texas Storm Resources:

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2/5/2021 COVID-19 Update

 

Happy Friday!

 

As COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues to increase, new cases decrease. According to Johns Hopkins University, new cases were down 15% from last week and vaccinations have increased about 5% from last week. As of now, 35.2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in the United States. If you are eligible to receive the vaccine, I HIGHLY encourage you to get one as soon as possible. Please contact me if you have any questions or reservations regarding the vaccine. COVID-19 Update:

  • The U.S. government is expected to send about 1,000 U.S. troops around the country to help with COVID-19 vaccinations. Teams of troops will consist of personnel who can administer vaccines as well as support troops. The goal is for the military to eventually ramp up to administering approximately 450,000 vaccines a day.

  • The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to protect people against the new, more contagious coronavirus variant at similar levels to the protection it offered against other lineages of the virus.

  • The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have so far proven to be effective against known variants of the coronavirus, but they are less potent against the variant identified in South Africa – officials at Pfizer and Moderna have said they are prepared to tweak the vaccines as needed.

 

Super Bowl Sunday

As with any gathering, the safest way to celebrate/watch is to watch with your household only. If you do have a small gathering with people who don’t live with you, outdoors is safer than indoors, and it is important to remind everyone to wear masks. Safe ideas:

 

Host a virtual Super Bowl watch party:

  • Wear clothing or decorate your home with your favorite team’s logo or colors

  • Make appetizers or snacks with the people you live with to enjoy while watching the game and share the recipes with your friends and family

  • Start a text group with other fans to chat about the game while watching

 

Attend an outdoor viewing party where viewers can sit 6 feet apart:

  • Use a projector screen to broadcast the game

  • Sit at least 6 feet away from people you don’t live with

 

Stay safe this weekend!

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