Napa, CA - The federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 ends today, May 11, 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and Napa County will be making changes to information posted on COVID-19 data dashboards. With widespread use of at-home testing, the number of cases confirmed by PCR testing represents only a fraction of actual cases in the community, and case numbers will no longer be reported. Metrics of disease severity, like hospitalizations and deaths, as well as wastewater levels of SARS Co-V2 and variant data, provide a more reliable and sustainable picture of the impact of COVID-19.
The CDC recently updated COVID-19 vaccine guidance and Napa County health authorities are encouraging all residents, especially older adults and anyone who may be immunocompromised, to be up to date with the COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of summer plans. For individuals six years and older, being up-to-date means having one dose of bivalent vaccine. For those 65 years and older or immunocompromised who previously received a bivalent mRNA vaccine, a second dose is available to provide even greater protection. The bivalent vaccine has been shown to provide excellent protection against hospitalization and severe illness.
“It’s important that our community stay safe and healthy as summer approaches,” said Dr. Christine Wu, Napa County Health Officer and Deputy Director of Health & Human Services Agency - Public Health. “Summer often includes an increase in travel and welcoming of visitors which may increase risk of exposure to COVID-19. These populations are at a higher risk of severe disease and can best protect themselves by staying current on all available vaccinations.”
Napa County Health and Human Services Agency – Public Health Division continues to offer vaccination clinics within the community. A current vaccination calendar can be found at Napa County Vaccination Calendar.
For more in-depth COVID-19 guidance and resources please visit the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) website.
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