News Flash

For Immediate Release

07/01/2021    

COVID-19 Information

Phone: 980-432-1800
Website: www.rowancountync.gov/COVID-19
Email: covid-19@rowancountync.gov

Vaccine Information

Website: www.rowancountync.gov/COVIDvaccine
Follow Us: www.facebook.com/rowancountyhealth 

Rowan County COVID-19 Case Information: https://bit.ly/rowan-covid19-hub

3 Healthy Suggestions for a Fun and Safe 4^th of July

Looking forward to hosting or attending a 4^th of July celebration this weekend? The 3 suggestions below could help your family to have a healthier and safer 4^th of July, while enjoying all the festivities!

Tip 1: Plan Gatherings with Health and Safety in Mind

With more and more people choosing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, this year’s July 4^th celebrations may start to look a little bit more normal –but COVID-19 is still present in our community, so it’s important to keep the health and safety of your friends and family members at the top of your list. At your gatherings, be sure to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines so that everyone can celebrate safely and comfortably.

For groups in which everyone has been vaccinated, celebrations can look relatively normal. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing” in places where it is not otherwise required by mandate or policy.

For people who haven’t received the vaccine, current recommendations still include wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from people who do not live in the same house as you. Avoiding large crowds and indoor gatherings can also reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. For more information, check out this guide from the CDC. 

Additionally, everyone can help prevent the spread of many kinds of germs by frequently washing their hands or at least having hand sanitizer available. More importantly if someone is feeling sick, it’s best for them to stay at home to prevent spreading an illness to others. Also as a friendly reminder, If you are not feeling well and/or have been in contact with someone that has or may have COVID, you should get tested to be on the safe side and to do the responsible thing. 

Tip 2: Remember Food Safety Guidelines

If you’re planning to eat with your guests, reduce the risk of spreading germs, including COVID-19, by avoiding shared food items such as bowls of chips or make-your-own burgers, hotdogs and sandwiches. Instead of having a buffet table, offer individually plated or wrapped portions for each person and replace shared beverage dispensers with individual cans or bottles. 

It’s also important to store your food safely! Warm summer temperatures combined with food that’s left out for too long can lead to food poisoning. To avoid spoiled food:

• Keep your cooked foods at a temperature above 140 degrees and your chilled foods at a temperature below 40 degrees.
• Pack up and chill your leftovers as soon as you can. Bacteria grows fast at room temperature – two hours is the maximum time food can sit out. If it’s hotter than 90 degrees, then the longest food can sit out is one hour.

Tip 3: Practice Firework Safety

Fireworks and July 4^th go hand-in-hand, but it’s important to remember that fireworks can be very dangerous. Mishandling them may lead to serious injuries that could require emergency medical care. It’s best to leave the fireworks shows to the professionals; but if you do plan to light them yourself at home, remember to do the following:

• Use legal and approved fireworks far away from any buildings, including your house.
• Do not use fireworks on dry grass or near any leaves, trees, and/or shrubbery.
• Know the location of everyone at your celebration at all times in order to avoid setting off fireworks too close to anyone.  

Rowan Public Health wishes you and your family a wonderful 4^th of July weekend, and we hope these suggestions will help! If you still have not received your COVID vaccination and are interested in doing so, please visit the CDC’s vaccine finder. Here, you will find a number of local agencies/businesses that are offering COVID vaccines in Rowan County, such as:

1. Novant Health at the J. F. Hurley YMCA; Walk-ins are accepted M-F 8:30 am – 4:30 pm 
2. Larger chain pharmacies: CVS and Walgreens
3. Grocery Stores: Walmart, Food Lion (Salisbury and China Grove), Sam’s Club
4. Local pharmacies: Moose Pharmacy, The Medicine Shoppe, Country Pharmacy, Price Pharmacy, and Cannon Pharmacy
5. Provider offices: Rowan County Public Health, Rowan Diagnostic Clinic, Cleveland Wellness Clinic, Salisbury Pediatric

To find out more information about which vaccines are being offered and when they are being offered, please contact the agency/business directly. As an extra reminder, everyone that gets vaccinated until August 4^th has a chance to become a big winner through the Bringing Summer Back initiative. Now that be something to celebrate!!! To learn more about the $4 Million Summer Cash and Summer Cash 4 College Drawings, please visit  SummerVaxCash.com. 

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Contact:
Amy Smith
704-216-8859
amy.smith@rowancountync.gov

Download Media Release COVID-19 - July 1, 2021 (PDF)