Tulare County Urged to Celebrate Labor Day Safely

Public Health Officer asking residents to avoid large gatherings for the holiday weekend

The COVID-19 virus continues to spread throughout Tulare County, and public health officials are urging residents to take necessary precautions to protect themselves.

COVID-19 continues to pose a risk to the health of communities and to the most vulnerable populations,public health officials state.

Tulare County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Haught strongly encourages community members to follow the public health guidelines and recommendations for slowing the spread of COVID-19 by not gathering with others outside their immediate household during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

“Case rates of COVID-19 continue to be of concern, with Tulare County reporting some of the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission and positivity rates in the state,” stated Dr. Haught. “We are finding that roughly 40 percent of our recent COVID-19 cases stem from exposure at social gatherings. In order for Tulare County to reduce our case numbers, we must refrain from gathering with people outside our households and not create environments where COVID-19 can easily spread.”

To reduce COVID-19 cases and deaths in Tulare County, residents are urged to use alternative means when celebrating Labor Day this year. Alternative ideas for this Labor Day include:

Ordering and picking up a Labor Day dinner for the family.

Celebrating with only members of an immediate household.

Reaching out to extended family members and friends by phone or video chat.

The most important thing is to keep loved ones safe and healthy and to not risk their health by gathering with those outside of one’s home, public health officials state. COVID-19 cases have been seen to spike in Tulare County following a holiday weekend, and in order to not repeat a spike in cases, public health officials are urging residents to cooperate and avoid social gatherings this Labor Day.

Following the public health recommendations and reducing the amount of COVID-19 cases will help Tulare County meet the required thresholds to lift restrictions on businesses and reopen local schools, allowing children to return to the classroom.

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Tulare County, officials strongly urge everyone to practice social distancing of six feet or more between persons and to refrain from social gatherings. Residents must always wear a face covering while in environments where physical distancing isn’t possible and while in public settings.

For more information about COVID-19, visit www. tchhsa. org/ ncov and www.covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov