Solano County Public Health offers tips on safely celebrating Halloween

The Solano County Department of Health and Social Services invites the public to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos this year while reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

According to a news release, the public is encouraged to celebrate in small gatherings and implement extra safety measures, especially when everyone is not vaccinated.

“Together, we all need to do as much as we can to protect ourselves and those around us, including young children who are not yet eligible for vaccination,” officials wrote.

When it comes to reducing the spread of COVID-19, Halloween is no different than the rest of the year.

General measures to protect against COVID-19:

Get fully vaccinated

• “All three currently available vaccines are safe and effectively reduce risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19,” county officials wrote. For vaccine clinic updates and upcoming vaccine clinics in Solano County, visit www.solanocounty.com/covidvaccine. Stay home if you have or think you may have COVID-19.

• Do not attend celebrations or participate in activities if you feel sick, or if you have come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19 and you are not yet fully vaccinated. Wear a face mask

• Face masks are recommended in private settings where not everyone has been vaccinated or when around people who are otherwise vulnerable or whose immune systems are compromised.

• A costume mask is not a substitute for a well-fitted face mask that covers your mouth and nose.

• Avoid wearing a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe.

Gather outdoors

• Indoor activities where people from different households mix, like haunted houses or indoor mazes, are higher risk for everyone—especially for persons not yet vaccinated. Take safety precautions when trick-or-treating

• If participating in traditional outdoor trick-ortreating, wear a face mask or keep your distance from others to help reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.

• Take hand sanitizer with you and use it frequently. Remember to wash your hands after coming home, and especially before eating any treats.

Get a booster or first/second dose of the vaccine:

The mass vaccination clinics at the Vallejo fairgrounds is operating Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clinics are expected to be operational for a total of eight weeks between Oct. 13 and the middle of December, with closures the week of Nov. 3 to 6 and Nov. 24 to 27 for Thanksgiving.

The clinics are walkin, or appointment based. To make an appointment at the mass vaccination event, eligible residents can sign up to for their booster or their first/second dose with the available vaccines online at https:// vax.phast-vax-ca.org/enUS/.Those requiring registration assistance, call (800) 672-0150.

Homebound individuals interested in requesting an in-home vaccination appointment are encouraged to call the COVID-19 vaccine line at 784-8655 for scheduling assistance. Residents without transportation to and from vaccine sites hosted by Solano County are urged to call the COVID-19 vaccine line at 784-8655 and arrange for a free ride through Uber.