District 7390 Safety Committee Update

Committee Chair:  DGE Juliet Altenburg, RN
 
As the Omicron variant continues to surge in our District, the District Safety Committee is committed to educating Rotarians on the latest CDC Guidance and best practices which prevent transmission of COVID-19.  This topic will be a regular feature in the Rotary Reporter. 
 
  • COVID-19 Prevalence in District Counties as of 1/14/22. (Source: https://bit.ly/3riOcvr )
    • PCR Positivity in District Counties: 
      • Adams:  36%
      • Cumberland: 35%
      • Dauphin: 42%
      • Lancaster: 39%
      • Lebanon: 41%
      • Perry: 37%
      • York: 40%
  • Pennsylvania statistics over one week period (Source: https://bit.ly/3riOcvr )
    • Newly reported cases:  138,930 to 159,928
    • Positivity rate:  33% to 36%
    • Average daily COVID Hospitalizations: 5711 to 7516  
    • Average daily COVID 19 on ventilators: 613-664
 
Safety Precautions
Masking is still recommended indoors by the CDC regardless of vaccination status for all the counties in our Rotary district due to COVID-19 positivity rates exceeding 5% .  The most effective masks to wear to prevent acquiring and transmitting the highly contagious Omicron variant are surgical masks particularly when participating in indoor group activities.  Read more at:  https://time.com/6139169/n95-best-mask-omicron-covid-19/
 
 
Rotary International Position Statement on Vaccination
 
On December 17, 2021, RI President Shekhar Mehta and TRF Chair, John Germ published the position statement of Rotary International on COVID 19 vaccination.  To read the full statement go to: https://bit.ly/3I6oGjP.  Key points of the statement are:
 
  1. Global vaccination is the path to ending the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.
  2. Rotary endorses and strongly encourages vaccination for all individuals including our members who are currently able to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
  3. In areas where COVID-19 is surging, communities are facing extreme challenges, health systems are overwhelmed, and contentious rhetoric is dividing us. It is critical that the virus be contained so that the world may begin to heal.
  4. Misinformation has become an “infodemic” that hinders the fight against COVID-19. In line with our Four-Way Test, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation are committed to providing our members with science-based information. 
  5. Those children for whom vaccines are not currently available are at significant risk. Until vaccines are available for all children, the vaccination of adults is the best way to protect children who cannot be vaccinated. Pediatric admissions for COVID-19 are rising precipitously in areas of low vaccination.
  6. Rotary salutes health care workers everywhere as they continue to provide lifesaving services. Local recognition of these heroes by each of our clubs can help to encourage them to continue their important work. Rotary abhors any harassment and attacks on healthcare workers. 
  7. Vaccines have proven to be one of the greatest advances of modern medicine. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines save between 2 to 3 million children’s lives each year, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative estimates the polio vaccine has saved more than 19 million children from paralysis.
  8. Vaccines are safe, effective and are responsible for eliminating or controlling many other vaccine-preventable diseases such as smallpox, measles, rubella, and Ebola. And now, there is the opportunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccines.