Make COVID-19 Safety Part of Your Holiday Planning: ADHS
Continued COVID-19 spread, influenza season, and the coming holidays make it more important than
ever to plan ahead for safe gatherings with family and friends. “There are ways to enjoy holiday
traditions and connect with your loved ones while protecting yourself, your family, and your
community,” said Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General and special adviser to Governor
Doug Ducey and ADHS.” “Making decisions that minimize transmission of COVID-19 and seasonal flu
will help maintain hospital capacity for Arizonans who most need it.” “The keys to putting COVID-19 in
its place, even with the highly infectious Delta variant at work, are in our hands with the availability of
safe, free, highly effective, and widely available COVID-19 vaccines and attention to the proven
mitigation strategies,” said Don Herrington, ADHS interim director.
It is important to not host or attend a holiday gathering if you are sick, have symptoms, or have
recently been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Even if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19,
be sure to get your seasonal influenza vaccine as well. You can safely get vaccinated against influenza
at the same time you receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose. As long as COVID-19 transmission
remains high or substantial, as is the case throughout Arizona, families should make safety part of your
holiday planning by: 1) considering an outdoor gathering: 2) having participants, event those who are
fully vaccinated, wear well-fitting masks over their nose and mouths in any indoor setting with those
they don’t live with: 3) maintaining at least 6 feet of physical distance from anyone you don’t live with:
4) getting tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms, have been in close contact with someone who is
positive, or believe you have been exposed to COVID-19.
Yavapai County reports 746 COVID-19 Cases and 11 Deaths since Monday, November 15, 2021. The
county has tested 99,505 residents for COVID-19 in the past 6 months, and there have been 31,207
positive cases and 759 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Yavapai Regional Medical Center
reports 77 COVID-patients, VVMC reports 29 patients, and the VA has 6 COVID-19 patients. The
County is still experiencing high transmission of COVID-19 with a 21.6% positivity rate and 407 cases
per 100,000 residents for the week ending November 7, 2021.
Appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters can be made through www.yavapaiaz.gov/chs or
www.vaccines.gov. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or what seems to be a bad cold,
please get tested for COVID-19 and/or Flu. ADHS COVID-19 Hotline – (844) 542-8201 (select Option
Number Eight) – helps in English and Spanish from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, except for
major holidays. Information on boosters also is posted at azdhs.gov/Boosters.
