COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Fourth of July will be the first major holiday since the mask mandate was lifted in Ohio and in the City of Columbus.
Given the number of people that will be out celebrating, 10TV talked with Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Columbus health commissioner, about how to stay safe this year.
Her number one suggestion: Get the vaccine.
“There’s not a layer of protection for those (unvaccinated) individuals any longer so it’s important that they do what they can to protect themselves, which would mean, one, getting vaccinated, but for whatever reason, if they choose not to get vaccinated, they need to be mindful of their activities and try to keep their distance from other people,” Dr. Roberts said.
But COVID-19 isn’t the only concern this holiday.
Dr. Roberts explained that there are other precautions people celebrating should take to stay safe.
“People need to make sure that they stay well hydrated,” she said. “Fourth of July is usually a very hot day – that they are mindful of other activities and if they’re doing fireworks themselves, they need to make sure they’re aware of the fire dangers of that, so they should make sure they do them safely and make sure they’re done outside and away from property.”
In addition to those tips, Dr. Roberts told 10TV that anyone attending a picnic should make sure that their hot food stays hot and their cold food stays cold, “because we don’t want to get a good-born illness in the midst of this either,” she added.
For more tips to stay safe and information on the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
