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DOH-Collier Recommends a Safe Healthy Fourth of July Weekend

By Breanna Johnson

July 02, 2021

Prevention tips to keep you and your family safe this holiday weekend 

Naples, Fla. —Fourth of July weekend is right around the corner. The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to make sure residents and visitors are safe. Follow these tips for a healthy holiday weekend.

COVID-19 Prevention -Even though this weekend is the perfect time to spend with family and friends it is important to remember not everyone is vaccinated. Unvaccinated people should continue to wear a mask and stay 6ft apart from others. Whether or not you have received the vaccine it is important to stay home if you are feeling sick. Remember to frequently wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water is not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. For more information regarding COVID-19, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Sun Safety -Seek shade when the sun is strongest. This is typically between the hours of 10am and 4pm. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15 on all parts of exposed skin before you go outside. Remember to reapply every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears, and back of neck. Protect your eyes and the delicate skin around your eyes from sun exposure by wearing sunglasses. Wear light, long-sleeved shirts when possible. Keep in mind that normal T-shirts have a SPF rating lower than 15, and a wet T-shirt offers much less protection than a dry one, so wear other types of sun protection as well.

Food Safety -Before and after handling raw meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood make sure to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Separate all food! Use one cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and another one for vegetables and fruits. Cook all foods to the proper temperature by using a food thermometer. If you do not have one, purchase one. Baking sweets might come with the temptation of eating the dough or batter, but that is not safe. Make sure to refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, chill food within 1 hour.

Water Safety – It is important to remember no matter your age, never swim alone. Children always need to be supervised in and around water, never leave them alone. When there are several adults present and children are swimming, use the Water Watcher strategy. This designates an adult as the Water Watcher for a certain amount of time (such as 15-minute periods) to prevent lapses in supervision. Use barriers when around water this includes fences, self-closing/self-latching gates, and secure doors with alarms these can help prevent young children from wandering into bodies of water including lakes, pools, ponds, etc. Remember that layers of protection are necessary to prevent drowning. No single device or solution can prevent drownings.

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