Fresno County health officials remind the public to stay safe while welcoming in the New Year.

And, you can add practicing safe sex to the usual New Year’s Eve do’s and don’ts that include admonishments against drinking and driving.

According to the health department, Fresno County is seeing a rise in sexually transmitted diseases. These include HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Hepatitis C.

While some STDs have visible or recognizable symptoms, others do not, and the only way to know is to get tested.

“These are all initially ‘silent’ but catastrophic infections, and the only way to be sure is to get tested,” said health officials in a news release. “Don’t wait to do this if you are at risk, there are treatments available, and they work best when any of these infections are detected early.”

Along with practicing safe sex, officials say that individuals planning on drinking for the New Year’s celebrations should make plans to have a designated driver or find alternative methods of transportation like Uber or Lyft.

Don’t Party Without a Mask or Vaccination

COVID-19 cases have soared to the highest levels on record since the start of the pandemic with more than 265,000 new cases across the country following Christmas celebrations.

The Associated Press reports that thousands of flights have been canceled amid staffing shortages blamed on the virus as new cases per day have all but doubled in the last two weeks.

“Omicron is being detected all over California and we are poised to have a large number of Fresno County residents infected with this highly contagious new variant,” stated FCDPH officials. “Please wear a mask, get your vaccines, and get tested to help curb the spread of this highly contagious variant.”

County health officials say there will be more home testing kits widely available in early January as well as new medication planned to help combat the Omicron surge.

However, supplies will be limited, and officials say vaccinations remain the best protection for everyone.

Resources For STD Testing and Information

As Fresno faces higher levels of sexually transmitted diseases, treatment and testing are available. Find out more by visiting Just The Tips.

Resources For Free COVID-19 Testing

For free and reliable COVID-19 testing, visit the Optum Serve sites, which operate every day.

For a list of available testing sites and resources, visit www.fcdph.org/covid19testing.

Vaccination Sites

To find vaccination sites near you, check here or visit the MyTurn portal to make an appointment online.

Quarantine Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced shortened quarantine guidelines for individuals infected with COVID-19 if they happen to be asymptomatic.

If you are a close contact, you can go back to work after a 5-day period versus a 10-day period. However, guidelines can still be enforced by your employer.

For more information on updated guidelines from the CDC, click here.