ONR: Watch 'News Too Real' holiday special review; also Valley precautions in place this season

By ONME Newswire

As December has marked the continuance of the holiday rush, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed what normal looks like this season ... some Americans are spending their Christmas Day in an ICU bed; some Americans never made it to this Christmas Day due to the deadly virus's toll.

Over 99 percent of California is in the purple tier which denotes "widespread" per county and/or low ICU capacity--Counties and cities are also setting forth their own rules and restrictions to prevent the spread. Tiers are determined by the California Department of Public Health based on test positivity and adjusted case rate. California has surpassed two million cases as of of this date. The ICU availability in the 12-county San Joaquin Valley region is currently 0% (Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne.)

Public Health officials in Tulare County are urging residents to take necessary actions and warn everyone to stay home for the holidays this year. They also modified their testing operation for the holidays, The OptumServe COVID-19 Community Testing sites located in Dinuba, Porterville, and Tulare.

The City of Fresno City Council is monitoring the worsening conditions in their hospitals and the development of a emergency public health mitigation proposed by one of the council members.

"We are prepared to take actions necessary to protect our community and preserve our health health care system as a moment's notice this holiday season," said Council President Miguel Arias. "We continue to ask residents to do their part."

As more people are enjoying this holiday season at home, The ONME Network has prepared some comfort footage for people to watch:

In this ONME News Review, producer host Julia Dudley Najieb reviews the season's holidays: Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. She also explained the nature of the "Winter Solstice," also honored or celebrated.

Enjoy 30 minutes excerpt from the "California Holiday Special" featuring a message from African-American Museum Chair Barigye McCoy and Kwanzaa message from Vice-Chair Gregory Melancon, and finally an excerpt from Keysha and the Impromptu Band.