FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2020
Contact: John Lyon, Director of Strategic Communications (845) 638-5645
                Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, D.O., M.P.H., CPE, DABFM, FAAFP (845) 364-2512

#YouthCanGetIt2 Social Media Campaign Designed by and for Local Youth

New City, NY- - Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce the #YouthCanGetIt2 social media campaign to highlight COVID-19 prevention methods for teens and young adults. The Rockland County Department of Health and the United Way of Rockland spearheaded the Coronavirus Youth Committee to bring together youth-serving organizations and the teens and young adults they serve. The Committee identified the social media platforms and messaging that youth would respond best to. Using graphic design and video, youth from the Haverstraw Center, United Way of Rockland, Spring Valley NAACP, BRIDGES, Rockland County Youth Bureau and Martin Luther King Multipurpose Center created visual images and video messages for the social media outlets used most often by youth.

"Youth play an important role in stopping community spread of COVID-19. They can educate their peers and help protect their friends and families through their own social distancing and hygiene behaviors," said Dr. Ruppert. The #YouthCanGetIt2 campaign presented 10 messages on social media this week to promote staying home, washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, not touching eyes, nose or mouth, staying 6 feet from others outside the home, COVID-19 awareness, and cleaning frequently used objects.

The United Way of Rockland launched the messages on their website, twitter and Facebook where they can be found and circulated by the public to promote the campaign. The messages can also be shared on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and other social media platforms. Rockland County youth are encouraged to join the movement by sending the posts to friends to spread the word. You can spread the word and stay informed by following the Rockland County Department of Health's Twitter and Facebook feeds.

The whole world is currently experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, a respiratory infection that is easily transmitted from person-to-person. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can be deadly. Symptoms can include cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, muscle aches, loss of appetite, diarrhea, or loss of smell/ taste. Response to the infection can turn deadly in older people and people with chronic illness such as heart disease, lung diseases, and diabetes. However, people of all ages can suffer severe reactions and even death from COVID-19. They can also become infected and spread the disease to others before showing signs of illness.

If you become mildly ill, stay home, and manage your symptoms as you would with the flu. Stay home, rest, drink plenty of hydrating fluids, eat healthy foods, and stay isolated from others in the household. For residents who think they have COVID-19, contact your medical provider to discuss your symptoms and determine the need for a test. Do not dial 9-1-1 unless you have an emergency.

Everyone is advised to stay home, including children and teens not in school, unless you must get food, medical supplies, or are an essential employee that must work outside the home. To further reduce interaction with others, use delivery services or curbside pickup when possible. When outside the home, keep your distance from other people by staying at least 6 feet away and wear a mask or scarf that covers your nose and mouth. It is important that everyone stay home, healthy or sick. Continue to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue, and do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Clean frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, handles, remote controls, and phones.

The resources below can provide additional information:

• For more information and testing questions call the New York State 24-hour hotline at 1-888-364-3065.
• For emotional support call the New York State COVID-19 Emotional Support Helpline at 1-844-863-9314 from 8am-10pm, 7 days a week or call the Rockland County Department of Mental Health at 845-364-2955, M-F 9am-3pm.
• For local information and resources call 2-1-1
• Visit the county's COVID-19 page: http://rcklnd.us/covid19
  

Follow the county health department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rockhealth or Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhealth.