ALBANY, N.Y. — As Memorial Day has passed, marking the unofficial start of the summer season, the New York State Department of Health is reminding New Yorkers to take simple but important safety precautions.
Residents are encouraged to ensure the summer months ahead are safe and enjoyable. Precautions include safe food preparation, water safety, avoiding tick and mosquito bites, and limiting sun exposure.
“As we welcome the start of a new season, we want all New Yorkers to enjoy a safe and healthy Memorial Day weekend and summer,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a press release. “Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout, heading to the beach, or spending time outdoors with loved ones, a few simple precautions can make all the difference.
“Wash your hands before preparing food, cook meats to proper temperatures, keep cold foods properly chilled, never swim alone, always supervise children near water, and protect yourself from the sun with hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. These small, thoughtful actions help prevent illness and accidents — ensuring a holiday weekend that is both meaningful and memorable.”
Food safety starts with cleaning hands before preparing or serving food, especially after handling raw meat and using the restroom:
• Wrap raw meat in plastic bags at the market to prevent blood and juices from dripping onto other foods.
• Refrigerate meat and other perishable food within 1-2 hours.
• Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, cold water, or the microwave.
• Refrigerate marinated food and avoid tasting or re-using the marinade after adding raw meat.
• Wash cutting boards and counters immediately after using them to prepare raw meat or seafood.
• Avoid cross-contamination by keeping ready-to-eat food separate from raw meat or seafood.
• Use clean utensils when handling cooked meat and other ready-to-eat foods.
• void tasting or eating raw or undercooked meat.
Cook meats to proper temperatures to kill E. coli and Salmonella, germs that can cause serious illness when present in undercooked meats. Even when barbequing, use a meat thermometer to check the inner temperature of these foods by inserting it into the thickest part of the meat. Checking to see if the juices run clear is not a reliable test to assure the meat is cooked properly and safe to eat. Ensure the proper cooking temperatures for these meats:
• 165° Chicken
• 160° Ground beef
• 150° Pork
• 140° Beef
The Department provides safe swimming advice for New Yorkers who plan to enjoy beaches and pools during the holiday weekend. Water activities are a great way to exercise and cool off on hot days. Follow safety tips to reduce risk when swimming or boating, such as:
• Swim with others, never alone.
• Always supervise children and keep young children within arm’s length when in and around water, even if lifeguards are present. Life jackets or swimming aids don’t take the place of adult supervision.
• Always wear a life jacket while boating.
• Avoid drugs and alcohol while swimming and boating as they slow reaction time and impair judgment.
• Take children on frequent bathroom breaks and change diapers in restrooms.
• Don’t swim or let your kids swim if they are sick with diarrhea or have an open wound.
• Wear and reapply sunscreen.
• Check for local weather alerts for thunderstorms and rough surf conditions.
• Stay hydrated and try to spend a few hours in air conditioning after being outside in extreme heat.
• Avoid swimming, fishing and boating in water that is cloudy or discolored or with floating mats or scums.
• Avoid swallowing water while swimming and consider keeping your head and face out of the water.
Remember, drowning can occur anywhere there is water, whether it’s a pool, bathtub, or bucket. Keep toilet seats down and always supervise young children around water.
Take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks and mosquitoes. Blacklegged (deer) ticks can transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in New York, and other diseases. Mosquito bites in New York can result in infection with diseases like West Nile virus.
When hiking, working, or spending time outdoors or in wooded or grassy areas:
• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535, and follow label instructions.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Check for ticks often while outdoors and brush them away before they attach.
• Perform a full body check multiple times during the day, as well as at the end of the day, to ensure that no ticks are attached.
• Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed.
• Shower soon after coming indoors. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
• Take steps to control mosquitoes. Use screens on windows and doors and turn over, empty, and scrub outdoor items that may hold water, such as buckets, planters, pools, and birdbaths, at least once a week.
The Department has a Guide for Preventing Lyme Disease available here. Information about insect repellents and videos about tick removal are available here. When using repellent and sunscreen, apply sunscreen first, then repellent.
When spending time outdoors, remember to keep wildlife wild! Do not feed or touch wild animals and stay away from animals that appear to be sick, injured, or dead. If biten by an animal or in contact with a bat, call your local health department immediately.
The Department also recommends that people of all skin tones follow sun safety guidance because everyone is at risk for skin cancer. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher applied to dry skin at least 15 minutes before going outdoors, and again after swimming or perspiring.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and a wide-brimmed hat. This will give you the best protection. If wearing a baseball cap or a short-sleeved shirt, put sunscreen on the ears, neck, and arms. Follow these tips even on cloudy days. Clouds do not block dangerous UV rays. Learn more about sun safety and skin cancer.
