The O.C. Health Care Agency announces star-studded COVID-19 campaign

(Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is launching a new public service campaign designed to save lives by spreading positive vibes – not COVID-19 throughout the community. 

HCA is sponsoring KFI’s Gary and Shannon radio talk show to interview local celebrities who represent different parts of OC culture that people here know and love – like the food, the music, the art, the surfing and the fun – iconic personalities who join us in spreading life-saving messages about basic COVID safety in a positive, feel-good way.

Starting August 24, KFI’s Gary and Shannon will interview a stellar line-up of well-known OC celebrities at 11:50 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. The schedule will be posted on the OC Health Care Agency website.

• Food – Wing Lam and Ed Lee (Wahoo’s Fish Taco)
• Surfing – Pete Townend
• Surfing – Courtney Conlogue
• Skateboarding – Tosh Townend
• Art – Melissa Murphy
• Music – Jim Quealy
• Comedian – Chad & JT (Chad Goes Deep)

Huntington Beach muralist Melissa Murphy designed two artistic masks based on her paintings – one of a surfer and the Huntington Beach pier and a second featuring three dolphins – both with the message, “Spread Positive Vibes.” The County will be giving away 45,000 of these masks.  

“We want people to feel good about doing their part to help slow the spread of the virus,” said Orange County Board of Supervisor Chairwoman Michelle Steel, Second District. “We all have the same goal – to get back to the business of enjoying the beach, dining out, listening to live music and having fun.”

“We have safety measures in place for so many health diseases and conditions – wearing a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19 should be no different,” said Vice Chairman Andrew Do, First District. “I recently launched the #MaskUpOC Contest to promote mask wearing through positive community engagement. The OC Health Care Agency’s ad campaign helps expand on that effort so that we can change the conversation around mask wearing to one that is positive and collaborative in bringing people together.”

In addition to the weekly radio broadcast, participating local celebrities will be sharing their interviews and messages about spreading positive vibes on their social media channels. 

Downloadable social media assets for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will be available for anyone to use and share at  www.ochealthinfo.com/positivevibes. 

Audio and in some cases Zoom videos of the interviews will be posted on the website and on the OC Health Care Agency’s YouTube channel. A :30 video PSA will be made using excerpts of the interviews. 

Third District Supervisor Donald P. Wagner said, “My colleagues and I at the Board are excited to provide the free keepsake masks to our constituents and anyone who requests them. It is a good way to show community support and spirit for all that we are going through — together.”

“It will be refreshing to hear fun, breezy conversations about what they are working on, how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting their world, and how they are sending positive vibes out into the community,” said Fourth District Supervisor Doug Chaffee.

Fifth District Supervisor Lisa A. Bartlett added, “Just about every local celebrity the County reached out to said, ‘yes’ to doing these interviews. Given everything our communities are going through with COVID-19, there’s never been a better time to spread positive vibes. We are so pleased that all of these folks are on board!”

“We’ve been hearing for months now from doctors and scientists about the importance of wearing face coverings and social distancing to protect ourselves and each other,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, Director of the OC Health Care Agency and Acting County Health Officer. “But too many people in our County aren’t listening to them. We’re hoping they may pay attention to local legends instead.”

To find out more about how you can get a free mask and get on board to help spread positive vibes in Orange County, go to ochealthinfo.com/positivevibes.

More Information:

• OC Health Care Agency’s dedicated testing website, visit ochealthinfo.com/covidtest
• Information and resources about COVID-19, please visit ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.