Macon County Moves to High COVID-19 Community Level
Due to the continued rise in cases, the CDC updated Macon County’s COVID-19 Community Level from medium to high. Weekly metrics used to determine the COVID-19 Community Level include the following: case rate per 100,000 population, new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population, and percent staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19.
Based on our current community level, it is recommended that individuals should:
- Wear a well-fitted mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status.
- Stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses.
- Get tested if you have symptoms.
- Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you areexposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19.
- If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease:
o Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection
o Consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.o Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or access to testing).
o Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like
oral antivirals, PrEP, and monoclonal antibodies. Some community-level prevention strategies include:
- Protect people at high risk for severe illness or death by ensuring equitable access to vaccination, testing, treatment, support services, and information.
- Consider implementing screening testing or other testing strategies for people who are exposed to COVID-19 in workplaces, schools, or other community settings as appropriate.
- Implement enhanced prevention measures in high-risk congregate settings.
- Distribute and administer vaccines to achieve high community vaccination coverage andensure health equity.
- Maintain improved ventilation in public indoor spaces.To learn more about additional individual-, household-, and community-level prevention behaviors and strategies that can be taken to help curb the spread, please visithttps://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/data/community-level.html and/or https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data- tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Illinois&null=17125&list_select_county=17115.