‘Substantial spread’ of COVID-19 in Hamilton County

There is a “substantial spread” of COVID-19 in Hamilton County, health officials said on Friday.

Hamilton County health officials said the Centers for Disease Control label a spread of “substantial” when an area sees more than 50 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days. Hamilton County has 54.07 cases per 100,000.

Cases in the county fell dramatically in March when the vaccine was rolled out and continued to drop steadily until early July.

The new designation is accompanied by updated recommendations from the CDC:

• Everyone, regardless of their immunization status, should wear a mask in indoor public places.
• Fully vaccinated people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should be tested 3-5 days after exposure and wear a mask in indoor public places for 14 days or until they receive a result. negative test.
• Teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools should wear masks indoors, regardless of their immunization status.

There is currently no order on masks in Hamilton County, but Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman is urging people to follow CDC recommendations.

“The delta variant changed the game plan for COVID-19,” Kesterman said. “We know that masking works and is an extra layer, besides vaccination, to protect us all from a new wave of viruses.”

Kesterman said the problem was in the hands of the unvaccinated, urging people to get vaccinated.

“The vaccines are safe, effective and readily available,” he said. “It’s now an unvaccinated pandemic. If you have any questions or concerns about the vaccine, please speak to a trusted healthcare practitioner for the best information. “