Last week, Eastern Jackson County moved into Phase 2.5 of its recovery plan and a mandatory mask order. The move to Phase 2.5 loosened restrictions on outdoor gathering limits from 50 to 100 people, reopened playgrounds, and allowed for in-person instruction at schools to resume.
Even though Eastern Jackson County is incrementally reopening and masks are now required, social distancing is still crucial for keeping you and your loved ones safe. Using multiple prevention strategies reduces your risk of contracting COVID-19 or passing it along to others. The new coronavirus is still present in the United States and Jackson County, which means we can’t let our guard down, even as we begin to reopen.
The risk of COVID-19 is not black and white; it exists on a spectrum. And as long as the coronavirus is circulating in our community, your risk of infection can never be zero. Using multiple prevention strategies such as wearing a mask, social distancing, washing your hands, and avoiding touching your face significantly reduces your risk of contracting COVID-19 or passing it along to others.
Committing to mask wearing and social distancing will help us achieve a reduction in community transmission and allow us the freedom to re enter public spaces. We all want to see our family and friends and hang out at restaurants and parties. To ensure that we can do those things sooner rather than later, we must continue social distancing and wearing masks to bring down the number of new cases to zero.
It can be tempting to disregard preventative measures, but at the end of the day, the coronavirus is still present. It is up to all of us to work together to protect ourselves and each other for as long as the pandemic lasts.
As the CDC states in its guidance for reopening, “Reopening America requires all of us to move forward together by practicing social distancing and other daily habits to reduce our risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.” The key is working together so that we can all be together in the future.
To gauge your risk for different activities, follow this simple guide:
