FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COVID-19 Indicators Continue to Worsen
Hagerstown, Maryland (August 27, 2021.) Washington County’s cases have continued to worsen over the past few weeks, leading to spikes in all of the county’s COVID-19 indicators. The county’s current positivity rate is 8.11% and the 7-day average of new cases has risen to 32.91%. For comparison, Maryland’s positivity is 4.92% and its case rate is 18.2%. Additionally, there are 33 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized at Meritus Medical Center. 8 are in the intensive care unit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report the level of COVID community transmission for every county in the United States. Community transmission is marked as either low, moderate, substantial, or high. Washington County is categorized as a high transmission county. For counties with substantial or high transmission, the CDC recommends face coverings for everyone in indoor public spaces.
As of today, 45% of Washington County residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 53% 12 + are fully vaccinated. We continue to urge unvaccinated members of the public to get their vaccine as soon as possible. COVID-19 vaccinations are available to anyone age 12 and older. For more information or to make a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, please visit WashCoVax.com or call 240-313-3456.
In addition to the CDC recommendation, WCHD recommends that all community members continue to take actions to protect themselves and prevent the spread of COVID-19, including:
- Get vaccinated if you are eligible
- Wearing a well fitted mask indoors among people who do not live with you
- Avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces
- Washing your hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, or others if you are sick
“In alignment with the CDC, I strongly recommend everyone wear facial coverings in indoor public settings until transmission rates are reduced to a moderate level. This will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 in the community, and help stem the increase in cases and hospitalizations that we are seeing,” said Earl Stoner, Washington County Health Officer. “Additionally, vaccinations are our best defense and are safe, effective, and readily available for everyone age 12 and over. Please do your part and get vaccinated ASAP, this protects the entire community, but especially our children, and other vulnerable populations. Simply put – wearing a face covering and getting vaccinated are our two biggest tools at this critical point in our fight against COVID-19.”
Community members showing any sign or symptom of COVID-19 should get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. Asymptomatic persons exposed to COVID-19 should also get tested, regardless of vaccination status. For more information on testing locations and hours please visit https://www.washco-md.net/coronavirus-info/.
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