Like it or not, Lyon County Public Health says it’s time to brush up on quarantine and isolation procedures.
The general recommendation comes as COVID-19 cases are on the rise, both locally and nationally — and it comes with the community calendar resuming its packed status for summer activities. Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern discussed isolation procedures on KVOE’s Morning Show recently:
If you can’t wear a mask, the guidance is to stay home for the remaining five days.
If you are a close contact, you need to get tested if you’re symptomatic. Residents who aren’t symptomatic but have low immunity or are unvaccinated should also get tested, and residents who get negative tests or can’t get tested should go out in public — wearing masks — after five days of first exposure. Residents who can’t mask up are told to stay home for days 6-10.
Millbern says there is “decent” immunity across the area, in part because of vaccination rates and in part due to natural immunity from a record spike in January. However, given recent mutations, some people who had the initial omicron variant may be susceptible to getting sick from other versions of omicron as the virus mutates. Millbern says it’s important to set mitigation strategies based on community spread, especially if Newman Regional Health sees bed space tighten again or staff get sick.
Public Health reported nearly 40 new COVID cases between Wednesday and Friday. Before that, it announced 50 new cases between May 4 and Wednesday.
More information about isolation and quarantine procedures is online at www.publichealth.lyoncounty.org.
