For the first time since winter, two Marion County congregate care facilities are listed on outbreak status due to COVID-19.
Marion County Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says a facility enters outbreak status when they have two or more confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, further information is more limited now that the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. While the C-D-C still tracks hospitalizations, the current figures are from August 12th. At that time, Marion County had no hospitalizations from COVID.
While Mallow says indications are COVID numbers are rising in the general population, those numbers are no longer being tracked and would likely be inaccurate since most testing is now done at home and has no reporting requirement.
Mallow says the resurgence of cases has brought questions about what proper procedures if you get COVID. She reports the current guideline is to isolate at home for five days after the first signs of the virus appear. For the next five days, the C-D-C recommends wearing a mask while you are out in public for the next five days.
