Jefferson County Executive, Dennis Gannon, in conjunction with Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) Director, Kelley Vollmar, strongly encourage county residents to wear cloth face coverings while in public to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
“From the onset of COVID-19 in our communities we have worked to protect residents’ health and safety,” states Executive Gannon. “We ask that the residents of Jefferson County assist us in slowing the spread by practicing preventative measures such as hand washing, social distancing, and wearing a face covering. In addition, I want to emphasize that this recommendation is highly encouraged.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes. Cloth face coverings can help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others. Wearing a cloth face covering will help protect people around you, including those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.
Jefferson County reported 72 positive cases in May and 176 cases in June, an increase of 144%. “We have seen a significant increase in our positive case count over the last few weeks,” states JCHD Director Vollmar. “It is imperative that the public do their part practicing preventative measures, like wearing a face covering in public. Actions taken now have a huge impact in the long run.”