Officials with Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health now consider Douglas County to be “stable” in the green indicator phase of community transmission of COVID-19.
However, “We will continue to recommend smart implementation of masks, and other basic pandemic precautions, especially when individuals are travelling, gathering, or around those who have specific risk factors,” LDCPH said in a news release Saturday.
A month ago, the county reached a milestone with fewer than 500 active COVID-19 cases and fewer than 25 new cases per day, which put the county in the “green” phase. But LDCPH was hesitant to immediately change its guidance for public health protocols.
Now, with vaccines available for those ages 5-11 and a sustained decline in local transmission, health officials say people should follow the guidelines for the green phase. That means unvaccinated people should still wear masks in public places, larger gatherings are OK for those who are vaccinated, and more; see guidance in the graphic below.
“The holidays are known to often induce an uptick in COVID-19 cases, and, as there is no guarantee we will stay in ‘green’, we will continue to monitor community levels and recommend more vigilant precautions in the future if necessary,” the release stated.
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See the latest COVID-19 stats for Lawrence and Douglas County on The Lawrence Times’ stat dashboard at this link.
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