na

El Dorado County Public Health Co.

Decision-making scenarios to prevent COVID-19

(Placerville, CA) – The Eldorado County Public Health Department reminds residents and visitors of Eldorado County to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Eldorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams said her COVID-19 cases in California and Eldorado County were at moderate to high levels throughout the summer. Levels are finally dropping again, but the ongoing virus transmission is likely to continue as students return to school this month. “This is a concern because the mutation appears to be becoming more and more contagious,” he said. “Taking simple precautions is the best way to reduce your chances of contracting or spreading the virus.”

“Before 2022, the surge in COVID-19 cases in California was addressed by state-issued orders,” Williams explained. “However, since California changed most of its COVID-19 orders into recommendations earlier this year, there are almost no restrictions to protect yourself and others from contracting COVID or infecting others. All responsibility now rests with each of us individually.” Some statewide restrictions remain for special settings such as health care facilities.

Our global recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 remain:

• vaccinated and boosted (if eligible),
• Get tested when symptoms develop (or do home testing)
• If you cannot adequately protect yourself in spaces you share with others who may be exposed to COVID-19, continue to wear a high-quality, properly fitted mask.
• Stay away from others when sick (to keep you safe).

In addition to these recommendations, Williams said you should make decisions for yourself and your family about how and when to take preventative measures. “Determining what precautions to take can be complicated,” Williams said. ‘s personal considerations may influence these decisions.”

To help individuals, the Eldorado County Public Health Department has shared common scenarios people are likely to face and offers decision-making options (from good to better). What). These decision-making scenarios include activities such as visiting vulnerable people, going to the gym, and gathering with people outside your own community. Dr. Williams hopes this information will help people decide which precautions are meaningful for them.

Here is one common scenario: Other scenarios can be found on the Eldorado County Department of Public Health’s Welldorado web page (https://www.welldorado.org/).

Common Scenario #1
How can I safely visit the elderly (or other vulnerable) or how can others safely visit me if I am vulnerable?

Regardless of the scenario, Williams says individuals should consider the following questions when making decisions:

• Are some people particularly vulnerable to severe COVID?
• Are people in the group vaccinated/boosted or have they recently recovered from COVID?
• Is the gathering place indoors or outdoors?
• Can I or others wear masks when we are together indoors?
• If the results are positive, will I or others complete the antigen test and isolate from the group?
• Do you experience higher-risk exposures, such as close face-to-face communication, when eating together at a restaurant without your mask on? Is there a lower risk of exposure, e.g.

# # #