On Thursday, May 12, 2022, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 Community Levels with new local data that puts Chippewa County at a Medium Risk Level. The CDC’s Community Risk Levels are a tool for monitoring COVID-19 and its impact on communities. The recent uptick in cases in Chippewa County has resulted in an increase in the county’s level from low to medium. Several counties in the Western Region are in the Medium Risk Level, while two have moved to a High Risk Level.

What are Community Levels?

The CDC looks at the following three metrics to figure out COVID-19 community levels:

• New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days (regional)

• The 7-day average percent of staued inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients (regional)

• Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days What Do These Levels Mean for Individuals?

People make decisions about their individual behaviors every day. The CDC’s Community Levels system is one of many tools available to help make those decisions a little clearer. At all levels, people may choose to wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk or risk to household members.

Staying up to date on vaccines is the best thing individuals can do, no matter the community level. Other considerations for the Medium Risk Level include:

• If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, talk to your health care provider about whether you should wear a mask in public.

• If you live with someone at high risk or come in contact with people who are high risk, consider wearing a mask while indoors with them or using a home test before coming in contact with them.

• If you have symptoms or were exposed, be sure to get tested and stay home while you are sick/waiting for results.

• People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. Visit the Chippewa County Coronavirus Response Hub at https://covid19-chipcogis.hub.arcgis.com for more information on testing locations, vaccine appointments, vaccination locations, and guidance on what to do if you are sick or exposed to someone with COVID-19. The Chippewa County Department of Public Health continues striving to support the community in staying healthy.