Westover, Md. – The Somerset County Health Department is strongly encouraging county residents to wear a mask indoors in public settings and in situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained, regardless of vaccination status. This recommendation comes as a result of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and reflects the new guidance and requirements put in place by the CDC, as the Delta variant presents new dangers to unvaccinated residents. This week, Somerset County elevated to a substantial community transmission level as the number of cases rose. Substantial transmission is where the daily case rate exceeds 7 per 100,000 people per day. The case positivity rate has risen from a low of .038% on July 5 to a current rate of 5.02% on August 5.
“We urge everyone, age 12 and older, to get a COVID-19 vaccination. This vaccine is safe, offers strong protection against the Delta variant and is an effective tool to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death”, says Danielle Weber, county Health Officer. “Although there are cases of people who become infected after they are fully vaccinated, cases where fully vaccinated people are hospitalized or die from COVID-19 are rare.”
The Somerset Health Department hosts weekly testing and vaccination clinics. All clinics are free. For a schedule of our clinics go to https://somersethealth.org/community-health-services/coronavirus-covid-19/
For questions related COVID-19, call the Somerset COVID-19 hotline 443-523-1920 during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). For information on COVID-19 vaccines, visit the Maryland Department of Health at https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/, https://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus or the Somerset County Health Department’s website at www.somersethealth.org. Follow the health department’s social media on Facebook (@somersethealth), Instagram (Somersethealthmd) and Twitter (@somersethdmd).
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