Officials with Mills County Public Health say “As we prepare to celebrate holidays and other large gatherings such as local and state athletic events…” they want to remind all, that “COVID-19 is still widely circulating in our county and state.” They encourage all students and adults to continue to take precautions to protect the health of themselves and their families. Remember that the more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the potential risk of becoming infected and accelerating the spread of COVID-19.

MCPH asks you to ‘lease keep the following key points in mind:
• Carefully consider whether certain social or recreational activities are worth putting yourself and others at risk.
• Stay home if you are sick or feeling unwell.
• Wear a face mask and maintain social distance when in public. This includes when you are in a vehicle with others that do not live with you.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizers frequently.
• If you are positive or a close contact of a positive, take it seriously. Isolate yourself and stay home for the full quarantine period.

Officials say “These proven public health mitigation strategies will contain the spread of COVID-19. We want to protect our health and keep our positivity rate well below the 15% threshold. Kids need to be in school as long as safely possible. Please put this guidance into practice and encourage those around you to do the same.”

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the Iowa Coronavirus webpage at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov