COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Following the recent update from the CDC, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has offered guidance for local residents on the wearing of masks.
Due to the drop as COVID-19 cases, the CDC said masks were no longer mandatory on school buses or vans operated by public or private school systems. Masks must still continue to be worn when traveling on an airplane, community bus, or a train and while in a transportation hub such as an airport or bus station.
The Community Health Agency issued a news release on Thursday which stated the guidance for wearing a mask indoors is tied to the current level of community transmission and that the three counties they serve are currently in the Medium category.
That means you should still wear a mask if you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness. The agency says you should talk to your healthcare provider about additional precautions, such as wearing masks or respirators indoors in public. If you live with or have social contact with someone at high risk for severe illness, consider testing yourself for infection before you get together and wearing a mask when indoors with them.
Regardless of community level, settings such as healthcare, nursing homes, prisons, and other congregate care settings, may still require masks for employees and visitors to ensure the safety of vulnerable clients, residents, and employees.
Health Officer Rebecca Burns says, “It is very important that individuals continue to isolate if they test positive for COVID-19, and that close contacts quarantine and take appropriate precautions. Individuals up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine are recommended to wear a mask for 10 days after a known exposure, see full details of quarantine and isolation”.
Free COVID-19 testing continues to be offered at the Health Agency offices in Coldwater, Hillsdale and Three Rivers.
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