Preventing a surge in coronavirus cases is still possible, but health officials say without a mask mandate, mask usage has dropped. State Health Officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said the state has more testing capacity than ever before, and contact tracing isn't an issue, but it's still not enough. "We're missing a very critical piece, and that's the social distancing and masking piece. And so we really, really need the public, businesses, churches, everyone to engage and do those simple things. Small groups, outdoors only, avoid social events, mask, and six feet," said Dr. Dobbs.
Officials say coronavirus cases are growing fastest in older generations. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said transmission rates are increasing in nursing homes, but he says the majority of the transmission is within communities or families. "We're starting to see the 65 and older as our fastest-growing age group, we're also seeing some growth in the 50-64-year-old age group," says Dr. Byers. "That's concerning because we know that those individuals are at the highest risk."
To prevent spreading the virus, Dr. Dobbs recommends treating everyone as though they are contagious.
