The Williams County Health Department has developed community talking points in an effort to provide useful information as we work together to prevent COVID-19 spread in our community.
- In the past 7 days (April 13th-April 20th), there have been 87 new cases, 4 hospitalizations, and 0 deaths reported. As of 4/15, Williams County remains level 2 (orange) on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System (OPHAS) and triggered 3 of the 7 indicators (New cases per capita, New cases increase, & Non-congregate cases) and high incidence.
- What can you do after you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19? Source: CDC
-People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after they complete the vaccine series (2 doses for Pfizer or Moderna, 1 dose for Johnson & Johnson).
-Once you’ve been fully vaccinated, there are several advantages:
- Visit with Loved Ones Safely without Masks: Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with other fully vaccinated people of any age. You may also visit inside a home with one household of unvaccinated people who are not at risk for severe illness. If any of the unvaccinated people or their household members are at increased risk of severe COVID-19, all attendees should take precautions including wearing a well-fitted mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, and visiting outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. The level of precautions taken should be determined by the characteristics of the unvaccinated people, who remain unprotected against COVID-19.
- No Quarantine if Exposed to a Case: Fully vaccinated people with no COVID-like symptoms do not need to quarantine or be tested following an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, as their risk of infection is low. Fully vaccinated people who do not quarantine should still monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following an exposure.
- Domestic Travel without Testing or Quarantine: Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread SARS-CoV-2 and can now travel at low risk to themselves within the United States. Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine following domestic travel or get a pre- or post-travel test.
- International Travel without Pre-Travel Tests or Quarantine After Travel: You may travel internationally without a pre-travel test depending on the destination. International travelers need to pay close attention to the situation at their international destinations before traveling due to the spread of new variants and because the burden of COVID-19 varies globally. Fully vaccinated air travelers coming to the United States are still required to have a negative viral test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States. No test is required if driving across the border. Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine in the United States following international travel. Those who are unvaccinated need to quarantine after international travel for 7 days with a negative test (on day 5 or later) or stay home for 10 days.
- Lower Risk Activities: Risk of COVID-19 infection during public social activities such as dining indoors at a restaurant or going to the gym is lower for fully vaccinated people. However, precautions should still be taken as transmission risk in these settings is higher and likely increases with the number of unvaccinated people present.
-While we continue to learn how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19, it is important to continue taking precautions in public settings (like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces).