• By Todd Luck
• Posted Friday, July 1, 2022

Forsyth County’s COVID Level is now Low

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has updated its COVID-19 Community Level for Forsyth County to Low.

COVID-19 Community Levels are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. The level can be High, Medium or Low. Forsyth County was Low from March 10 until May 26, when it was updated to Medium, and then it was raised to High on June 2, and returned to Medium on June 23.

CDC guidance for areas with a Low COVID-19 Community Level includes:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
• Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible
• Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19

If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease:

• Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or access to testing)
• Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral antivirals, PrEP, and monoclonal antibodies

At all COVID levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by their personal level of risk. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.

To see the most up-to-date CDC guidance, visit: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

Free at-home COVID-19 test kits are available at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, 799 N. Highland Ave., and all county libraries. You can also order 8 free test kits from the Department of Health and Human Services at https://www.covid.gov/tests.

To schedule a vaccination appointment with Forsyth Public Health, visit Bit.Ly/FCNCCovidVaccine. To find other vaccine providers, visit: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines