The CDC has moved Eau Claire County from a “medium” to “high” COVID-19 level.
The CDC determines a community’s level of COVID-19 by considering three factors:
- How many people with COVID-19 have been admitted into local hospitals in the last week.
- How many local hospital beds are filled with COVID-19 patients.
- How many new COVID-19 cases the county has had in the last week.
In the last week, Eau Claire County has averaged 29 new confirmed COVID-19 cases per day. However, with at-home testing, case counts have become a less reliable factor in determining a community’s COVID-19 level, which is why the CDC is also considering the number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity.
While the county is at the high community level, the CDC, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the Eau Claire City-County Health Department strongly recommend people take greater precautions to prevent COVID-19 spread:
- Everyone age 2 and older should wear a well-fitting mask in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.
- Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Stay home if you are sick or test positive for COVID-19, and talk to a health care provider about available treatments.
- If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, consider taking stronger precautions: Wear a mask or respirator that offers greater protection; consider avoiding non-essential activities in public indoor places; talk to your health care provider about taking additional precautions and whether you are a candidate for treatments like antivirals and monoclonal antibodies; and have a plan for rapid testing if needed.
- Unvaccinated people 6 months and older should get a COVID-19 vaccine and stay up to date on booster doses. COVID-19 vaccines are free and available through your health care provider and local community clinics. Find a local COVID-19 vaccine provider or clinic at vaccines.gov.
“More than 61% of people in Eau Claire County have gotten vaccinated to protect against COVID-19,” said Lieske Giese, Health Department Director. “Since there are more cases and more hospitalizations in our county right now, we’re asking the public to wear masks in indoor public places and get vaccinated to protect themselves and the capacity of our health care system.”
For the latest information from the CDC about local coronavirus levels in your area, click here.