CDC Introduces ‘COVID-19 Community Level’ Tool, Changing Mask Recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control has introduced its new COVID-19 Community Level tool that allows the agency to list the coronavirus level on a county-by-county (or parish-by-parish) basis.

According the agency's official Twitter page, the new tool allows the CDC to classify every county (parish) in the US into low, medium, or high, with recommended prevention measures for each level.

In Louisiana, almost 30% of its parishes are still in the "High" category. Some of those parishes include Lafayette, Upper and Lower St. Martin and Iberia Parishes, along with 14 parishes in the northeastern portion of the state.

At this time, only 7 of Louisiana's 64 parishes fall into the "Low" category.

Residents of parishes that show a "High" level of coronavirus are recommended, by the CDC, to continue wearing a mask while indoors. The full guidelines for a county that falls under the "High" category include:

• Wear a mask indoors in public
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms
• Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness

Residents of parishes that show a "Medium" level of coronavirus are recommended, by the CDC, to continue wearing a mask IF you are in the high-risk category. The full guidelines for a county that falls under the "Medium" category include:

• If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms

The grass is greener for the areas that register a "Low" level of coronavirus. The full guidelines for a parish that falls under the "Low" category include:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms

According to CNN, the CDC's new tool uses 3 numbers to determine the level of coronavirus in each county:

Now, the CDC's "Covid-19 community level" metrics are based on three pieces of data in a community: new Covid-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new Covid-19 cases. - via CNN

The CDC's new system for measuring the coronavirus level in each parish/county now puts more than 70% of the United States population into the "Low" category.

To see the CDC's new COVID-19 levels for your area, visit the CDC's website by clicking here.