Mono County Enters "High" COVID-19 Community Transmission Level

July 12, 2022 – On Thursday, July 7th, Mono County COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases increased to 27.7 cases per week per 100,000 individuals (270.01 case rate), placing the county in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDCs) COVID-19 (Coronavirus) “High” Community Transmission Level.  Following this uptick in positive COVID-19 cases, coupled with a revolving door of visitors from other “High” Community Transmission Level counties, the Mono County Health Department is recommending additional public health protocols to help slow community spread.

“We understand the fatigue associated with COVID-19, and are grateful for the strides that our community has made in the fight against COVID-19,” said Dr. Caryn Slack, MD, MPH, Mono County Health Officer.  “As we experience additional variants and upticks in positive cases, we simply ask residents and visitors to remain vigilant and consider using additional mitigating practices that have proven to reduce spread of infection.”

Recommended actions based on the “High” Community Level include:

• Wearing a mask indoors in public;
• Staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines; and,
• Getting tested if you have symptoms.

Additional precautions for individuals at high risk for severe illness include:

• Staying six feet away from others;
• Avoiding poorly ventilated spaces and crowds;
• Washing your hands often;
• Covering coughs and sneezes;
• Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces; and,
• Following recommendations for quarantine and isolation.

Details on these additional precautions can be accessed here.

“Testing and isolating remain the best defense against community spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Slack.  “With the uptick in local cases, as well as the new variants identified globally and in the United States, it’s important that we capture local data and continue to be vigilant about containing spread whenever possible.”

The At Home COVID-19 Reporting Portal can be accessed here.

COVID-19 TESTING

Both OptumServe and Mono County Public Health provide free COVID-19 testing clinics in Mono County.  In addition, every home in the U.S. is eligible to order three (3) sets of at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests from the federal government at no charge.  The tests are completely free, and orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.  The tests can be accessed here.

About the tests:

• The at-home tests are rapid antigen tests, not PCR
• Can be taken anywhere
• Results in 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
• The tests will work whether or not you have COVID-⁠19 symptoms
• The tests will work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-⁠19 vaccines

When to test:

• If you begin having COVID-⁠19 symptoms, including fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell, or
• At least 5 days after you come into close contact with someone with COVID-⁠19, or
• When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-⁠19 vaccines

Mono County Public Health offers testing in other locations throughout the county at various times throughout the week.  While both OptumServe and Mono County Public Health accept walk-ins at their COVID-19 testing clinics, pre-registration is strongly encouraged as walk-ins will only be accommodated pending resource availability.

The COVID-19 testing schedule can be accessed here.

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