With the governor's announcement that Allen County has now been tagged as "Red", Allen County Public Health is working to educate the public on what will be happening.
According to Allen County Public Health, the increasing spread of COVID-19 in the county can be attributed to community spread. Large gatherings, traveling to and from high-risk areas, and not isolating if tested positive for Coronavirus, are all factors that led Allen County to become red.
The Allen County Health Commissioner is asking the community to go back to what they have been asked since the beginning of the pandemic. Wear a mask, maintain distance from others, and wash your hands. She says it's also important to remember the virus does not stop at county lines. So, she encourages taking these steps in other, non-red counties as well.
"Risk level 3 means there is high exposure and people need to limit their activities," explained Kathy Luhn, Allen County Health Commissioner. "So we ask people to be smart, think about what they're doing. Is it really necessary that I go to this event, is it really necessary that I hold this event, how much risk are we putting out their for each other? Now is the time to be thinking about how we can protect each other. Not what is the least I can I do, but what is the most I can do to protect other people, so we can get our numbers down."
The mask mandate will be put in place for Allen County by Friday evening, and Luhn says she does not think law enforcement involvement is necessary to follow this order.
