Elkhart County is nearing COVID-19 advisory level orange as cases and hospitalizations increase, so the Elkhart County health officer is asking schools and the public to mask up to limit the rapid spread of the Delta variant.
Dr. Bethany Wait posted a COVID-19 advisory to Facebook on Thursday, Goshen News reported.
“Elkhart County is now in advisory level yellow with a positivity rate of 9.42 percent, which is near advisory level orange. Our local hospitals have seen a dramatic increase in hospital admissions and emergency room visits in the last 10 days,” Wait wrote.
“The Elkhart County Health Department strongly encourages our local private schools, public schools, school boards and school administrators to consider reinstituting a stronger indoor masking policy for all support staff, teachers and students while our community sees this rapid spread of the Delta variant,” she added. “Masking during times of high spread within a community will help to slow the spread of COVID-19, in turn keeping our children in school for learning, our businesses open and our hospitals accessible.”
She said one of the issues is how to treat sick children.
“I want to advise Elkhart County families that Goshen Health and Elkhart General are not equipped to care for severely ill children with COVID-19. Please remember that we share two regional children’s hospitals with the surrounding counties and have limited bed capacity,” she wrote.
Wait also asked local business owners to encourage the wearing of masks.
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