ZMCHD Lifts Indoor Mask Advisory

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – As the number of Covid-19 cases here in Muskingum County fall, the county health department is following CDC guidelines to adjust from the pandemic to the endemic phase of the disease by eliminating the indoor mask recommendation. 

Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Jack Butterfield explained that on February 25th, the CDC changed the way they rank Covid-19 in communities and stressed that even though case numbers have dropped that the disease is still present.

“A pandemic is when a disease has overwhelmed a geographical area to the point where your healthcare system is overly taxed and can’t keep up, that’s a pandemic. An Endemic is when a disease is constantly present or comes in waves but is not present to the point where it is overwhelming your ability to provide care for your citizens,” Butterfield said.

Muskingum County currently sits at a medium risk level, which means stay guarded if you’re at high risk for severe illness, stay up to date with your vaccinations and get tested if you show symptoms.

“What it means is that the burden of this disease has decreased dramatically in our county, so that allows us to relax some of the recommendations that we make for the spread of Covid, for instance, we have relaxed our mask recommendation,” Butterfield said.

Even though the community is approaching herd immunity and the healthcare system is experiencing less of a burden, the public should not abandon common sense and ignore the risks of catching and spreading the disease.

“If you have symptoms consistent with Covid-19, get tested. Tests are available at pharmacies, we have them here at the health department and there’s no reason to not get tested,” Butterfield said.

If you have Covid-19, stay home for a minimum of 5 days to prevent spreading the infection to others then retest. If you test negative, you should feel free to go out but wear a mask for 5 days because there is still the risk of shedding the virus. The mask protects others.

Although the health department’s mandate for wearing masks in public has been dropped, there are still occasions that mask use will be required, such as, nursing homes, healthcare facilities, group homes and other facilities where management deems it necessary.

Butterfield noted that 58 percent of the county had been vaccinated and around a third of them had been boosted. The Omicron variant is not as severe and has required less medical attention. So between those who have acquired natural immunity through catching the virus and those who have been vaccinated, cases here in the county have dropped precipitously, thus reducing the demand on the healthcare system.

Butterfield expects the virus to remain and transition into a seasonal illness like the flu and continue to mutate. However, it doesn’t seem likely that the disease will be as potent as when it first appeared. Boosters will be offered like flu shots to combat the disease and adjusted to keep pace with the variants.  

Your concern for safety is your concern. Just because you are not required to wear a mask in public doesn’t mean you can’t wear a mask in public.

For further details about the CDC’s Covid-19 guidelines visit http://www.zmchd.org/covid-19/