Due to factors that include reported cases and COVID-19 hospital admissions, the CDC has updated the COVID-19 Community Level Status to ‘High’ in Johnson County. The COVID-19 Community Levels helps communities and individuals make decisions based on their local context for COVID-19. Due to the change from medium to high, Johnson County Public Health is recommending that facilities and organizations require persons to wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

Reported cases of COVID-19 placed Johnson County in the medium status level earlier this year and recently, hospitalizations have trended upward which changed the status to high.

Wearing a mask, social distancing, and hand hygiene are easy and effective ways to lower the risk of transmission of COVID-19. JCPH reminds everyone to stay home if you have any COVID-19 symptoms and test for COVID-19. Test kits can be ordered from covidtest.gov or testiowa.com for delivery to your household or Test Iowa kits may also be picked up at several sites across Johnson County.

Symptoms can be similar to those experienced from the common cold or flu, and allergies. For this reason, it is still important to get tested for COVID-19.

More information on actions the community can take to protect themselves can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html