Mount Rogers Health District – Community Notice
Dr. Karen Shelten
We have had an increased number of cases in the Galax greater community including Carroll and some in Grayson – the Twin County area.
We attribute this to several large families who have had COVID cases. CDC has documented that household transmission rates are generally very high. There has not been much social distancing going on in the community previous to now. Many of these families have individuals who work in many businesses, and that has also had an effect on the spread of disease.
The Mount Rogers Health District has undertaken the following actions in regards to the COVID cases in Galax:
- We have been very diligent in case investigation and contact tracing every individual, including working with them on isolation and quarantine agreements.
- We have worked with every business that has been affected to promote safety for the workers in the business.
- We have increased our testing greatly in this area, having held 4 large testing sites in the last 2 weeks, which has also contributed to an increase in documented positive cases.
- We have worked with county and city officials on messaging for the communities.
At this point there have not been any specific outbreaks of concern in medically vulnerable populations.
Everyone needs to do their part to be socially responsible to stop the spread of COVID-19. Please do the following:
- Wear a face cloth covering in public – everywhere!
- Wash hands with soap and water frequently. If soap and water are not available use hand sanitizer.
- Socially distance yourself in public – give people space – at least 6 feet apart.
- STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK.
Thank you for your interest
Karen Shelton MD
Director Mount Rogers Health District
Virginia Department of Health