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COVID-19 Remains a Threat, Local Health Officials Say

The number of COVID cases may be decreasing in Ohio County and elsewhere, but now is not time to forget the virus still is contagious and dangerous, according to Wheeling-Ohio County Health Administrator Howard Gamble.

The public should still be cautious, continue to wear masks, and avoid large crowds. This is especially true for those who have not yet received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines or the single-dose Johnson and Johnson shot, he said.

International and domestic travel still can be a cause for concern.

“It is getting into the spring break and summer months, and we all are looking forward to getting into getting fully vaccinated and back to normal,” Gamble said. “Mask requirements may change, so can quarantines. But we still have to be cautious.

“If we are going to be taking trips domestically or internationally, we must watch what is going on.”

Employers wishing to send employees on trips also want to know whether this is safe, and what precautions must be taken.

Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Director Lou Vargo, serving as interim county administrator, said elected officials have been contacting his office for guidance regarding employees who travel.

Vargo told county commissioners the Centers for Disease Control have not yet released any guidelines, but has released recommendations pertaining to travel for those who have been vaccinated.

Gamble said the recommendations from the CDC are just that — “recommendations.”

Restrictions on travel have been set in place at the state level by some states, while other restrictions have been instituted by employers wishing to preserve “workplace health.”

“We have had a few inquiries because people travel internationally, or school getting students back who have gone on spring break or come back after traveling to see someone,” Gamble said.

For answers, he looks to CDC recommendations. These suggest that those travelling overseas get tested for COVID before they depart, then quarantine and be tested again once they return.

Those traveling within the continental U.S., however, may not have to quarantine if they have been fully vaccinated, and the post-two week period following their shots has passed.

The traveler may want to exercise more caution if they are traveling outside America to a country where COVID numbers or high, or if they are traveling to a U.S. area where there are more COVID concerns, according to Gamble.

“Local businesses who are sending someone on a business-related trip may want to avoid those areas,” he said. “If they have to send them, have them quarantine and be tested before they come back to work.”

When local employers, schools and colleges have called asking for guidance on the issue, the health department still advises quarantining and testing of the traveler, Gamble said.

“We don’t have a lot of kids fully vaccinated. It’s growing, but we don’t have a lot of the general population vaccinated post two-weeks,” he said.

Quarantine time can range from five to 14 days, with 10 days typically being the time period, according to Gamble.

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