The Henry and Stark County Health Departments announce they had 104 New Confirmed Positive Covid-19 Cases Reported the Past Week in Henry County, and 12 New Confirmed Positive Covid-19 Cases Reported in the Past Week in Stark County. The Department announces that as we move forward to a new phase in the Covid era, we will now only release weekly “current data” on new confirmed positive cases in the past week: 
Henry County New Covid-19 Confirmed Positive Cases in Past Week: *+104
Henry County Deaths: *121
Stark County New Covid-19 Confirmed Positive Cases in Past Week: *+12
Stark County Deaths: *33
Henry & Stark County New Covid-19 Confirmed Positive Cases in the Past Week: *+116
*Based On New Confirmed Positive Covid-19 Cases As Of 5-17-22. A confirmed case is laboratory confirmed via molecular test. There can be time lags between when a case is confirmed positive and when it is considered active in state and local reporting.
In addition, the Health Department is noting the CDC’S latest covid mitigation guidance tool. The CDC’s new COVID-19 Community Level tool classifies every county in the U.S. into low, medium, or high. Knowing the COVID-19 Community Level in your area will help determine what prevention measures are needed to protect yourself and your loved ones, as well as decrease strain on hospitals and health systems.
According to the CDC Data Tracker “COVID-19 Community Levels” map: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?fbclid=IwAR3M2UHdjhvGbXU0_JKfEa75yffJtkFXTmlR3rLq5I6I8b-7BnwNlkST0NY#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=CommunityLevels
In Henry County, Illinois, community level is Low.
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms
In Stark County, Illinois, community level is Low.
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms
COVID-19 Community Levels are a tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area. People may choose to mask at any time. Please note, people with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.
To account for the risk of community spread among more vulnerable populations, Illinois will continue to require masks in the following settings: Healthcare Settings; Long-Term Care Facilities; and Congregate Settings.
Municipalities and businesses in most industries may choose to continue to implement more strict public health mitigations as they deem appropriate, including requiring masks. Remember to be kind to those who choose to wear a mask based on their own health, level of comfort, and life circumstances.
For a reference of the most current status of COVID-19 in the State please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Covid-19 webpage at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html
