The Ogle County Health Department (OCHD), consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health, strongly recommend everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask while indoors in areas of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission.
And Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker last week announced a statewide school mask mandate for all K-12 schools and daycares.
OCHD recommends that employers, retailers, restaurants/bars, fitness/recreational centers, libraries, governmental entities, healthcare facilities, and other public venues require universal indoor masking of their staff and patrons regardless of vaccination status.
Based on increasing cases (case rate of 51/100,000), increasing positivity rate (4.26 percent), and declining ICU availability in the hospitals serving the region, Ogle County is experiencing a substantial level of community transmission for COVID-19.
With less than 50 percent of the eligible population in Ogle County vaccinated, there is substantial risk for transmission of COVID-19 among the unvaccinated including children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for vaccination.
