The Lake County Health Department is reporting 81 new cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Lake County and no new deaths since yesterday. This brings the total number of Lake County COVID-19 cases to 689, including 14 deaths (as of April 4, 2020, 1:00 p.m.).

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new recommendations to the public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. CDC now recommends the use of cloth face coverings in public settings, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, where it is difficult to maintain social distancing.

Recent studies show that a significant portion of people who are infected with the novel coronavirus do not have symptoms (“asymptomatic”). Some people who are infected will develop symptoms later (“pre-symptomatic”). Both asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people can transmit the virus to others in close proximity when they talk, sneeze, or cough. 

"We continue learning more about the virus that causes COVID-19 and how it spreads in the community," said Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister. "Social distancing remains a must for everyone who leaves their home for essential reasons. In addition, consider wearing a cloth face covering while you are out so you don’t spread the virus to others, and leave the surgical masks and respirators for our first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines.”

Detailed instructions for creating a cloth face covering are available on the CDC website:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html, and a video of the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, demonstrating a simple face-covering option can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tPx1yqvJgf4.