Montco officials: Avoid indoor parties
NORRISTOWN Seeing signs of a fall surge of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County, officials pleaded with county residents to avoid having indoor Halloween parties this weekend.
“I want to urge everyone to stay away from any kind of indoor Halloween parties. If you’re planning to host an indoor Halloween party, if you can move that party outdoors, great. That will certainly decrease any risk from that party,” county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said on Wednesday. “But if you can’t move that party outdoors, I want to ask you to reconsider having that event.
“With the numbers that we’re seeing going up so rapidly across our county, and it is happening across our county, indoor social gatherings where people will not have masks on, and Halloween masks don’t cut it, are really putting our community at risk,” added Arkoosh, who as a physician has been at the forefront of the county’s efforts to combat COVID-19 and provide citizens with the latest information regarding the outbreak.
During the most recent seven-day period ending Wednesday, the county recorded 571 new cases of the virus, which is an increase of 237 cases when compared with the previous seven-day period.
The overall 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate for the county, as of Oct. 23, was 3.16 percent, according to data gathered by county health officials. That marked an increase from the 2.31% positivity rate recorded for the 14-day period ending Oct. 16.
Additionally, officials reported that as of Wednesday, 70 individuals were currently hospitalized with the coronavirus in county hospitals, which represented a 54% increase in hospitalizations from the previous week.
“I want every Montgomery County resident to understand that the COVID-19 surge is here in Montgomery County,” Arkoosh said. “Social gatherings and youth sports and recreational activities continue to be our biggest challenge.”
County officials, echoing recommendations made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said those who have COVID-19 or who have been exposed to someone with the virus should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not distribute candy to trick-or-treaters.
If you are sick with COVID-19 like symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea) or are under isolation or quarantine, you should stay home, officials emphasized.
Health officials urged residents to clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and shared items between uses and to wear a face covering while participating in Halloween activities.
A face mask or face shield should be worn at all times. Do not use a Halloween costume mask as a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face, county health officials advised.
Arkoosh said the Montgomery County Office of Public Health has reviewed CDC guidelines and offered some ideas for Halloween activities that are fun and safe
More specific information and recommendations can be found online at www.montcopa.org/HalloweenGuidance
Arkoosh urged residents to wear a mask when near non-household contacts, to continue to abide by all 6-feet social distancing and handwashing recommendations and to avoid social gatherings and to fully cooperate if they receive a call from a contact tracer.
“It’s really important to take these mitigation measures and use them together. Each additional measure that you employ will add a level of safety. We do have to remember that we are all in this together and not just in our county but across our region,” Arkoosh said.