The Chesprocott Health District says in Cheshire they’re seeing 10 times as many young people testing positive compared to older adults. CHD cover Cheshire, Prospect, and Wolcott.
“We’re not where we were in March, thank goodness. But the scary part is you don’t know what the next few weeks are,” said CHD Director Maura Esposito.
After months of declining cases, health officials say the numbers in Cheshire are slowly going back up. According to the data, when comparing age groups, teens and those in their 20s are behind the increase.
“What we’re finding is that families are going to gatherings together, celebrating different life events, as well as traveling to the hot spots,” said CHD Public Health Specialist Kate Glendon.
CHD says it appears people are letting their guard down and are not social distancing at gatherings. The health district reports that in Cheshire between August 1 and September 18, 25 out of 36 cases came from those between the ages of 16 and 27. Of those interviewed, officials say half had no symptoms.
“I get a little worried when I see that because that means there are a lot more (young people) out there that are not showing symptoms. And they’re going out, we know,” said Esposito.
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Esposito says she’s concerned about the unintended consequences, specifically it spreading to more vulnerable populations. Which is why health officials are asking everyone to continue taking precautions.
Officials say for the majority of those positive cases involving young people, they got tested because they had close contact with someone who tested positive, and the health district applauds them for taking that action. They also encourage those who test positive to cooperate with contact tracers.
