Health officials urge public to continue taking precautions despite slow down in cases

BLUEFIELD, WV (WOAY) – This past weekend Mercer County saw a new COVID case, bringing it’s total over the course of the pandemic to 14. 

Matt Bragg, a sanitarian at the Mercer County Health Department, suggests people keep doing the basic precautions, and to start now if they haven’t yet. 

“If they are gonna be out in public, we of course recommended social distancing. And if they cannot social distance, we are recommending wearing masks,” Bragg said.

Bragg also says that one of the easiest ways to stay safe is to remember to wash your hands frequently. It’s still one of the most effective ways to avoid spreading and contracting the virus.

“Same thing we say with any of these diseases is that they need to wash their hands frequently. Twenty seconds of happy birthday twice and your ABCs with warm water and soap.”

For the most part, things have stayed the same in Mercer County and in many other areas, and that’s because the county is doing well to maintain social distancing and wear masks. According to Bragg, numbers may just go back up if people are too quick to forget about the safety precautions.

“Watch your social distancing and again, I cannot overemphasize, washing the hands on a regular basis.”

According to the health department, the newest case was domestic travel related, which means someone contracted the disease after leaving the area for a brief time. It’s still very possible to stay safe while traveling, but avoiding large crowds, wearing a mask in public and washing your hands are still necessary to keep numbers low during the pandemic.

Of the 14 confirmed cases in Mercer County, 12 have recovered, and the other two are in isolation. 

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