A change to the way data related to COVID cases is affecting multiple counties in the Panhandle, leading Panhandle Public Health District to cease maintaining a risk dial.
According to a press release from COVID-19 Unified Command, as of July 30, county-specific data about the coronavirus will only be reported in counties with populations of 20,000 or more.
“We understand this is frustrating and disappointing and we are working at alternative ways to inform the public,” said Kim Engel, Panhandle Public Health District Director. “We also understand that many sectors of our communities rely heavily on the risk dial to determine which preventive steps should be taken. Our hope is that plans can still be developed with the new solution.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID Data Tracker still shows some Panhandle counties being at a high risk for community transmission. People may locate the tracker online at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tacker/#county-view.