Teton County, Wyo. changes COVID-19 risk level system to align with CDC, now in high risk level
JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) – To provide clarity and reduce confusion in the community, Teton County Health Department is adjusting its COVID-19 Risk Level Metrics to align with the Centers for Disease Control metrics on COVID-19 transmission risk level.
Based on these changes, Teton County is now in the Red (High) COVID Risk Level.
This change aims to highlight the risk of COVID-19 transmission or spread of COVID-19 in Teton County with the goal of providing community members with information pertinent to making choices about their behaviors and take preventative actions against COVID-19.
The metrics that will be included going forward are:
- A rolling 7-day sum of new cases per 100,000 population
- Percent of tests over the last 2 weeks that are positive
Teton County’s COVID-19 risk levels will mirror the recommendations and thresholds set by the CDC, with levels determined as low (green), moderate (yellow), substantial (orange), and high (red). When the two metrics suggest different transmission levels, the higher level will be selected. Teton County will update the metrics weekly both on our webpage and the COVID-19 dashboard. The dashboard will continue to provide expanded Teton County COVID-19 statistics which will be regularly updated. To view the Teton County’s COVID-19 dashboard, click HERE.
“We are hoping that this change will allow community members to easily see the metrics that show the transmission level of COVID-19 in our community," Health Department Director Jodie Pond said. "While the other COVID metrics are important, they do not play as large of a role in the risk of getting COVID-19 in our community. We want to make sure community members have all the information they need to make appropriate decisions, especially if they are a more high-risk individual, have an at-risk individual in their household, or have children or others in their household who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccination.”
The Teton County Health Department asks community members to review the recommendations that come with each COVID Risk Level. To view the preventative measures for each risk level, click HERE.
