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Jefferson County has once again joined Crook and Deschutes counties at the medium level of community spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data tracker. Jefferson County reached medium for several days in late May and early this month before dropping back to low.  

The CDC monitors community levels of COVID-19 to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

The CDC listed the following levels for Central Oregon:

Deschutes County: Medium

Crook County: Medium

Jefferson County: Medium

Precautions the CDC recommends for communities with low levels:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

• Get tested if you have symptoms.

Additional precautions for communities with medium levels:

• If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your health care provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.