CANTON — The St. Lawrence County community has worked very hard to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the past few months. As we progress through the reopening of Phase 4, the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department would like to remind residents that following basic safety measures are just as important to follow now as they were when COVID-19 began:

• Wash hands often with soap and water; use hand sanitizer when water is unavailable.

• Wear a face covering when in public and practice social distancing.

• Monitor your health and stay home if you are sick.

“We must continue to do what is necessary in order to protect each other” says St. Lawrence County Public Health Director, Dana McGuire. “Wearing a face covering and practicing social distancing, good hand hygiene, and cough etiquette will continue to help limit the spread of COVID-19.”

So far, we know that COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, McGuire said. These droplets usually travel 6 feet or more and can be inhaled into the lungs or land in the mouths, noses and eyes of people nearby. While people who are sick or know that they have COVID-19 isolate at home, COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have any symptoms and therefore may not even know they are infected.

In the last 6 weeks, St. Lawrence County Public Health has confirmed twenty-two positive cases of COVID-19. Of those twenty-two cases, seventeen were/are asymptomatic (did not have symptoms). This is why it is important everyone wears a face covering and maintains 6 feet distance from others when in public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that ‘cloth face coverings provide an extra layer to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people.’ Wearing a cloth face covering protects the other people around you.

"Mask wearing is a sign of respect and concern for friends, family and the community. Even though we are still learning about the virus and what it entails, mask wearing combined with social distancing is the best defense we have in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping our community healthy. Be mindful of others, show your concern, wear a mask in public. The health and safety of our community depends on it," McGuire said.

For questions or more information regarding COVID-19, call the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department at 315-386-2325. For more sources of COVID-19 information and data, visit:

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home, New York State Department of Health website

https://forward.ny.gov/percentage-positive-results-region-dashboard, Regional Monitoring Dashboard

https://covid19tracker.health.ny.gov/views/NYS-COVID19-Tracker/NYSDOHCOVID-19Tracker-Map?%3Aembed=yes&%3Atoolbar=no&%3Atabs=n, the COVID-19 data tracker

https://www.facebook.com/NYSDOH/, the Governor’s daily briefing