Livingston County is among 16 counties in Michigan that are advised by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to begin wearing masks while in public due to high COVID-19 levels.
According to data from the CDC, Livingston County has seen a 37% increase in COVID cases in the last week, with a 7-day positivity rate of 20.6%.
Included on the list of counties with high rates in southern and southeast Michigan are Calhoun, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties along with Antrim, Benzie, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Emmet, Kalkaska, Mackinac and Manistee counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula.
The number of counties with high COVID levels jumped from just one last week; Grand Traverse County, while 28 counties are considered to be at medium level, up from 19 last week.
CDC guidelines recommend masking for high COVID level counties but also for people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 regardless of where they live.
In addition, the CDC says people at high risk of severe illness should consider additional precautions when they are in high COVID-19 communities.
