Health department announces additional locations of potential coronavirus exposure

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The Maries-Phelps Health Department has announced more locations at the Belle fair where attendants may have been exposed to the coronavirus. The release issued Friday afternoon follows:

"Any individuals that were at the following location need to be alert for development of symptoms of COVID-19, practice social distancing, and wear a mask while in public for 14 days from date of potential exposure. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, isolate yourself from others immediately and alert your healthcare provider.

Risk of exposure to COVID-19 occurred at the following locations, dates, and times:

Belle Fair
Thursday, July 23, 2020 from 7 pm to close. Rode rides.
Friday, July 24, 2020 from 7 pm to close. Rode rides.
Saturday, July 25, 2020 approximately 7 pm to 9:30 pm for the Belle Dance Team event.

This individual was experiencing “very mild symptoms” and not wearing a mask. We cannot stress enough that even if you are experiencing very mild symptoms (frequently described as allergies, tickle in the throat, feeling of needing to cough to clear one’s throat) to stay home, isolate from others, and refrain from attending any public event or place of public accommodation.

Individuals with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. It is important to acknowledge that some individuals experience no symptoms at all during their course of illness but may still be spreading the virus. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Common symptoms of COVID-19 are:

* Fever or chills
* Cough
* Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
* Fatigue
* Muscle or body aches
* Headache
* Loss of taste or smell
* Sore throat
* Congestion or runny nose
* Nausea or vomiting
* Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC continues to update the list of potential symptoms as more is discovered about COVID-19.

It is best to assume that every location you visit is a location of potential exposure and take the appropriate precautions to protect yourself, your family, and your communities. It is critical that each and every one of us continues to practice preventative measures to help keep the spread of communicable diseases to a minimum. These precautions include: social distancing, wearing a face covering when in public, limiting in-person interactions, avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, proper hand-washing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, and staying home when sick. It is of the utmost importance that any individual experiencing symptoms isolate from others."