MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Health officials say community spread of COVID-19 is happening here in Monroe County.
According to doctors at St. Luke's-Monroe Campus, community spread means they can no longer track exactly where people are getting the virus.
Dr. Peter Favini tells Newswatch 16 initially, people showing symptoms of COVID-19 had just traveled to China or Italy. That changed over the weeks.
"Then we saw in Monroe County, a large number of who family members live, work in New York, so husband works in New York and commutes back to Monroe County every day, and so we had direct contact with people who went into the city and then came back. Now we are seeing community spread where basically people are out and about they might acquire it in a store or might get it from someone they have had close contact with," said Dr. Peter Favini, St. Luke's-Monroe Campus.
Monroe County now has 236 cases of the virus and seven deaths.
Health care officials say as community spread continues, there are a few things people can do to keep themselves safe if and when they need to go out for food or medicine.
"A lot of grocery stores are giving you stuff where you can wipe off the cart and be careful of things you touch. Keep social distancing. A lot of them are actually marking the pavement for six feet intervals to try and keep people in line, six feet. I think again, good social distancing, hand hygiene. When you come home, try not to touch your face, wash your hands. The virus does live on other surfaces, but the infection rate from that is much lower, so it really is human to human contact or touching something, a doorknob, handrail that someone sneezed on that," said Dr. Favini.
Doctors tell Newswatch 16 the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to wash your hands, keep a safe social distance from others, and stay home.