Lafayette County Health Department Director Tom Emmerson issued a plea to the county’s residents while reporting how many new positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the county on Monday, October 26.

Emmerson says, “We urgently ask that all businesses and agencies implement social-distancing and mask requirements for employees and customers. We have community spread. Many of our new cases continue to be associated with people having things like multi-household gatherings, kids’ slumber parties and congregate settings where recommendations and guidelines are not well followed.”

Emmerson continues, “We need to have the majority of people showing enough responsibility and compassion to those who are more likely to fall seriously ill or worse in order to stop community spread by following the recommendations and guidelines: social distancing; mask wearing in public; avoiding unnecessary gatherings and exposures; proper hand hygiene; and sneeze and cough etiquette.”

Emmerson also urges residents to stay home if they are sick. Additionally, he says there are those who need to be reminded to stay home if they are quarantined. “It’s the law.”