MEDFORD, Ore.– As Jackson County seeks approval from the governor to reopen, testing availability is one of the essential criteria.
Dr. Jim Shames of Jackson County Public Health says at this point Jackson County meets that criteria. There are enough testing capabilities to handle people coming forward who want to be tested.
However, preparations for handling a potential surge or outbreaks have been suggested.
“If we gear up and we start people going back to work and we run the risk of more cases, can we do enough testing to keep our nursing homes safe or our jails safe?” said Shames. “And can we have enough to do the contact tracing that we need?”
Dr. Shames says the county is well stocked on PPE for the time being. People should, however, continue to wear masks if they plan on going into any enclosed public areas such as stores.
The county is beginning to hire more people to help in the process of contact tracing as another portion of the criteria.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.