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 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —&nbsp;McPherson County continues to have a tremendous increase in coronavirus disease case count, with twelve new cases announced over the weekend. Many of those cases are asymptomatic, meaning they do not have any signs or symptoms. A portion of these positive cases report attending gatherings at local lakes, parties, or traveling sport tournaments while contagious.These are events both inside and outside of McPherson County. If you are notified by the Health Department of being a contact of someone who is positive for COVID-19, the health department says you MUST quarantine at home for 14 days. This means that a negative test will not return an exposed person to work/sports/daycare/etc. sooner than 14 days. If you are a contact, decide to be tested, and it comes back negative, you still have to finish your 14-day period because you may become contagious anytime during the rest of the 14 days. If you are being tested for COVID-19, you are considered a Person Under Investigation. A person under investigation must isolate while waiting on results. That person should isolate away from anyone in their household. If they are not able to isolate away from the household members by staying in their own room, the entire household must quarantine while awaiting results to reduce exposure. If a person in quarantine does not develop any COVID-19 symptoms, then they are released from quarantine at the end of 14 days. If symptoms do develop during those 14 days, the person is to contact their primary provider for further evaluation or testing. People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 may be released from isolation at the direction of the Health Department when it has been 10 days since the onset of symptoms and 72 hours since symptoms have resolved. This symptom-based method of returning people to work is preferred to a testing-based method of returning people to work because tests can still remain positive long after the virus is no longer active. These are challenging days for groups and businesses. They are responsible for providing a safe environment for their employees and participants. They are severely affected when their employees and participants are excluded due to exposure. Much of this exposure is occurring outside of work. The best way to keep our businesses open and functional and keep our social interactions available is to maintain a 6-foot physical distance between people and wear a mask when in public when physical distancing may be difficult to maintain. McPherson County Health Department reports 74 total confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in McPherson County. 42 of the total confirmed cases have now met recovery guidelines set forth by the KDHE. • Positive case #63 is a symptomatic female in her teens with known exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #64 is a symptomatic male in his 40s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #65 is a symptomatic male in his 20s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #66 is a symptomatic female in her teens with unknown exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #67 is an asymptomatic male in his teens with known exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #68 is a symptomatic male in his 60s with known exposure and is hospitalized. • Positive case #69 is a symptomatic male in his 20s with known exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #70 is a symptomatic male in his 40s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #71 is a symptomatic female in her 20s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #72 is a symptomatic female under the age of 3 with known exposure and is recovering at home.• Positive case #73 is a symptomatic male in his 30s with known exposure and is recovering at home. • Positive case #74 is a symptomatic male in his 20s with unknown exposure and is recovering at home.

McPherson County announces 12 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend