TAYLOR COUNTY—During Friday morning’s county Covid update, Taylor County Health Officer Dr. David Bender revealed that cases are beginning to decline within the county.

“We are still shifting gears from a pandemic to endemic, and our numbers are dropping like predicted they would be,” shared Bender. “But people need to know they are still high.”

He said that with the downward trend in cases, focus could potentially be shifted to the lifting of mask mandates.

“There are sure to be pockets of infections that still occur, and of course during those times, extra precautions like mask wearing will need to be taken,” Bender explained. “But, we could also see times where we don’t have to wear masks.”

And while positive cases are declining, health officials are still calling on residents to heed the warning that the virus is still very much present.

“We still encourage everyone who can to get vaccinated and boosted,” Bender voiced. “The health department is continuing to provide mobile vaccination clinics to provide plenty of chances for residents to undergo vaccination if they wish.”