CDC: Easing Restrictions, Presence of Meat Plants Mark Some Locales as ‘Areas of Concern’ for New COVID-19 Spread

Now that many parts of the country are allowing certain businesses to open their doors—albeit with some restrictions, such as outdoor seating in a restaurant—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is identifying “areas of concern” for new spread of COVID-19. They include states that may have eased restrictions too much and too soon (Florida and Alabama being two named by the CDC, though specific counties in Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Virginia were also called out) and states that are home to meat processing plants (such as South Dakota and Nebraska). Multiple media outlets have reported that those states and counties have not been contacted by the CDC, nor informed of their “area of concern” officially. Regardless, it would be advisable for urgent care operators to consider the types of gatherings and activities that became known as “super spreader” events, and be mindful of where people are likely to flock once they have more latitude to interact in public.