The Perry County Health Department reported 28 new lab-confirmed cases as well as three probable new cases in a Dec. 21 release.
This included 10 lab-confirmed cases and three probable cases Dec. 18, seven lab-confirmed cases Dec. 19 and 11 lab-confirmed cases Dec. 20.
The county now has 114 active cases.
As of Dec. 21, the county had reported a total of 2,058 cases. This total included 1,863 lab-confirmed cases, with 195 probable cases. Since reporting for the Covid-19 pandemic started, there have been 1,924 recovered cases and 20 deaths.
The county has seen a slight decrease from a reported high in active cases of more than 250 in late November.
At this time, the county's Covid-19 alert level is listed as "moderately high."
Similar to the annual messages of caution sent out this time of year for those driving, local health officials are urging caution for those attending family gatherings as Christmas Day inches closer.
"The recommendations stay the same for Christmas as they were for Thanksgiving," said Sylvia Forester, director of the Perry County Health Department. "The smaller celebrations are going to be safer."
Those attending are encouraged to limit the potential spread by wearing masks, and social distancing
Advice to cut down on possible transmission of the Covid-19 virus include limiting the number of guests as well as the length of the visits, according to Forester.
Additionally, many of the practices urged by health officials much of the year remain in place, such as hand washing and use of sanitizer.
"It's a lot of the same of what came about prior to Thanksgiving," Forester said.
"You're going to increase your risk if you're going to more events that don't allow for social distancing, particularly if the area is poorly ventilated."
If identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 case, individuals are urged to postpone plans for attending a gathering, according to Forester.
The county's Health Department releases Covid-19 reports three times a week at perrycountyhealth.com. The latest report can be found here: https://www.perrycountyhealth.com/cmsAdmin/uploads/pchd-covid-update_12-21-20.pdf
