Faced with rising numbers of COVID patients, the Thomas Jefferson Health District and the city of Charlottesville held a news conference Monday to urge renewed attention to prevention.
Resident Stacey Washington told reporters she regrets the decision she made earlier this month to celebrate her birthday without a mask.
“I told myself I could take my mask off for a couple of hours and be in my back yard," she recalls. " A couple of days later I woke up from my sleep, and I could not breathe. My spouse had to catch me before I collapsed in the middle of the floor.”
Noting others at her house got sick, she said people need to realize that protective measures are not just for you.
“Everybody I put in danger – I just really feel so bad.," Washington says. "It’s just not worth it. When you go outside you say, ‘I can’t breathe with this mask on. I’m going to take it off.’ Try breathing with COVID!”
Also speaking out, educator Alex Zan who urged the public to spread the word – not the virus:
“COVID-19 doesn’t care about you.!" he warned. " COVID-19 doesn’t care about age, area code or zip code.”
Area hospitals will be offering free testing Thursday, the 16th and 23rd, from 5-7 pm at Washington Park and Saturday at Buford Middle School from 2-4. The number of tests is limited, so only those in the following categories can be checked:
-- Someone with symptoms of COVID-19
-- First responders or healthcare workers
-- Someone living or working in a group setting
-- Essential workers at risk for exposure
-- Someone living with or having come in close contact with an infected person
