Health officials recommend limiting nonessential gatherings over 250 people
UPDATE--Monday, March 16--4:30pm
Under the authority of Wisconsin State Statute § 252.02(3) and at the direction of Gov. Tony Evers, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm has ordered a statewide moratorium on mass gatherings of 50 or more people, in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, all public and private mass gatherings are prohibited in the state of Wisconsin. This order will remain in effect for the duration of the public health emergency declared in Governor Evers’ Executive Order #72, or until a superseding order is issued.
“Mass gathering” is any planned or spontaneous, public or private event or convening that will bring together, or is likely to bring together, 50 or more people in a single room or single confined or enclosed space at the same time.
This order may include, but is not limited to mass gatherings at: public or private schools, auditoriums, theatres, movie theatres, museums, stadiums, arenas, conference rooms, meeting halls, exhibition centers, taverns, health and fitness centers, recreation centers, licensed pools, places of worship and religious gatherings.
Crawford County Health Department is keeping track of this outbreak,” said Cindy Riniker, Health Officer. “We are working closely with federal, state, and local partners to be prepared for any changes to the situation here and to make sure information is shared with the public.”
All gatherings that bring together, or are likely to bring together, fewer than 50 people in a single room or confined space at the same time must:
1. Operate at 50 percent of seating capacity,
2. Preserve social distancing of 6 feet between people, and
3. Follow all other public health recommendations issued by the Wisconsin Department of Public Health and the Crawford County Health Department.
Violation or obstruction of this order is punishable by imprisonment, fines, or both under Wisconsin State Statute § 252.25.
While the risk of getting the illness remains low, people should follow simple steps to avoid getting sick, including:
· Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and water.
· Cover coughs and sneezes.
· Avoid touching your face.
· Stay home when sick.
· Practice social distancing.
To read the latest information about COVID-19 people can check https://www.facebook.com/CrawfordCountyPHD; https://www.crawfordcountywi.org/health.html, the Department of Health Services (DHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) websites.
(Original post) MARCH 12--1:33pm
Person-to-person transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is occurring in a growing number of regions globally. There is now sustained community spread in a growing number of locations in the United States, necessitating concerted efforts by public health and clinical partners to contain the spread of this epidemic.
The Wisconsin Department of Health released strong public guidance today (Thursday, March 12) to limit all nonessential gatherings of over 250 people, in order to slow the spread of this disease within and between communities in Wisconsin. The recommendation is that all non-essential gatherings of 250 or more people be canceled or postponed statewide to help protect Wisconsinites from the spread, particularly those who are most vulnerable to infection and severe disease.
Mass gatherings and large community events bring people from multiple communities into close contact with each other, which has the potential to increase COVID-19 transmission. One method to slow the spread of respiratory virus infections, including COVID-19, is by increasing social distancing (reducing close contact). There is evidence from scientific literature that limiting the size and number of mass gathering events is an effective tool for preventing the spread of disease and slowing the progression of epidemics. Additional details on this outbreak are available on the DHS Outbreaks and Investigations page and the CDC website.
DHS said it supports decisions of any event organizers that elect to cancel or postpone events with less than 250 attendees in order to protect their communities.
Organizers should consider the following:
•Potential for attendance from older adults, individuals with underlying health care conditions, or other vulnerable groups.
•Potential for attendance from individuals from a wide range of geographic areas across Wisconsin, the United States, or other countries.
•The setting of the event, particularly if it involves sustained interaction between attendees in close physical proximity.
DHS is intending to slow the spread of this epidemic to a level such that the health care system is able to maintain quality care for patients. Mass gatherings during an outbreak of a particularly infectious disease, such as COVID-19, have the potential to result in large numbers of ill people that can quickly overwhelm local hospitals and clinics. At this time, DHS is not recommending closing schools as part of this guidance.
However, there are also important considerations for essential gatherings. Essential gatherings include health care facilities, schools, most routine business operations, manufacturing, and government meetings. While in operation, these facilities should employ enhanced precautions to reduce the potential for spread of disease. These operations may also be suspended to control an outbreak in individual facilities and communities, depending on local conditions, at the authority of local public health officials.
The current outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in significantly more severe illness and deaths for elderly individuals and those with underlying health conditions. In order to protect these most vulnerable members of our communitie, DHS strongly recommend these individuals immediately begin to avoid non-essential mass gatherings. DHS also recommends that those who provide gathering opportunities for older adults, such as senior centers and congregate dining facilities, plan for alternative ways to remain engaged with them in ways that minimize their risk of COVID-19 disease transmission.
DHS understands that these recommendations are very difficult for individuals and for communities. Public health officials are doing all they can to try to minimize these impacts and move as quickly and safely as possible to a period when these restrictions can be reduced or removed. These recommendations will apply for the next 30 days. At the end of that period, or if needed before that point, the Department will reassess whether to continue, relax, or tighten this guidance.
