May 18, 2020 at 4:27 p.m.
'The order is gone, the virus is not': Officials urge continued precautions as community takes first steps into new era
'The order is gone, the virus is not': Officials urge continued precautions as community takes first steps into new era
By Heather Schaefer and Jamie Taylor-
The Oneida County Health Department issued a statement Thursday urging the public to continue to take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. While the statewide order has been overturned, the pandemic is not over, the release said.
"As we wait for additional guidance from the State of Wisconsin, Oneida County Health Department urges residents to stay home as much as possible, only going out for essential needs, practice physical/social distancing, good hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning practices and utilize cloth face coverings in public when physical/social distancing is difficult to do, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," the release said. "Although the state Safer at Home Order is no longer in place, the science and data related to the COVID-19 pandemic has not changed."
Additional guidance from the Oneida County Health Department will be forthcoming, the release said.
"We continue to encourage local businesses to protect customers and staff by adopting appropriate safety guidelines, such as those offered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)," the release continued. "While this virus predominantly affects our vulnerable population more acutely, no one is immune from developing serious, even life threatening complicating. Please protect others by protecting yourself."
Late Friday, the health department issued more specific guidelines.
"Public health will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and has the obligation to address any outbreaks or spikes that occur," department officials said in a press release issued at approximately 5 p.m. Friday.
"Should this happen, orders may be issued accordingly."
"It is our job to protect our community, provide services and take appropriate action as necessary," Conlon explained.
"The order is gone, the virus is not," the release continued. "In recent days, central Wisconsin numbers have begun to rise. While testing availability has increased, it cannot be assumed this is the only reason for the increase. Oneida County residents are not immune to getting this virus and the numbers will continue to increase in the days and weeks to come. Current case counts in Oneida County includes seven positive cases since the start of the pandemic. Be smart and continue to practice the guidance that has been shared over the last eight weeks. Maintain physical distance, avoid gathering in groups, use good personal hygiene, handwashing, etc. Do not go to work, the store, or anywhere else when you feel ill. Consider wearing a cloth face covering when out in public. People who are vulnerable and at higher risk of severe complications of COVID-19 should stay home whenever possible. This includes people over the age of 65, people who live in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, and individuals with underlying health conditions or who are immunocompromised. If you feel you have symptoms of COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider for testing options, or visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/testing for a list of community testing sites."
With the state order now voided, "local businesses will now play a big role in protecting customers and staff," the health department noted. "Local, state, and national resources are available to help businesses adapt best practices."
The release outlined the health department's most updated guidelines.
"Based on the specific circumstances in Oneida County, my investigation of COVID- 19 in Oneida County, and in partnership with the 'Onward Oneida County' Task Force, it has been determined that following a strategic phased approach to 're-opening' Oneida County is necessary to prevent, suppress, and control COVID-19 in Oneida County," Conlon explained in the guidance document. "It is recommended that citizens and businesses in Oneida County follow the recommendations for each phase of the plan and to not advance to a new stage until the local Health Officer deems it safe to do so. Each phase is incrementally less restrictive on businesses and individuals while protecting the public from COVID-19. Oneida County shall rely on Wisconsin Economic Development Cooperation, Department of Health Services, Opening America Again, and Center of Disease Control and Prevention guidance and best practices to inform the details of each phase. The transition to each Phase shall be announced by the Local Health Officer based on local metrics and collaboration and feedback with community partners."
According to the release, Oneida County has been placed in Phase 1 of what has been dubbed the Onward Oneida County Reopening Plan, with some exceptions..
This updated guidance allows for gatherings of up to 50 people as well as the reopening of bars with physical distancing.
Hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, theaters, pools and water attractions may also open but with capacity restrictions and best practices.
To read the full guidance document, visit https://publichealth.co.oneida.wi.us.
Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Lauren Sackett said Thursday the chamber is urging all of its members to continue taking steps to protect their customers and their employees from COVID-19.
"Right now I'm getting ready to send out a message to all of our members saying as businesses reopen, we are strongly urging them to follow the guidelines that are coming from the WEDC for reopening safely and to create a climate where customers feel safe to return," she said.
"The reaction that I had (to the Supreme Court ruling) was slight unease just because we have been sharing this message with our businesses in our communities that we are going to be doing this in phases and try to get them ready to reopen safely," she explained. "And then to hear that there was zero restrictions in place as of last night makes us feel a little bit that this work that we've been doing has been turned up on its head again. We're just making sure that we're sharing messages with the businesses and our communities that we can, as of yesterday, reopen, let's do it safely and with our community's best interests at heart."She also noted the Chamber office will remain closed at this time, pending a discussion with the board of directors.
Similarly, she said it's too early to say whether there will be any changes made to summer event plans.
One popular event, the Art Fair on the Courthouse Lawn has already been moved to September, she said. The car show held in conjunction with the air fair is currently listed as canceled.
"We moved the Art Fair (on the Courthouse Lawn) to September (12), and the Car Show is run by the committee that we kind of oversee, but it is kind of up to them," Sackett said. "So I think it is too soon to tell if there will be any changes to that event."
Rhinelander Fire Chief Terry Williams said the lobby of the fire department and inspection office would be reopened to the public by May 18.
He echoed Sackett's comments about the need for residents to continue to take precautions to prevent a surge of new infections.
"I just hope that everybody pays attention and still uses social distancing," he said. "I'm not saying we shouldn't reopen businesses or facilities, but I still believe we're going to have to take a certain level of precaution to protect ourselves."
Williams said the fire department will continue to use an ambulance that has been modified for quick disinfecting.
"It's going to have to go a lot higher up then the governor or our state Supreme Court before we'd feel comfortable changing our disinfecting and transport procedures," he said.
"If you think about it, as much as we disinfect and as much as we sanitize and as much as we clean, we're still the one entity in the city that always comes into contact with sick people. So it (the lobby closure) was as much to protect my employees as it was to protect the public," he added.
Operations at the Oneida County Law Enforcement Center are being adjusted as well.
According to Oneida County Sheriff Grady Hartman, people who are arrested are being screened before being put into the jail proper.
"We're asking a lot of questions," he said. "We're still doing the temperature scan and nurses are reviewing that. We have a pod where we can isolate people for two weeks after coming in. They're with each other but not with the long term population."
The Oneida County Jail houses prisoners from the state prison system to ease overcrowding and is paid $51.56 per prisoner per day, Hartman said.
"That's going to start up slower, usually we are rotating them every week, and the state stopped doing that, so we've had the same people this whole time," Hartman said. "Which is fine with us because it saves us money because we're not transporting. The secretary has been in touch with the sheriffs and they are going to start accepting state inmates in the next few weeks, but it's going to go slow at first and then each week they're only going to accept like 25 a week. It's going to take months to get all of the people who have been sentenced to prison into intake. It will take three or four months at least."
Hartman said the jail is currently holding five or six people who have been sentenced to prison and are waiting to be accepted into the system.
"That's not hurting our feelings either, because they're (the state) are paying the tab on that," Hartman said. "We're getting paid for like 110 state inmates right now, which is going to ease that cost burden on the taxpayers up here."
He said the 110 inmates in the jail as of last Thursday afternoon is an all-time high, with the payment from the state department of corrections for that day totaling $5,660.60.
Downtown Rhinelander merchant Diane Pilat was thrilled to reopen her store, Best Embroideries.
"I was happy, for sure," Pilat said. "I think as a whole, the small businesses were all dealt a rotten hand during this whole thing in a way. I sell garments, but I legally couldn't be open, but you could go to Walmart and get the garments. Danner's Shoe Store couldn't be open to sell shoes, but you could go to Walmart to get shoes."
"If I have one or two people in my store, and I keep it clean, where would you feel safer, here or at Walmart where there is five or six hundred people in the store at the same time?" she added. "So I really feel the small businesses got ripped off."
The process of reopening, and setting hours, will involve a delicate balance, she added.
"I personally think the tourists are not going to come back like we would all hope and anticipate they are," Pilat said. "I think we need to be a little cautious, as far as having to pay our bills and that, because if we're not busy, we're not creating an income. So it's going to be hard for the small businesses. We're not out of the water by any means with the Supreme Court overturning that rule."
Comments:
You must login to comment.