Today, the Walworth County Division of Public Health announced the sixth laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Walworth County.
The newly confirmed individual is a woman in her 70s. The woman is receiving treatment and will be monitored by Public Health. It is not yet known how she contracted the disease.
“With all confirmed cases, we conduct a comprehensive investigation that includes notification to people that had close contact with the positive individual”, said Erica Bergstrom, Public Health Officer. “Our primary objective right now is to maintain a slow, controlled spread so that we do not overwhelm our hospitals. We urge everyone to closely follow the Governor’s Safer at Home Order”.
The Walworth County Division of Public Health announced the fourth and fifth laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Walworth County on March 24. One of the new cases is related to domestic travel while the other is associated with close contact with another confirmed case. This person has been voluntarily isolated since Public Health notified them of possible exposure.
Governor Ever’s Safer at Home order goes into effect at 8 a.m. on March 25 and remains in effect until 8 a.m. on April 24. The full order can be viewed here: https://evers.wi.gov/Documents/COVID19/EMO12-SaferAtHome.pdf
Walworth County’s Division of Public Health continues to monitor the spread of the disease and implement practices to reduce transmission.
“We are working with our local, state, and federal partners to deal quickly and effectively in the event people have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been around people who have been infected with the new coronavirus,” Bergstrom said.
The health department wants everyone to know that 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; and
• Practice social distancing.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. For the latest information, visit the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov, the State Department of Health Services at dhs.wisconsin.gov or the Walworth County website at co.walworth.wi.us.
Editor’s note: This post is under the Elkhorn tab because the county’s Public Health Department is located in Elkhorn, which is also the county seat. It in no way implies that the people who’ve tested positive live in the Elkhorn community. County Public Health officials are not releasing information on where the people who have tested positive live within the county.
