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National Guard

Posted 8/19/2020 by krauter-egge@co.wood.wi.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

08/19/20

CONTACT:  Susan Kunferman, Wood County Health Department Director/Health Officer

(715) 421-8911

National Guard Testing Results and Potential Exposure Information Available on Website

Wisconsin Rapids, WI – On Wednesday, August 12, the National Guard assisted the Wood County Health Department to provide community testing in Wisconsin Rapids for individuals experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and those who were close contacts of people who have tested positive. The health department extends their gratitude to the National Guard and other community partners, including Lincoln High School, who assisted in planning, implementing, and promoting the testing site.

Over the course of the day, 400 people were tested and results have been processed on all of these tests. Fourteen new positive cases were identified through the drive-through testing event. A total of 391 Wood County residents have tested positive since the pandemic began. Seventy-one Wood County cases are still active and are isolating at home; 318 individuals have recovered and two have deceased.

In an effort to keep the public up to date with potential community exposures to COVID-19, Wood County Health Department has created an exposure and investigation page on the Wood County website, https://www.co.wood.wi.us/Departments/Health/CovidExposures.aspx. The page includes all known places within Wood County that the Wood County Health Department knows have had lab-confirmed COVID-19 exposures in the last two weeks and was unable to identify all possible close contacts. This list is not inclusive of all Wood County exposures and contains only those in which all close contacts were not able to be identified.

Establishments remain on this list for 14 days after the last known positive case was present. Please note that an establishment appearing on this list does not mean they did something wrong nor does appearing on the list always mean that the establishment should be closed. Establishments have been contacted before their appearance on this list and guidance is provided about reducing future risk to staff and customers.

This list is about risk exposure that has already occurred. We cannot know where people who will become positive in the next week are going right now and won’t know until the positive case is identified and the disease investigation process is complete. 

Wood County has confirmed community spread. If you are in a public place, you should expect to come into contact with COVID-19. It remains important to protect yourself and others with frequent hand washing, physical distancing of at least 6 feet, wearing face coverings, and staying home if you have any symptoms, even if they are mild.

For general questions about COVID-19 please call 2-1-1. For up-to-date information please visit the Wood County Health Department website and Facebook. 

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