First Case of Community Spread in Marathon County
Wausau, WI (OnFocus) Marathon County Public Health Department is confirming today that a fourth person has tested positive for COVID-19. This person is not contact from either of the first three reported cases. The person is currently isolated and has a history of travel to areas where there is community spread of COVID19.
Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. It occurs when a person’s disease cannot be traced to specific individual. We have community spread in our area and we recommend all residents follow the Governor’s Executive Order #12 and stay safe at home and limit travel to essential travel only.
Essential travel includes leaving your home to:
- purchase essential supplies,
- seeking health care,
- purchase medical supplies or prescriptions,
- travel to an essential work place,
- or travel to care for a child, dependents or elderly person.
Essential supplies include groceries, gas, and other items needed to maintain a safe home. Shopping trips should be done once per week or less. Plan ahead, make a list of needed items, and limit your time in the store to reduce your risk. Always practice social distancing and hand washing /sanitizing after your shopping.
“You can prevent yourself from getting COVID19 by following our guidelines. We need every person to help control the spread of COVID19.” said Judy Burrows, Public Information Officer for the Marathon County Health Department.
The COVID 19 pandemic is an evolving situation and we encourage people to monitor the WI Department of Health Services (DHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) websites for the latest information and guidance. Information from Marathon County Health Department is at https://www.co.marathon.wi.us/covid19
