Juneau County Health Department Moving to Crisis Model for Contact Tracing

As daily COVID-19 case counts continue to rise in Juneau County, the Juneau County

Health Department is no longer able to effectively follow-up with everyone who has been exposed. The

Department is moving to a crisis model for contact tracing starting Friday, November 6, 2020.

“The public health system in Wisconsin is severely strained and overwhelmed by the sustained surge in

daily case counts,” explained Amanda Dederich, Juneau County Health Officer. “Our team can no longer

notify all cases and contacts quickly enough to be effective in slowing the spread in our community.”

With the new crisis model, the Public Health Nursing Team will continue to conduct disease

investigations with individuals who test positive. Public Health asks that people who test positive for

COVID-19 notify their close contacts who live outside of the household. The Juneau County Emergency

Information Page has been updated to provide guidelines on what you should do if you are sick or were

possibly exposed. Complying with quarantine requirements is very important if you are identified as a

close contact. The Department will continue to prioritize contact tracing efforts in high-risk settings

including schools, long-term care facilities, and large employers.

“Our local health department has lead this response successfully despite limited resources and staffing,”

stated John Wenum, Juneau County Board of Health Chair. “It is unfortunate our County has exceeded a

critical threshold this week and we hope these crisis standards are just temporary. It is up to all of us.”

It is important to take active measures to avoid the spread of illness in the community. People should

follow simple steps to slow the spread in our community, including:

• Wear a cloth face covering when in public.
• Keep 6 ft. of distance between you and non-household members.
• Limit contact with non-household members.
• Staying home when sick.
• Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and water.
• Covering coughs and sneezes.
• Avoiding touching your face.

Go to www.co.juneau.wi.gov/emergency-information.html for more information regarding COVID-19 in

Juneau County. Daily snapshot is updated Monday through Friday.

Source: WRJC.com

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