In Manitowoc County, the COVID-19 burden rate remains critically high and schools are still requiring masks
MANITOWOC - With the COVID-19 burden rate in Manitowoc County remaining critically high, Manitowoc Public School District on Monday said it will continue to require people to wear facial coverings while indoors until at least Jan. 14.
The district said it will consider removing the mask mandate to be effective after that date, with a final decision and communication about the decision being made the week of Jan. 10.
The last weekly COVID-19 report from Manitowoc County Health Department on Dec. 29 said the burden rate in the county remained “critically high” at 1,167.5 per 100,000 and there was an 18% increase in cases in the past seven days.
As of the Dec. 29 report, 15,389 people had tested positive for the virus in the county since the start of the pandemic, while 138 people had died in relation to the virus.
The report also said the seven-day average for the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in northeast Wisconsin was 164, while hospital capacity for all types of hospitalizations was at 93%. Wisconsin has passed more than 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, and a record number were in intensive care Monday.
Since the county remains in a critically high state of COVID-19 transmission, the Health Department said it supports Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that all people in areas of high transmission wear masks in public indoor settings, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.
The county Health Department said that although breakthrough cases can occur, vaccines are "safe and remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and death."
Local vaccine providers can be found at vaccines.gov or the Health Department's COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment page, or by calling the Health Department at 920-683-4155.
In addition to getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in public indoor settings, the Health Department recommends people stay 6 feet apart from those not in their household while in public, stay home if they are feeling sick, clean and sanitize high-touch areas, and wash hands often.
The Manitowoc school district said in November it was targeting a January date for the removal of its mask mandate because vaccinations had been approved for everyone 5 years old and older and the district believed it would give families enough time to have their kids vaccinated, if they desired.
In an open letter to parents on Dec. 17, Manitowoc County Health Officer Stephanie Lambert urged parents to vaccinate their children against the virus because COVID-19 can make children very sick and lead to others getting sick. She added COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and can "help us return to normal."
"All professional agencies who specialize in public health, medicine and children’s health (including American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, independent universities and more) whose job it is to look at the data and understand risk/benefit assessments for medications and vaccines have come out strongly in favor of the vaccine," Lambert wrote in her letter.
Manitowoc Public School District said Monday that to be considered fully vaccinated, people must have received a booster if they are eligible. The district also has an optional COVID-19 testing site for all students, staff, and families of students and staff. And effective Jan. 10, symptomatic individuals will receive an antigen test and will receive the results the same day, while individuals who do not have any symptoms will receive a PCR COVID-19 test and the results will be reported within 48 to 72 hours.
RELATED: Manitowoc County surpasses 10,000 COVID-19 cases, 100 deaths since beginning of pandemic
Getting tested
The Health Department said anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or who was in close contact with someone sick with COVID-19 should get tested.
The department's website lists the following local testing sites and says each site has its own eligibility and criteria for testing, such as age limits and symptom requirements. The department encourages people to call sites before going to get tested.
Prevea Health — Call 920-272-3540 or register online to make an appointment.
Holy Family Memorial — Call 920-320-3333 to make an appointment.
CVS Pharmacy — Must register online to make an appointment.
Walgreens — Register appointment online.
Aurora Medical Center — Call 866-443-2584 to make an appointment or register online.
Meijer Pharmacy — Must register online to make an appointment.
Crusaders of Justicia — Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Walk-ins welcome. No appointment needed. Office is at 1521 Washington St., Manitowoc, or call 920-320-9283 with questions.
Additional testing sites can be located using the community testing sites map on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
Track COVID and the vaccine in Wisconsin: Track the latest data on cases, deaths and our pace on vaccines
Wisconsin vaccine FAQ: Who's eligible, where to get it and what's next
Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: COVID-19 in Manitowoc County is critically high; mask mandates remain
