Sheboygan County's COVID-19 Community Level rises to medium. What this means for residents.
SHEBOYGAN - New COVID-19 data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have elevated Sheboygan County's Community Level from low to medium.
Sheboygan County's Health and Human Services Department shared the announcement in a news release Friday, stating the increased level is the result of a recent uptick in cases in the county.
CDC COVID-19 Community Levels are based on the total number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, number of new hospital admissions and average percent of staffed inpatient beds in the past seven days.
What does the increased COVID-19 Community Level mean?
Low, medium and high Community Levels determine which prevention measures are recommended for individuals and communities.
Here are the recommendations for the medium Community Level:
Stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
If you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness, talk to your health care provider about whether you should wear a mask in public and take other precautions.
If you live with someone at high risk, or come in contact with people who are high risk, consider wearing a mask while indoors or using a home test before coming in contact with them.
If you have symptoms or were exposed, be sure to get tested and stay home while you’re sick/waiting for results.
At all levels, people may choose to wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk or risk to household members. In addition, people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. Health care systems, businesses and schools may implement additional prevention strategies regardless of Community Level.
What do the COVID-19 numbers show?
Starrlene Grossman, Sheboygan County health officer, said in Friday's news release: “We are seeing increases in our local case counts and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 within our Health Service Area. Being aware of these increases gives all of us an opportunity to take action and consider how we can work together to protect those who are at risk of infection, support health care workers and systems, and stay healthy through getting vaccinated, wearing a mask or staying home when we are sick.“
Here are the latest numbers according to the Sheboygan County Coronavirus Case Dashboard:
New COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days was at 137.85, up from 130.92 the previous week;
New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population (seven-day total) were at 4.9, up from 3.3 the previous week; and
Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients (seven-day average) was 2.5%, up from 1.9% the previous week.
So far in 2022, there have been 7,715 confirmed cases in the county compared to 10,866 in 2021 and 11,546 in 2020. And there have been 45 deaths so far in the county related to COVID-19 compared to 100 in 2021 and 126 in 2020.
Total confirmed cases in the county since the start of the pandemic are at 30,127 and total confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 in the county are at 271.
What can I do to stay safe?
Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines is the best thing you can do to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19, no matter the community level, Health and Human Services said in its news release.
The Sheboygan County Division of Public Health also continues to encourage folks to make a plan for COVID-19 and get tested when they have symptoms of COVID-19 or were exposed to the virus.
RELATED: Masks advised in Milwaukee due to 'high' level of COVID-19 community spread
Where can I get tested?
Information about where to get tested for COVID-19 in Sheboygan County is available on the Health and Human Services website or people can find a community testing site through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine yourself for at least five days after the exposure and wear a mask in all settings for an additional five days. Fully vaccinated and boosted individuals do not need to quarantine, but should be tested five to seven days after exposure and wear a mask around others for 10 days.
Every home can request up to eight free rapid home tests at www.covidtests.gov. The tests are provided by the federal government.
Where can I get a vaccine?
The Sheboygan County Public Health Vaccine Hotline can be reached at 920-395-9890 or people can find a list of local vaccine providers at https://www.vaccines.gov/.
Health and Human Services also offers a Walk-in Wednesday vaccination event.
Is there medication to treat COVID-19?
Yes, COVID-19 medications are now available through doctors, local pharmacies and health clinics, Health and Human Services said.
If you have COVID-19 symptoms and test positive, do not wait to get treated. You must take oral COVID-19 medication within five days of your first COVID-19 symptoms.
Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan County COVID-19 level rises to medium with new CDC data
