Updated recommendations for planning, attending events available
For the Tomahawk Leader
WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) earlier this month updated its Staying Safe in Your Community webpage (www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/community.htm) to include recommendations for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
The webpage now includes guidance for a variety of spring and summer activities, as well as guidelines for attending or hosting gatherings.
“As we start to get back to some of the activities we love this spring and summer, it’s critical we continue following public health best practices,” said DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk. “Please continue to wear a mask in public, keep six feet apart from others, get tested if you have symptoms, and get vaccinated when you are able. These are necessary strategies while COVID-19 continues to spread and most of our state is still unvaccinated.”
“New variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continue to be identified in our state,” DHS stated. “Studies show they spread more easily and rapidly than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. The updated guidance aims to help individuals, businesses, and organizations protect themselves and others from COVID-19 by lowering risk when planning or taking part in community activities.”
For those who may or may not be fully vaccinated, DHS recommended the following steps for attending or hosting a gathering:
- Keep the gathering small, preferably with only one other household.
- Hold the gathering outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces throughout the gathering.
- Frequently wash your hands before and after touching shared surfaces.
- Avoid crowds and large events.
- Avoid gathering if you are sick or think you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Guidance for specific activities, such as graduation ceremonies and farmers markets, is also provided on the webpage. Links to detailed information and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are available for most activities.
“We know that many people do not have a choice of where they work or live, and that some cannot engage in prevention practices or face barriers to vaccination due to underlying conditions, socioeconomic factors, or systemic racism (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/health-equity/race-ethnicity.html),” DHS said. “It is because of this that we must come together as a community to protect each other and stop the spread of COVID-19.”
For more information on Wisconsin’s COVID-19 response, visit www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm.