SHAWANO, WI- The Shawano-Menominee County Health Department is reminding people to think safety this holiday season as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise.
In the past week, Wisconsin has averaged more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases per day, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), statistics not seen in nearly 11 months.
As of Monday, November 22, 2021, according to DHS, over the last week Shawano County has averaged more than 25 new coronavirus cases per day and Menominee County has averaged 3 cases per day. Local health organizations, including Shawano-Menominee Counties Public Health Department (SMCHD) and ThedaCare, are asking for community action to protect loved ones ahead of the holiday season.
“When I see the increasing number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, I’m saddened that we are at this
point again,” said Theresa Harmala, MSN, RN, Health Officer/Director of Shawano–Menominee Counties
Health Department. “The first year of the pandemic was difficult for nearly every single person. Now that we
have proven prevention methods and the COVID-19 vaccine available, we all must do our part to move past
this pandemic.”
About 44% of Shawano residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to 59% of Wisconsin residents who have received one dose. Because of the continued rising levels of COVID-19 in Northeast and Central Wisconsin, ThedaCare, and other health systems, are nearing staffed-bed capacity to care for inpatient and COVID-19 patients.
“We need our communities’ help to change course and get infections under control,” said Julie Chikowski, Vice
President of the ThedaCare North Region, which includes ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano. “ThedaCare
continues to monitor and adjust our resources to provide care for our community. We must be available for
those with COVID, and those suffering from serious medical situations such as heart attacks, stroke, trauma
and providing cancer care treatments.”
While the holidays are a great time for celebrating special moments with friends and family, it’s important for
everyone to consider ways to keep their loved ones safe “The danger of spreading or contracting COVID-19 is still very real,” said Harmala. “We CAN change the trajectory of this upward trend in cases. It will take our entire community, and we are asking for your help.
”The best way to protect yourself and loved ones over the holiday season is to limit your family gatherings to
those who are fully vaccinated. A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received one dose of the
Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended booster shots for all adults ages 18 years and older who
received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months after their second dose.
Here are other recommendations from the CDC to help prevent the spread of COVID during holiday
gatherings:
-Get vaccinated when eligible (The Pfizer vaccine is available for everyone ages 5 and older).
-Get a booster dose when eligible.
-Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth if you are in public indoor settings if you are not fully
vaccinated.
– Even those who are fully vaccinated should wear a mask in public indoor settings if the vaccination
status of all attending is unknown.
-Gathering outdoors is safer than indoors.
-Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces.
-If you are sick or have symptoms, don’t host or attend a gathering.
-Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
“While we all look forward to getting back to traditional celebrations and events, it’s still important to continue
practicing precautions so that we can do our best to stay healthy,” said Chikowski. “We are asking our friends
and neighbors to rally again, get vaccinated, take COVID-safe precautions and support each other.”
“We want to thank community members who are taking precautions as we continue to navigate through the
pandemic,” said Harmala. “Thank you for keeping our community safe.”
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