BROWN COUNTY, Wisconsin (WBAY) – Three female COVID-19 patients died over the weekend in Brown County, as trends show a higher percentage of positive cases.
The patients were identified as follows:
Female, 29 years old, from 54301 ZIP code
Female, 63 years, from 54304 ZIP code
Female, 87 years, from 54304 ZIP code
In total, 42 coronavirus patients have died in Brown County.
As of Monday, fourteen coronavirus patients are hospitalized in Brown County.
The county’s total positive tests increased by 88 over the weekend. In all, 2,857 people tested positive for coronavirus in Brown County.
A total of 2,544 have recovered from the coronavirus in the county.
Dr. Ashok Rai, CEO of Prevea Health, cited concerns about the increasing percentage of positive COVID-19 test results in recent weeks along with high demand for tests.
“We put in a better fit line, and that now flips up when we decided it was okay, even though we didn’t have a Badger Bounce Back plan that maybe it was time to go through phases, that line was pointing in the other direction. I was going down, ”said Dr. Rai, referring to a graph that tracks the percentage of positive COVID-19 test results weekly starting May 24.
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach and local health officials held a press conference on Monday. Streckenbach is encouraging everyone to wear a mask in public.
“The mask is really protecting you from giving it to someone else,” says Streckenbach.
At this time, there is no requirement to wear masks at the local or state level.
“The fact that we are one of the few states that doesn’t have some sort of order talking about masks in public, I think that’s another conversation that should probably start to take place,” said Streckenbach.
While making mask use mandatory is an internal conversation at the county level at the moment, it is also being discussed by health experts across the state.
The county executive recommends that residents and visitors look for businesses that have posted a reopening sign on the windows. That indicates that the business is following Brown County Public Health guidelines to keep customers and employees safe.
CLICK HERE to view Brown County Public Health Reopening Guidelines.
“We are starting to see the edges of the eye open up again,” says Streckenbach. He emphasizes that it is critical that Brown County “bend” to combat the pandemic.
Brown County Public Health Officer Anna Destree showed a graph indicating that trends show that the 21-30 year old demographic has increased significantly in June.
“A lot of this is personal responsibility,” says Destree.
Contact trackers learned that people in the age group reported going to weddings, bars, restaurants, and family gatherings without wearing masks or practicing social distancing.
Destree emphasizes that people should ask themselves “What is the risk?” when you go to a meeting.
She says younger people may not be hospitalized in large numbers, but they could transmit the disease to high-risk people.
“It is not so much about young people between 21 and 30 years old. It is with whom they socialize. You know they have family members, potentially, or friends who could be immunocompromised, ”Destree said. “They could have a mom, a dad, a grandmother, a grandfather, they could eventually touch or share a point of contact with someone who could have a significant impact and could get sick with COVID-19, which could lead to some serious complications and / or death “.
Destree and Streckenbach encourage anyone going to a July 4th party or gathering to keep the six-foot distance, wear masks, and use hand sanitizer.
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