Encourage Residents to Continue Fight against COVID-19
APPLETON, Wis. – When the Be Safe Wisconsin initiative launched nearly four weeks ago, partners and the community knew that what it means to Be Safe in the fluid COVID-19 environment would change.
At the time, stay at home orders were initiated, masks were just introduced as a precaution and non-essential businesses were closed. Two weeks ago, businesses were allowed to begin curbside pick-ups, and today public health officials are announcing local Safer at Home Orders in response to the changing landscape in Wisconsin. As our state continues to reopen, it is more important than ever that we encourage our family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to be safe.
Partners ask residents to continue practicing safe behaviors by:
- Stay home as much as possible and practice good hygiene, including hand washing and sanitizing.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Disinfect frequently used items and surfaces, including mobile devices.
- Remain 6 feet apart from others and wear a mask or face covering if you must go out.
Be Safe Wisconsin’s more than two dozen partners continue to support the community’s ongoing work to flatten the COVID-19 curve and to amplify the importance of a sustained commitment to safe behaviors, including the extension of Safer At Home orders by some local governments and health departments.
Mary Dorn, Public Health Officer and Deputy Health & Human Services Director for Outagamie County, underscored the shared mission of area health departments.
“As health officer, it is my responsibility to follow our mission to prevent disease and injury, promote wellness, and protect the health of the community,” Dorn said. “We are working collaboratively with Brown, Calumet and Winnebago County along with the City of Appleton and Menasha local health departments to continue all parts of the Safer-at-Home order.”
Be Safe health system partners Ascension Wisconsin, Mosaic Family Health and ThedaCare support the orders.
“The health and safety of individuals in our local communities and across the country remain our top priorities,” said Bernie Sherry, Senior Vice President, Ascension and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Wisconsin. “We continue to follow the guidance of local, state and federal officials as they work to determine the safest way to return to normal activities. In the meantime, we will continue to work together to reduce the spread of the virus by following recommended precautions and practicing good hygiene in order to protect ourselves and others from the spread of infection.”
“We can’t emphasize enough the importance of a combination of public health strategies that include wearing masks, the conduct of hand hygiene, and social distancing in protecting our citizens and community, until we have the capacity for testing, tracing, tracking married to a plan of phased careful re-opening of businesses and communities,” said Dr. Lee Vogel, Director of Mosaic Family Health. “Our energies should not be used to fight public health policies that are working, but to help organize the needed efforts in both the private and governmental sector that would allow a rationale, planned and phased pivot to re-opening our economy.”
“Our commitment to the health, safety and well-being of the communities we serve is unwavering in the face of the continuing, and now increased threat posed by COVID-19,” said Dr. Imran Andrabi, ThedaCare President & CEO. “The data is clear: safer at home orders reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Quite simply, they save lives. Importantly, the stay at home order also allows us to ramp up increased testing capacity, contact tracing and more vital efforts required to control the spread of the virus while treatments, and hopefully a vaccine, are being developed.”
The health systems reaffirm their commitment to care for patients with COVID-19 and other community members with medical needs.
To learn more about Be Safe Wisconsin and how you can take part in flattening the curve, visit www.BeSafeWisconsin.org.
Partner agencies involved:
Ascension Wisconsin, Bergstrom Automotive, Calumet County Public Health, Catalpa Health, City of Berlin, City of Oshkosh, City of Neenah, The Community Blood Center, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Compassionate Home Health Care Inc., Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation, Green Lake County, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce, Fox Valley Technical College, FV-HERC, Lawrence University, Mosaic Family Health, Outagamie County, Outagamie County Public Health, Sexual Assault Crisis Center, ThedaCare, United Way Fox Cities, Waupaca County Public Health, Winnebago County, Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region
