Brown County officials confirmed Monday another person died from coronavirus over the weekend, bringing the number of COVID-19 deaths in the county to six.
Additionally, the county now has 1,441 confirmed cases of coronavirus, an increase of 278 more from Friday. The Oneida Nation is now reporting 12 cases, an increase of four since Friday.
While 41 people have been hospitalized due to the virus, 172 people are now out of isolation - meaning they no longer pose a threat of spreading the virus.
Monday's new numbers come after local health officials announced the first community-wide COVID-19 testing site in Brown County. The testing site will be at the Resch Center for anyone who lives or works in the county. To be tested here, you must have an appointment. You can do that online at stayhealthybc.com. County officials said they will also have a call line ready by the end of the day Monday for people without internet access. The Resch Center was originally opened last week for critical infrastructure employees and their families to be tested. The new community-wide testing site will be able to test 45 people an hour. They will be open every day except Sunday.
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach said during a news conference Monday that testing is needed in order for the county to reopen.
Streckenbach said officials in the county have goals to open an east side location for testing. He said the community-wide testing site is a game changer for the county as we try to get ahold of how prevelant this is in our community. Streckenbach also stressed this is not just a Brown County issue, but a regional one.
Brown County Public Health Officer Anna Destree said another goal includes the community-wide site running through May 16th. Then health officials would return back to testing recommendations through healthcare referrals. Destree said the testing allows Brown County to get true community snapshot and gives an idea where health officials can highlight and focus in on.
With the warmer weather over the weekend, health officials also showed much concern for the lack of people wearing masks outside.
"It's a significant challenge for public health when we have to compete against thoughts or beliefs that its not real, or that there are conspiracy theories tied to it," Destree said. "So how to bridge that for people to take that seriously is truly the million dollar question."
Anyone who is showing symptoms (such as a fever, unusually warm to touch, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, repetitive shaking chills, muscle aches, new loss of taste or smell) is asked go to stayhealthybc.com to register for spot to get tested.
