• The more we all stay Safer At Home the sooner we can get through the worst of this. Assuming that we are all implementing Safer at Home well, it will likely be a few weeks before we start to see results because of the lag time between infection, symptom onset and testing results. The science and the data tells us that staying at home is effective, so please don't get discouraged. We need to continue to do everything we can together to stop the spread of COVID-19.

• Gov. Evers sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requesting that the president issue a major disaster declaration for the entire state of Wisconsin, as a result the COVID-19 pandemic. “By seeking this declaration, we are hopeful the state will be able to access critical programs that are needed to deal with the pandemic now, and with the recovery that will be taking place down the road,” Gov. Evers said.

• CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS: Many veteran poll workers may not serve this year due to their age and high risk to COVID-19 exposure. With as many as 30,000 poll workers needed to support an election, many cities, towns and villages are looking for volunteers to assist with the April 7 election. Please consider helping your local government. Poll workers do everything from check-in voters, help people register to vote, check photo IDs and process absentee ballots. Click here for more details from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. If you are interested in serving as a poll worker, contact your municipal clerk’s office, which can be found on the MyVote Wisconsin website.

• If you are in need of free meals or groceries, take a look at this list to find when and where you can go to get them. 

• Gov. Evers issued Emergency Order #18, suspending several administrative rules for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families to help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 while maintaining critical services the agency provides. The order gives the flexibility needed to provide the safest possible care for children in out-of-home care. 

• Download Safer at Home posters from DHS and WCHD

• DHS updated language on their Employers page to reflect how employers can make COVID-19 related changes. This page includes information on travel-related restrictions, how to slow spread in the workplace, when recovering patients can return to work, etc.
• Click here for a Social Distancing at Work poster

• The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that borrowers with federally held student loans will automatically have their interest rates set to 0% for a period of at least 60 days. All loans owned by the ED will have interest waived. That includes Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans held by ED. Borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments for at least two months. To request this two month forbearance, borrowers should contact their loan servicer. In addition, collection efforts and wage garnishments on loans in default are currently stopped until at least 60 days from March 13, 2020. For more information go to the Department of Education's COVID-19 website.

• DHS posted Blood Bank guidance on their Community page. The guidance is intended to support blood collection site operations. There is a severe blood shortage and donors are urgently needed. Respiratory viruses, in general, are not known to be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus.

• Health Advisory: Severe illness is associated with using non-pharmaceutical Chloroquine Phosphate to prevent and treat COVID-19. Do not ingest aquarium use products or any other chemicals that contain chloroquine phosphate. These chemicals are not intended for human consumption and can lead to serious health consequences, including death.

• Gov. Evers launched a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) program to get more PPE to the frontlines. Companies, schools, and other organizations can donate or sell large quantities of unused PPE to the State of Wisconsin here.

• Visit Resilient Wisconsin for resources to help deal with stress, invest in self-care, stay connected and care for others during this pandemic. 

• REMINDER: Call your healthcare provider before going into a clinic if you are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. This allows them to provide guidance, prepare ahead if you need to be seen, and minimize risk to others.

• For past Situation Updates, visit the WCHD website.

• PBS Wisconsin, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and Milwaukee PBS, is supporting at-home learning for students and families by broadcasting a new weekday television schedule of programming with digital resources that connect to Wisconsin’s state academic standards. PBS Wisconsin is dedicating the 5 a.m.-5 p.m. daytime weekday schedule on The Wisconsin Channel, or PBS Wisconsin-2, to educational programming that includes specific blocks of time for pre-K through 12th grade levels and covers subjects, including English language arts, social studies, science and math. Click here for the schedule and home learning resources.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after going to the bathroom, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• If you do not have soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Cough or sneeze into an elbow if no tissue is available. Wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household disinfectant cleaning spray or wipe.
• Click here for additional guidance from the CDC

• Full library of print resources for schools, businesses, etc. from the CDC
• Winnebago County Health Department - resources specific to the general public, healthcare providers, businesses, community organizations, schools and first responders.
• Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
• Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Wisconsin.gov website - Resources from multiple state agencies
• Oshkosh Area United Way Community Resource List
• OSHA COVID-19 Website
• FEMA COVID-19 Website
• coronavirus.gov - Official information from the COVID-19 Task Force at the White House
• Wisconsin Restaurant Association - Employer resources, temp jobs for displaced workers, etc.
• usa.gov/coronavirus - federal government updates