Winnebago County Public Health Department
COVID-19 SITUATION UPDATE
April 15, 2020, 6:00 p.m.
Community spread is happening in Winnebago County. Please stay  Safer at Home
for the health and safety of our family, friends, neighbors and community.
CONTACT 211 FOR NON-MEDICAL QUESTIONS: TEXT COVID19 TO 211-211 / CALL 211
Assistance finding food - paying for housing bills - accessing childcare - other essential services
HEALTH DEPARTMENT HOTLINE: 920-232-3026 (M-F 8:15am-4:15pm / SAT-SUN 12-4:30pm)
COVID-19 Lab Confirmed Cases
Winnebago County* (As of 4pm, 4/15/20)
  • Positive: 31 (+1 from 4/14)
  • Negative: 628 (+21 from 4/14)
  • Pending: 71 (+4 from 4/14)
  • Deaths: 1 (+0 from 4/14)
  • More information: WCHD website
Wisconsin (As of 9pm, 4/14/20)
  • Positive: 3,721 (+166 from 4/13)
  • Negative: 39,326 (+1,329 from 4/13)
  • Hospitalizations: 1,091 (+42) or 29%
  • Deaths: 182 (+12 from 4/13)
  • More information: DHS website
* Does not include data from the portions of the City of Menasha or  City of Appleton that fall within Winnebago County

Please note: Case counts do not include patients with COVID-19 symptoms that were not tested. Those with mild symptoms are most often directed to self-monitor at home without testing.

Let's keep up the good work!
Safer at Home and physical distancing are making a difference.

People across the state of Wisconsin have risen to the challenge of COVID-19 by changing the way they work, play and interact with friends and family. By staying  Safer at Home , practicing physical distancing, and continuing to wash hands and cover coughs, Wisconsinites are making a difference and beginning to flatten the curve.

According to the model created by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin was projected to have 22,000 infections by April 8, which would have ultimately resulted in somewhere between 440 and 1,500 deaths. These numbers were based on projected significant exponential growth in positive cases; however, since the Safer at Home order, there has been a decrease in exponential growth in the number of cases. Wisconsin’s rate of doubling of infections was 3.4 days in early March and, over the past two weeks, the rate of doubling is now approximately 12 days. 

What's New
  • Governor Evers signed the Wisconsin COVID-19 Bill into law today. The bill covers many different issue areas, but some of the key highlights are that it lifts a one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance in Wisconsin, requires health insurers to cover COVID-19 testing, bars insurers from discriminating against people who have or have had the virus, and provides the needed flexibilities to school districts to complete the school year online. The new law will also clear the way for Wisconsin to qualify for additional federal Medicaid funding made possible by the $2 trillion U.S. CARES Act that passed Congress last month. Read the full article from Wisconsin Public Radio here.



  • Due to COVID-19, the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Winnebago County is limiting contact with the community to phone and email only. Services continue to be available, but are just offered in a different way. The Adult Protection team for this county is part of the ADRC and will be available to assess concerns for vulnerable adults in the community. Staff is available to answer questions or provide support, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm, at (877) 886-2372.

  • Q: What are the new federal paid sick leave and expanded Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA) provisions, and how do they impact health care providers and staff?
  • A: The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) has two provisions. The FFCRA requires most employers to provide paid sick leave (up to two weeks) for a COVID-19 related reason, and paid FMLA when an employee needs to care for a child whose school or child care has become unavailable due to the health emergency. Employers of health care providers, public health agencies and emergency responders can choose whether to provide this paid leave to those employees. 

  • Q: What is the guidance around home showings of a house that is currently being lived in by renters?
  • A: The Safer at Home order prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people that are not part of a single household or living unit, except for the limited purposes expressly permitted in this order. Nothing in the order prohibits the gathering of members of a single household or living unit. Landlords or rental property managers shall avoid entering leased residential premises unless emergency maintenance is required. 
  • A: From the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: Routine maintenance that is not considered an emergency should be postponed while the Safer at Home order is in place. Landlords and rental managers should not be showing inhabited rental property for the duration of the order. If landlords or rental managers are insistent on showing properties, tenants should contact local law enforcement.

  • Q: Can gyms remain open under the Safer at Home order?
  • Under Section 4.b., gyms and fitness centers are explicitly prohibited from operating. However, if clients are meeting with the owner/provider for appointments based on referral from a medical provider, these appointments can continue. This should mean that it is just the owner/provider working 1:1 with the client with no one else in the facility (and using social distancing to the extent possible). Such appointments are considered essential under Section 8.
  • All businesses are permitted to continue “Minimum Basic Operations.” Under Section 14 of the order, provided that employees comply with Social Distancing Requirements, businesses may carry out the following operations:
  • The minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business's inventory, preserve the condition of the business's physical plant and equipment, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits, or for related functions, including where these functions are outsourced to other entities, and
  • The minimum necessary activities to facilitate employees of the business being able to continue to work remotely from their residences.

  • Recovered COVID-19 patients have a unique opportunity to help others battling the disease. Plasma collected from someone who had the infection is called convalescent plasma, and it can be used for medical treatments for patients currently facing Coronavirus. If you can help out, contact the Community Blood Center at 1-800-280-4102 or fill out this form online.

  • If you are recently unemployed or furloughed, you may be eligible for WIC benefits. WIC helps you buy the foods you and your children need to stay healthy. Many working families are part of WIC. Dads, grandparents, foster parents, pregnant foster teens and other caregivers of children under the age of 5 may sign kids up. For more information, visit wicmomstrong.com or contact one of our Winnebago County WIC offices at 920-232-3350 in Oshkosh or 920-729-2945 in Neenah.

  • COVID-19 symptoms may include: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, fatigue, aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of smell or loss of taste. For many, symptoms are mild, with no fever. You can still spread the virus even if you have mild or no symptoms.
  • 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.

DO YOUR PART. FLATTEN THE CURVE WITH PHYSICAL DISTANCING . 
Not following guidelines undermines the sacrifices our community is making.
How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19

  • 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.
  • Wear a cloth face covering in public settings.
  • Click here for additional guidance from the CDC


Additional Resources

Check with your school district for free lunch and breakfast options during COVID-19 closures. School district websites are linked below:

Updates from local healthcare providers:

Suggestions for FAQ

Please let us know what information you need regarding COVID-19. Send suggestions to health@co.winnebago.wi.us .


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Winnebago County Health Department
920-232-3000