Richland Center, WI: A virtual Emergency Operations Center meeting was held again this morning to share information between Richland County officials and community partners in a joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Health Manager/Local Health Officer Rose Kohout announced that as of 2:00pm Wednesday, April 8th the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) confirmed that in the state of Wisconsin there were 2,756 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 30,115 have tested negative, there were 99 deaths, and 790 hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Of those that tested positive for COVID-19 in the state of Wisconsin, 29% have been hospitalized. Kohout announced that as of this morning, there are now 4 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Richland County and 148 have tested negative at this time.
The Richland Hospital Coronavirus Hotline remains available 24 hours/day and patients should call (608) 604-9953 BEFORE coming to the hospital. The Richland Hospital continues to offer COVID-19 testing out of their “Respiratory Illness Evaluation” drive-thru service every day from 8am-5pm, even on weekends and holidays, for Tier 1 and Tier 2 priorities only. Additional information about the online or telemedicine services being offered can be found at https://www.richlandhospital.com/online-services/.
Richland County Director Tracy Thorsen urged those experiencing financial need to reach out to Health & Human Services at 608-647-8821 for possible resources available. Those in need can also contact the Capital Consortium at 1-888-794-5556 to apply for financial assistance programs, such as FoodShare or Energy Assistance. Thorsen noted that the moratorium on utility disconnection (effective October 15th – April 15th) has been lifted until this crisis passes; however, reducing utility consumption was recommended.
Richland County Administrator Clinton Langreck announced that Governor Tony Evers closed most state parks today in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The county continues to sort through the election process due to delays in the official election results. Langreck stated that all current elected officials would stay in power until the election results are finalized and new board members can be sworn in.
Richland County Community Partners shared the status of their individual organization’s emergency response, reviewed PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) needs and local inventory, considered disinfection options utilizing UV lights, continued efforts to assist small business owners, and discussed priority topics to support the community through the recovery process.
For the most up-to-date COVID-19 information, follow Richland County Health & Human Services on Facebook or consult the following websites:
- Richland County: https://covid.co.richland.wi.us
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
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