Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) announced today that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has jumped from 10 to 17 since yesterday. None of those 17 people is hospitalized, according to a release from PHMDC.
Officials are urging people to limit movement as much as possible, as evidence of community spread now exists — meaning some of the new cases cannot be traced directly to known cases or causes.
“We have reached the level where community spread of COVID-19 is happening,” says Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “Given this level of spread, we are directing community members to practice social distancing and stay home as much as possible. People should also continue everyday prevention strategies like washing hands frequently.”
Community spread of the virus means there is an urgent need for people to restrict movement and stay at home as much as possible, according to a release from PHMDC. Avoid groups, gatherings, playdates, and nonessential appointments.
“We expect the number of people with COVID-19 to continue to rise in Dane County. This is why we issued our order to limit gatherings to under 50 people, including closing schools. It’s possible these orders will need to be amended to be more restrictive as the situation evolves,” said Heinrich.
The announcement puts the number of confirmed statewide cases at 54, though many other counties have not yet announced new cases today.
