The Wisconsin Department of Health would like to get a message out to the public: just because somebody is young doesn’t mean that they’re immune to catching the COVID-19 virus or transmitting it to others, especially 18 to 30 year olds.

As though to drive the point home, the Chippewa County Health Department had an announcement to make at a short press conference this past Thursday March 19: COVID-19 had been confirmed as being present in Chippewa County, and the person affected wasn’t all that old either: just 30.

'The biggest thing I want people to know is to take this thing seriously,' said Chippewa County Director of Public Health Angela Weideman as she announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Chippewa County during a press conference that was livestreamed on Facebook Thursday, March 19 at 3:45 p.m, the confirmed case of COVID-19 in Chippewa County being one of a reported 416 confirmed cases and 5 deaths statewide as of Monday, with an additional 7050 people testing negative for the disease. Since the confirmed case in Chippewa County, moreover, four cases have been identified in Eau Claire County, along with one in Marathon County to the east. A map of confirmed cases of COVID-19 by county is viewable on the State of Wisconsin Health Department website at https://www.dhs.wisconsin. gov/outbreaks/index.htm, as is one for counties in Minnesota where individuals have tested positive, along with a similar map on the Iowa Department of Health website.

The same day that a case was confirmed in Chippewa County, its government offices were closed to the public in the wake of the restrictions to check the spread of the disease, and those with business as such will have to call ahead “and be prepared to make alternative arrangements to meeting in person,” it was revealed at the press conference.

Saying that the person from Chippewa County who had tested positive for COVID-19 was under 30 and had not had many symptoms or all those connected with COVID-19 and had not spent time in the hospital, Weideman said that the person's testing had come about after they had traveled to a high risk area about two weeks ago, and that they were currently at home. She declined to give the person's name, gender, or to say whether their travel to a high risk area had been within or outside of the United States. As of Monday March 24, community spread of COVID-19 had been identified in Brown, Colombia, Dane, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Walworth and Waukesha counties, scattered across the state—as well as a growing number of confirmed cases in Minnesota to the West, these largely being centered upon the Twin Cities, but with outlying cases also. Chippewa County Health Director Weideman was echoed in her public remarks by Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm, who asked people to follow the instructions given to them by law enforcement.

'As a member and representative of law enforcement, I really want to encourage people to follow the orders and the rules that have been laid out previously, ' Kelm said he asked that people avoid gatherings of ten or more, obey the restrictions on bars and taverns, and other things that they are told to do in terms of social distancing and other measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, which carries special risk to the elderly and other populations, such as those with underlying health conditions. While law enforcement was empowered to take criminal action against those who refuse to follow these directions, 'we don't want it to get to that point,' Kelm said. “We want people to follow these rules because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “It is in all of our interest to have these restrictions last the least amount of time as possible. We can do that by following the orders and the recommendations that are coming down from the CDC and what we’re hearing from our health department,” he said, thanking everyone for their cooperation. Meanwhile, Chippewa Falls District Superintendent Heidi Eliopoulos called for calm on the part of the general public, and their cooperation in helping to reassure frightened children and explain to them the reasons for these measures.

'It's one thing when children go through the stores and see empty toilet paper shelves,' she said. 'It's another thing when they go through and see empty food shelves.' Saying that children weren't necessarily going to understand the reasons for taking different health safety measures that have been instituted, Eliopoulos said that it was the job of parents and other adults to help them understand why.

'Our children aren't necessarily going to understand, so we need to help them understand why,' she said during the press conference this past Thursday. Among the reasons was protecting the elderly, including grandparents. Bus drivers from the Chippewa Falls school district have been repurposed to deal with potential mental health needs within the district, and Central Lutheran church was also reported to be helping with payment for family transport, she said. There was also the option of accessing a Telehealth phone option to address mental health needs, Eliopoulos said.

Additionally, the Chippewa Falls School District is working to make sure that internet hotspots will be available for continued learning during the now indefinite closure of both public and private schools statewide, and that paper copies of learning materials were being worked on for areas and homes without internet access, nor the option for it. The school district is also providing free lunches to those 18 and under(with the exception of Spring Break breakfast and lunch), with the free meals requiring no ID or district residency in Chippewa Falls. As of day two Thursday, Eliopoulos said that the district had served out 817 lunches. While asking for people to take COVID-19 seriously, Public Health Director Weideman also said that it was important not to panic.

'We want to remind everyone to prepare but not panic,' she said at the press conference, asking for people during this time to reach out virtually and to avoid any unnecessary travel. And the reason for taking all of these proactive health measures?

'We really want to keep people safe and healthy,' Weideman said, in the wake of the news that COVID-19 had come to Chippewa county. Those with questions are directed to email [email protected] or call the Health Department phone number at 715-726-7900.