County outbreak is among the worst in state

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is battling a spike of COVID-19 case by implementing changes to its procedures.

The Stanley Correctional Institution continues to battle the pandemic among incarcerated individuals and staff, not unlike Chippewa County overall, which as of Tuesday morning has 869 active cases and 2,800 confirmed cases. COVID-19 has contributed to 31 deaths in Chippewa County, and 27 people are currently hospitalized.

Stanley-Boyd School District is reporting several staff members with COVID-19. The district reported that as of Friday, 131 students are isolated or quarantined, as are seven staff members. There is one positive case among students and three among staff. Since Aug. 20, the district has had 18 positive cases among staff and students.

As of Monday at Stanley Correctional Institution, there are 79 active cases of inmates with COVID-19 and there have been a total of 338 positive tests overall. In October, the Wisconsin National Guard conducted testing at SCI and other state institutions.

There have been 51 positive COVID-19 cases reported among SCI staff.

DOC Secretary Kevin Carr said, “Much like our state, our agency has seen a recent significant spike in COVID-19 positive cases at a number of our institutions, and I’m sure it has taken an emotional toll on our staff, those inner care and their loved ones. I want to assure every person that our agency will continue to exhaust every resource available to us in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

“We have implemented a number of unprecedented changes to our operations as a result of this pandemic. We recognize many of these changes can place a burden on our staff, those in our care, their families and loved ones. Much like in our communities, activities in our secure facilities have either stopped or look dramatically different than they once did. Most of our institutions have limited movement, we have suspended in-person visitations, transitioned to virtual visits and implemented technology wherever possible. Our staff have also had to adapt to new daily routines like enhanced cleaning and sanitation efforts, complying with passive and medical screenings to enter buildings, and wearing face coverings,” said Carr. “Making numerous changes in such a short period of time to an organization as large as ours can be difficult, and we know that even with our best planning and efforts, several of our institutions have experienced sizeable outbreaks. But there are opportunities to learn from these outbreaks and we continue to make improvements to our responses as we discover more about this virus. We have learned that unified leadership, organized planning and enhanced communication have been keys to success. Additionally, we have recognized the immense value of having a dedicated health care team working around the clock to help those in our care stay healthy and to provide those who are ill the necessary medical care to recover. All of our efforts help us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help the infected recover.”