Apr. 22, 2020 8:20p
(WGTD)---Kenosha County Health Department Director Jen Freiheit gave another telephone briefing to the community Wednesday evening. "Our numbers are still rising but our hospitals and our public health department are keeping up," Freiheit said. "We're strained but we are able to manage and we are keeping up," she said.
Kenosha County has recorded nearly 300 confirmed cases, with another 139 considered “probable.”
And there have been some confirmed cases at a few unidentified businesses. "As long as businesses are able to cooperate with us--give us the names of all of the contacts that were close--we can definitely keep boxing in COVID-19 and keep this under control," she said.
Those close contacts will receive either a visit or a phone call and get an explanation on what it means to quarantine for 14 days. Staffers have also handed out over 200 thermometers.
Freiheit said testing supplies have become more plentiful. She says anyone with symptoms--even mild ones--should be able to secure a test now. Testing is still not available for people who may be curious but don't show symptoms.
And as for that Abbott Labs 'instant' test--Freiheit said the latest research indicates that the test has a 14.8% false positive rate.
Freiheit says she's eager to see Kenosha County's numbers start sloping downward. A two-week-long pattern of negative numbers statewide will enable businesses to start to reopen. The metrics were established last week by the federal government and endorsed on Monday by Gov. Evers.
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