Sept. 8, 2020 9:00p
(WGTD)---The number of new cases of COVID-19 has dropped in recent weeks, but local health officials are preparing for another surge this fall as the impact of Labor Day weekend gatherings are felt and some students return to school.
"We are preparing for things to explode by the end of September," said Kenosha County Division of Health administrator Jen Freiheit Tuesday. She briefed the county's Board of Health.
In preparation, Freiheit's department has added 15 staff members.
Adding to the worries is a reduction in people getting tested, due in part to the scaling back of free community testing sites like those offered by the National Guard. A Guard testing site, however, will be open at Festival Hall in Racine from Wednesday through Friday. None is currently scheduled for Kenosha County, Freiheit said.,
Another concern is the number of people with the disease who refuse to cooperate with Freiheit's contact tracers. The number hovers around 20%. "We just have to accept it," she said. "It's community spread. We can't contain it anymore. It's out there. The culture--the climate--of the virus has changed so we have to change with it." If anyone is counting on "herd immunity" for protection, the percent of the population with the disease needs to reach 85%, Freiheit said. Right now the percentage is around 2.
The number of people with coronavirus continues to inch up. So do deaths. Racine County Tuesday reported three new deaths for the week. Kenosha County's death toll has remained at 64.
Freiheit confirmed that fewer people with the disease are having to go to the hospital. That, she conceded, may have something to do with some people viewing it as less of a threat.
For now, the department fully investigates all new cases, and also responds to mask-related complaints. Staffers have also been assisting schools in developing policies and protocols, as virtually all K-12 schools in Kenosha County are offering in-person instruction this fall, although many have a online option.
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