Eau Claire County issues slightly-modified COVID order, releases joint statement, announces 4th COVID death

A joint statement was released today about the COVID-19 situation in Eau Claire County, and particularly in regard to the face-covering mandate. The document is signed by the Eau Claire Chief of Police and Sheriff, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, the Eau Claire city manager, the Eau Claire County Administrator, and the Altoona Administrator and Chief of Police. It is supportive of the wearing of masks and makes several suggestions:

1. Wear your mask if you are indoors with others, according to the Governor’s state mask mandate

2. If you see someone not wearing a mask, assume that they have a medical reason not to. Be kind, remain 6 ft away, and move on.

3. If there appears to be a high risk of disease spread from someone not wearing a mask and not keeping physical distance, call the COVID Call Center at 715-831- 7425

The Eau Claire CIty-County Health Department has extended the health order currently in place through August 19 and starting tonight at midnight makes some changes in regard to mass transportation in the county. 

Mass transportation, such as buses and commercial vans are, by their nature, locations where individuals are likely to and by necessity are within six (6) feet of each other. When, in these forms of transportation, physical distance of six (6) feet cannot be maintained between all individuals, a capacity of 50% shall be observed in addition to the following requirements:

• Cloth face coverings shall be worn, unless medically unsafe to do so.

• Buses with set riders, such as those on a school bus route, shall have assigned seats and daily attendance shall be taken.

• Operators of mass transportation shall actively communicate with or screen riders regarding COVID-19-like symptoms prior to boarding.

The new documents are attached below in full.

In today's COVID-19 media conference Eau Claire City-County Health Director Lieske Giese also announced the fourth death from COVID-19 in Eau Claire County. The person was under the age of 65, but there is no further information at the moment.