From the Office of the Mayor: COVID-19 Mitigation and Preparedness

For Immediate Release---Wisconsin Rapids, WI: March 13, 2020

The City continues to receive COVID-19 Coronavirus briefings and our team is proactively taking preparatory steps. As of this writing, there have not been any cases locally but out of an abundance of caution and preparedness, I offer the following to our residents.

While it is a business as usual situation at City buildings and operations, we are reviewing our Continuity of Operations plans in the event that further strategies are necessary. McMillan Memorial Library hours of business remain unchanged; however, scheduled programming has been suspended. The Lowell Senior Center’s hours remain unchanged, however, out of an abundance of caution, Thursday and Sunday Bingo has been suspended.

Further, with the Centralia Center as a designated polling place and because of Department of Health Services (DHS) directives related to public health, vulnerable populations and large public gatherings, the Lowell Center will be closed on April 7th.

We recommend anyone wishing to avoid voting in person on April 7th, request an absentee ballot by mail from myvote.wi.gov no later than April 2nd. Alternatively, In-Person Absentee Voting will begin at City Hall on Monday, March 23rd from 8-4:30 p.m. until Friday, April 3rd. Voters who have questions about voting can contact the City Clerk at (715) 421-8200.

The City is taking steps to mitigate transmission including:
• Posting reminders at all City facilities to regularly wash your hands and cover your cough;
• Cleaning public-facing areas more frequently;
• Providing staff with information on basic protective measures;
• Reducing in-person meetings whenever possible; Encouraging Social Distancing;
• Reminding our employees to stay home if they are feeling sick;
• Implementing self-quarantine requirements from any level 2 or 3 country OR any state with sustained community transmission consistent with the CDC data.
• Reminding individuals experiencing symptoms to call the nurse line or healthcare provider before calling 911 or reporting to the ER, unless it’s a true emergency.

The City will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary. This is a rapidly evolving situation. For the latest information, visit the CDC’s coronavirus webpage or the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.