STATEMENT FROM THE OMRO CITY ADMINISTRATOR
Plan, Prepare and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019
Public Announcement 3/13/2020
The Coronavirus COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic. A pandemic means that the disease epidemic has spread worldwide and is infectious.
As of March 13, 2020, I am not aware of any children under the age of 10 that have died from COVID-19 and those under the age of 40 have thus far had a mortality rate of 0.2%. The elderly and the immune compromised are at a much higher risk, so it is important that all citizens take this seriously to protect the most vulnerable in our community.
The City of Omro encourages you to put together a two-week supply of food. Also, this should include over-the-counter medicines, your prescription drugs, food for your pet, sanitizing cleaners and daily hygiene supplies. There is no need to hoard supplies of any type, just make sure you have enough on hand to keep you from having to go to a public place in the event that you become ill and need to isolate at home for two weeks.
If you feel that you are in need of a doctor and have symptoms of fever, dry cough and shortness of breath, or if you have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, please call your doctor immediately and discuss your symptoms and how to be tested. Also, please isolate yourself at home. Separate yourself as much as possible from other family members and keep surfaces and hands clean and free of germs.
Please talk to your employers about what to do in case you need to stay home, whether it be for isolation purposes or child or family care. We encourage employers to temporarily adjust your policies to allow for flexible scheduling, work from home, separation from the public, and any other ways to accommodate employee needs while meeting essential duties and protecting employees and the public.
All citizens of Omro can help by washing our hands thoroughly and often, avoiding touching your face, and by cleaning items at home and at work that are commonly handled (telephones, cell phones, door knobs, remote controls, keyboards, gas pump handles, credit card key pads, counters, etc.). We can also help by distancing ourselves from others by approximately 6 feet whenever possible and staying home when we are sick or at high risk. Travel out of the country is not recommended. Being in large crowds can put you at a higher risk to get the virus and spread it to others. You may be contagious before you are symptomatic, so it is important to cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw it away or at least into your elbow if a tissue is not readily available.
For detailed information about COVID-19, please go to the CDC website, the Wisconsin DHS website or the Winnebago County Health Department website for further information. This is a quickly evolving situation and we at the City of Omro are monitoring all levels of communication.
As a small community, we care about each other. Please call your neighbor and ask if there is anything they need from you to prepare for possible isolation. If you need assistance or are unsure who to contact for any concerns, please contact us at city hall at (920) 685-7000 and we will do what we can to help.
RESOURCES:The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has multiple resources on their website dedicated to COVID-19. Some additional resources to help your organization include:
• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers (CDC)
• Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19 (World Health Organization)
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak (World Health Organization)
• Pandemic Guidance (ready.gov)
• Winnebago County Health Department
• WI Department of Health Services
• how to conduct a risk assessment (CDC guidance on whether to self-isolate)
• pdf for Employers - FAQ on Caronavirus in the Workplace provided by a labor attorney
To sign up for electronic Winnebago County Health Department COVID-19 updates please visit these links:
