By Ben Rodgers
Editor
GREEN BAY – With summer unofficially here and a community that has been Safer at Home for more than two months, people may be itching to get outside and support local businesses.
However, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision to lift the Safer at Home order early doesn’t mean COVID-19 is no longer a part of the everyday lives of Brown County residents.
“If we look at what the plan was to phase us in and the type of metrics necessary to phase into society – which the CDC recommends and still has not rescinded that recommendation – that it should be a phased approach based on data,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health.
Gov. Tony Evers’ Badger Bounce Back plan was close to meeting the criteria necessary to move into the first phase of the plan when the Supreme Court acted, Rai said.
“Our percentage of positives were trending down very nicely – in Brown County they most definitely continued in that downward trajectory, especially as I look at the data from the testing sites,” he said. “I would have felt very comfortable if the governor had said ‘We’re pretty close to phase 1, let’s go ahead and do that.’ Although it’s not the law, it’s still a really good recommendation to look at this in phases.”
What does that mean for backyard grill outs?
Rai said as long people are smart, it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Gatherings of 10 people are allowable. They don’t have to be the same 10 people you live with, but still do it smart,” he said. “Still have physical distancing, still wash your hands, wear a mask if you’re going to be within 6 feet of each other, but that’s still a small enough gathering for two reasons. No. 1, you can space out really well and No. 2, if there is a breakout, if somebody is positive and transmits it to everybody, it’s still a pretty limited breakout that can be dealt with.”
COVID-19 is still a possibility for everyone, but it could be especially dangerous for those who are at-risk, he said.
“That’s great if you’re healthy, but if you’re in an at-risk population, if you’re immune-compromised, if you’re older, you should definitely be staying at home,” Rai said. “Your lives matter a lot to us, and we want to make sure you stay safe. All these recommendations are for people who are not in an at-risk category.”
Just as everybody should still be following safety guidelines put in place when the pandemic started in March, Rai said people should still be masking.
“We know the virus exists out there, so we should definitely be doing tests and masking as much as we can until we know that it’s gone,” Rai said. “If you’re going to be within 6 feet of somebody, you should be wearing a mask, no doubt about it. That’s for the foreseeable future. It’s for those aged 2 and up, but everybody should be wearing one.”
Shopping locally is also safe right now, because businesses are following guidelines set by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, he said.
“A lot of businesses are doing it really well, especially here in our area and throughout the State of Wisconsin,” Rai said. “I’m very impressed at people reaching out, whether it be Little League baseball, a grocery store, a salon, everybody’s reaching out looking for guidance.”
Increased testing capabilities also mean the healthcare and public health departments are better prepared for whatever comes next, he said.
“I’ll be looking at the state percentage of positives and the Brown County percentage of positives in making sure we don’t have outbreaks,” Rai said. “We’ve been the reporting agency for everything in the county, and as we go forward and do our testing, we’ll understand the outbreaks hopefully sooner than we did the last time and not be caught off guard like the county was and really partner with public health.”