First COVID-19 death confirmed in Brown County

BROWN COUNTY — Brown County Health Department, De Pere Health Department and Oneida Nation Health Department announced Thursday, April 9, the county recorded its first confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) death.

Ted Shove of the Brown County Health Department said the individual who passed away early Thursday was a 58-year-old male resident of the county and had been hospitalized for more than a week.

Shove said there was “no known community spread as a result of this positive case” of COVID-19.

Brown County Public Health Officer Anna Destree, De Pere Health Officer Debbie Armbruster and Oneida Nation Health Department Public Health Officer Michelle Myers said in a joint statement they “are devastated by the loss of a life to COVID-19 here in Brown County.”

“Our hearts go out to all the loved ones affected by this death and all those who continue to suffer from this virus in our community,” they said. “We are urging the public to continue to practice social distancing now more than ever so we can save as many lives as possible.”

Physical separation is still being recommended as the best way to stop this virus from spreading further throughout our community.

For county residents, recommended measures for avoiding exposure to COVID-19 include the following:

1. Maintaining physical distancing of at least six feet between other people, especially with individuals you do not know or that appear to have COVID-19-like symptoms (i.e. coughing, shortness of breath, lethargy or confusion);
2. Avoiding all personal contact (i.e. handshaking);
3. Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently as possible and use of hand sanitizer;
4. Regularly cleaning and sanitizing high-touch surfaces;
5. Covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands); and
6. Following all other public health recommendations issues by DHS and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The latest information about COVID-19 in Brown County is available online at: www.stayhealthybc.com