MILWAUKEE — The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) has confirmed Milwaukee’s first presumptive case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, health officials announced Friday. The woman was in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.
MHD says the coronavirus patient is a female, between 30-35 years of age, and is currently isolating at home. Health workers are in the process of identifying and contacting all those who may have come in contact with the infected person.
Close contacts will be quarantined for 14 days from their exposure and will be monitored for fever and respiratory symptoms.
“The City of Milwaukee has been working around the clock to prepare for this, and I am confident that our Health Department is up to the challenge,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “Our Administration is collaborating with federal, state, and local partners as we monitor developments with this outbreak.”
The City of Milwaukee Commissioner of Health, Jeanette Kowalik, has acknowledged that COVID-19 would arrive in Milwaukee like in surrounding areas. MHD has been preparing for this through our Democratic National Convention (DNC) preparations and experience managing other outbreaks ranging from H1N1 influenza in 2009-2010 and vaccine-preventable disease. “Now is the time to remember that we all have the ability to help slow the spread of the illness and protect our fellow Milwaukeeans.
“It is critical that all of us do our part to slow the spread of this virus by refraining from touching one's face, eyes, and nose, covering coughs, washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and staying home when sick with cold or flu-like symptoms. We have also prepared for community mitigation measures, including cancellations of large events and temporary school closures should they become necessary.” Commissioner Kowalik said.
COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how flu and other respiratory diseases spread, or when people touch surfaces that have been contaminated by an infected person and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.