This is today's media briefing by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Who:

Fake quarantine and isolation notices have started appearing on businesses in Eau Claire. In a press release this morning the Eau Claire CIty-County Health Department attributed these placards to a  misinformation campaign related to the communicable disease ordinances being considered by the City Council and County Board this month. 

Alarmed by "near-exponential" growth in COVID-19 cases across Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers on Sept. 22 declared his third public health emergency during the pandemic and extended a statewide mask mandate to Nov. 21.

Wisconsin again hit a new record for positive COVID-19 tests today. The numbers for today show 2887 new cases. Six of the last 7 days have been over 2000 new infections per day for the state. Locally in Dunn County, we now have another 21 new positive cases today, which in conjunction with the last few days will overtax the ability to do contact tracing. This will inevitably lead to still more infections in the county. There has still only been one death in the county.

The Dunn County Health Department has confirmed the first death in the county from COVID-19. In a press release this afternoon Health Department Officer KT Gallagher announced that the fatality was an elderly person and that no further information would be released out of respect for the deceased and their loved ones. Gallagher stated that  “Our hearts go out to the family and friends for their loss.

Who:

• Governor Tony Evers
• Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, Wisconsin Department of Health Services 
• Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer of the Bureau of Communicable Diseases   
• Ryan Nilsestuen, Chief Legal Counsel, Office of the Governor

When: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.