County Issues Public Health Statement as Tourism Season Picks Up

Door County Public Health issued a statement Friday urging continued vigilance, mask-wearing, and social distancing by locals and visitors to the peninsula. 

“As we enter the peak of our tourist/busy season, we are at an important crossroads for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19,” the statement read. “Our neighboring counties and states are seeing significant increases in the number of positive cases. With the increase in visitors and activity in our local community, it is imperative now more than ever that we all practice the public health safety guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.”

Those guidelines include wearing a cloth face covering at all times in public, maintaining at least six feet distance from anyone not in your household and avoiding all large gatherings, events and crowded areas. 

“Failing to wear a mask in public, not practicing social distancing and offering to hold or attend large gatherings puts the physical health, mental health and financial well-being of our entire community at risk,” the statement continued. “There is emerging data that supports that the currently increasing cases across the country are related to activities and gatherings that create challenging environments for reducing the spread of COVID-19.”

To help protect yourself and others from COVID-19, the health department urges the following: 

• Stay home if you’re feeling sick or feel off. A number of new cases reported going out in public while feeling symptomatic. 

• Stay home if you don’t need to go out. Working from home, virtual gatherings, and using curbside or delivery ordering are still the safest and best options to protect yourself and others. 

• Wear a cloth face covering if you go out. This is a simple, effective way to help reduce risk for yourself and others. 

• Protect your workers and customers. Follow public health recommendations. 

• Assume you have come in contact with COVID-19 if you go out. Currently, 37 percent of cases didn’t know where they could’ve gotten COVID-19. Watch for symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. If you have these symptoms, call your doctor to be tested. 

The statement was issued with the support of the following municipalities and organizations:

City of Sturgeon Bay 
Town of Baileys Harbor 
Town of Sevastopol
 Town of Liberty Grove 
Town of Egg Harbor 
Town of Gibraltar 
Town of Brussels 
Village of Ephraim 
Village of Sister Bay 
Village of Egg Harbor 
Ephraim Fire Department 
Gibraltar Fire Department 
Door County Medical Center 
Bellin Health 
Washington Island Community Health Program 
Door County Medical Clinic – Washington Island 
Door County Economic Development Corporation 
Destination Door County 
Destination Sturgeon Bay 
Jacksonport Area Business Association 
Baileys Harbor Community Association 
Door County North Business Association 
Egg Harbor Business Association 
Ephraim Business Council 
Sister Bay Advancement Association 
Good Samaritan Society – Scandia Village 
United Way of Door County