Coronavirus update: Kewaunee County issues travel advisory asking people to stay local

KEWAUNEE – The Kewaunee County Public Health Department issued a travel advisory Monday to try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The advisory is aimed at county residents asking them to stay within the county to shop for necessities and at non-permanent residents asking them to avoid traveling to their seasonal homes in the county. Door County's health department issued a similar advisory recently.

As of Monday, no one living in Kewaunee County has tested positive for the virus, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Eighteen residents have tested negative and 25 results are pending.

However, 44 of the state's 72 counties have had at least one person with a positive test, and the number of positives across the state continues to grow quickly, with more than 100 new confirmed cases announced Monday bringing the statewide total to 1,221. Neighboring Brown County reported its seventh case and Door County reported its first case late Monday, although Manitowoc County has yet to report any.

LIVE UPDATES: The latest on coronavirus in Wisconsin

DAILY DIGEST: What you need to know about coronavirus in Wisconsin

The advisory is intended to help slow the spread of the virus by asking people to avoid the extra chance of coming into contact with someone carrying the virus who may not know they have it. That's especially important given the county's older population, Public Health Department Director Cindy Kinnard said.

“We all need to continue to do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19 and by everyone limiting travel is just another way that we can all unite,” Kinnard said in a press release. “Kewaunee County has an aging population and we need to make the well-being of these individuals a priority."

Kinnard also asked county residents to use the local grocery stores for shopping: Denny’s SuperValu in Algoma, Piggly Wiggly in Kewaunee and Stodola’s IGA in Luxemburg. She noted that the primary care physicians of some residents might be outside the county lines, and those appointments might be necessary to warrant travel.

The health department added a reminder in the press release that people in public need to continue social distancing, keeping at least six feet apart from others.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Coronavirus update: Kewaunee County issues travel advisory asking people to stay local