DHS Emergency Order #3
On Tuesday, October 6, 2020 Governor Tony Evers directed Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to issue Emergency Order #3 limiting public gatherings to no more than 25 percent of a room or building’s total occupancy.

This directive is effective at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, and will remain in effect until Nov. 6, 2020. The directive applies to any gatherings at locations that are open to the public such as stores, restaurants and other businesses that allow public entry, as well as spaces with ticketed events. This document includes answers to frequently asked questions about the order.

Wisconsin Governor's Emergency Order #90
Governor Evers has issued Emergency Order #90 declaring a public health emergency in the state following a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

The Order is in response to a surge in cases among young people. The Governor also issued a new face coverings order (the revised Emergency Order #1 is available for review here). Both orders are effective immediately and will expire on November 21, 2020 or with a subsequent superseding order.

Marathon County Health Department Order 1
The Marathon County Health Department has issued Order 1 related to controlling the spread of COVID-19. Review the order here.

Guidance for businesses
As it stands at this time, all businesses are allowed to open and should follow guidance provided by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. If businesses do not follow guidance or establish sound practices to protect employees and customers, there is a risk of litigation should someone not be protected. It is imperative to be methodical and adhere to the guidance.

The WEDC's guidelines for reopening were built with input from national and state health and industry experts and in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and our regional economic development partners.

The WEDC has compiled a series of industry-specific documents to help you get back to business while taking the necessary precautions to maximize safety. Following these guidelines will help us all get Wisconsin’s economy back on track. To review the WEDC's guidelines, visit WEDC.org.

Returning to work
The Wisconsin Safety Council shares an 8-step guide to keep employees safe. View or download the guide on WiSafetyCouncil.org.

CDC recommendations
The CDC shares updated strategies and recommendations for employers responding to COVID-19, including those seeking to resume normal or phased business operations. Review these items on CDC.gov.

OSHA recommendations
OSHA shares updated guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19. Review these items on OSHA.gov.

Protective Equipment and Supplies
As part of the Wisconsin Ready action plan to support businesses to operate safely, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is working with partners across the state to identify manufacturers that can supply personal protective equipment and other materials. Search the full list or click on the specific items of interest on WisconsinSupplierNetwork.com.
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What should I do if an employee has COVID-19?
A recent surge in COVID-19 cases has exceeded the Marathon County Health Department’s ability to do timely disease investigation and contact tracing. In response, the Health Department must focus disease investigations and contact tracing on higher-risk, vulnerable populations. Therefore, it may be several days before a person with a positive Covid-19 test result is contacted and that person’s work close contacts identified.

For the health and safety of your employees and customers, the Health Department asks that each business and organization review its current policy regarding workplace restrictions for employees who are being tested for COVID-19, have been confirmed as having COVID-19, or are a close contact to someone who has COVID-19. Also, inform employees who they are to notify if they have tested positive.

For the COVID-19 positive employee, isolate at home for at least 10 days after symptoms start and return to work after that period of time as long as they have no fever without fever-reducing medicine and other COVID-19 symptoms have improved.

Organizations are urged to conduct close contact tracing to identify those who need to be quarantined at home to prevent other employees from becoming infected and ill. An employee is a 'close contact' if any of the following situations happened while you spent time with the person with COVID-19 (even if they didn’t have symptoms):

• Had direct physical contact with the person (e.g., hug, kiss, handshake)
• Were within 6 feet of the person for more than 15 minutes.
• Had contact with the person’s respiratory secretions (e.g., coughed/sneezed on, contact with dirty tissue, sharing a drinking glass, food or towels or other personal items).
• Stayed overnight for at least one night in a household with the person.

Someone who is sick with COVID-19 can spread it for up to two days before they show any symptoms. People who spent time with someone two days before and during the time a person was ill are at risk. Not everyone with COVID-19 will have symptoms, but they can still spread it to others. For those who test positive without symptoms, close contacts include people the Covid-19 positive person was with the two days before their test.

Anyone who is a close contact to a positive needs to quarantine for up to 14 days from their last close contact with someone with COVID-19. Anyone who is a close contact of someone with COVID-19 should be tested. If the test result is negative, individuals need to complete the up to 14-day quarantine before it is safe to go back to work or be around others. This is because the incubation period, the time between an exposure to illness, is 14 days. Many people test Covid-19 negative early and become positive later in the quarantine period. It is important for close contacts to self-quarantine and self-monitor to protect themselves, their family, their employer and the community.

The following resources should be shared with event attendees who indicate that they have had a positive test or to share with attendees when a participant tests positive:

Did you test positive? Isolation Guidance: English | Spanish | Hmong
Are you a contact? Quarantine Guidance: English | Spanish | Hmong

​Visit the Marathon County Health Department's website for additional guidance.

Health Department shares new resources:
The Marathon County Health Department is asking all individuals, schools and workplaces with active COVID-19 infections to help slow the spread of the virus by alerting their close contacts of possible exposure and instructing them to quarantine.

Resources in multiple languages to assist individuals, schools and workplaces to identify and notify contacts are available online: English | Spanish | Hmong

To support schools, we have put together the following information:

• Quick Reference Guide for COVID-19 in Schools (K-12) - First steps schools can take when a student or staff person tests positive for COVID-19.
• Guidelines for the Prevention, Investigation, and Control of COVID-19 Outbreaks in K-12 Schools in Wisconsin – This resource provides guidance to administrators and staff to help prevent and control school outbreaks.
• Marathon County Contact Tracing in Schools - This tool can be used during the investigation to track who may be a contact within the organization, and can easily be transferred to the local health department for processing.

Similar to schools, we have also put together packets for workplaces with the following:

• Quick Reference Guide for COVID-19 in the Workplace – First steps organizations can take when a person within the workplace tests positive for COVID-19.
• Preventing and Managing COVID-19 in the Workplace – This Department of Health publication describes how to respond to a positive case within the organization, and describes how work with local health departments to keep workers, volunteers and customers healthy, and businesses open.
• Marathon County Contact Tracing Worksheet – This tool can be used during the investigation to track who may be a contact within the organization, and can easily be transferred to the local health department for processing.

Check out these and more new materials for residents, schools and workplaces online at the Marathon County Health Department's website.

MCDEVCO provides business mentors:
MCDEVCO and their team of volunteer professional mentors are committed to providing assistance to all entrepreneurs and small businesses in Marathon County. Business owners who would like to be contacted by a mentor, please fill out this online form. If you have any questions and/or comments please contact MCDEVCO at 715-298-0084 or info@mcdevco.org.

Hmong Institute opens COVID-19 resource line:
The Hmong Institute recognizes that the COVID-19 virus impacts each community differently and established a new resource line at 608-318-4354 to support Southeast Asian and other refugees in Wisconsin. The line offers bilingual and bicultural support to those affected by the virus in an effort to improve access to resources. The line is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. View more information about the resource line in English and Hmong.

Childcare Connection
The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce provides a Childcare Connection resource in an attempt to serve those whose childcare options have been impacted by measures mandated to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). This resource is intended to serve as the connecting piece between businesses of all types and those who can provide childcare.

The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce fills a unique role as an organization in our community. The Chamber serves as the connecting piece between businesses of all types, government entities, educational institutions and the not-for-profit sector. These connections will be tested in the coming weeks due to the necessary measures which have been put into place, and those which will follow, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) across our country.

We are actively monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and continuously evaluating options for all of our upcoming programs and events. Our primary concern is for the safety of our members and the community.

The team at the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce is poised to assist our members and others in the community to help soften the blow that will impact our community and families. The Chamber is not an expert in this health crisis, but we are able to uniquely connect, coordinate and convey critical information to the business community and our partners in an effort to inform and guide. Because this virus knows no geographic boundaries, our office is reaching out to our chamber peers in Merrill, Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids to explore ways in which we can support each other.

Sign up for daily email updates
The Chamber offers a daily community email update during the work week (Monday through Friday). This message will be sent to the entire chamber membership and to community members who sign up here.

Masks available through Chamber members:
The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce has built a list of member companies that offer masks for sale. We'd like to support the retailers in our community by building an online guide letting others know what they have available and how to make the purchase.

Ascentives Inc: Branded masks available.
Bull Falls Harley-Davidson of Wausau: Bandanas and buffs available.
Complete Office of Wisconsin: Masks available.
Downtown Grocery: Washable Chicobag masks available for $8.99 each (includes a pouch and adjustable straps)
EO Johnson Business Technologies: A variety of PPE available, including masks.
Fully Promoted: Both three-ply and KN95 masks are available, as well as branded options.
Hsu's Ginseng Enterprises Inc: Open to partnering with local businesses who wish to access their supply chain.
K-tech Kleening: Some masks available.
Nelson-Miller Inc: Face shield available for order in a quantity of at least 100.
Northcentral Wisconsin Face Mask Makers: This group has sewn more than 10,000 face masks for various local businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities at no cost. Request for masks can be made here.
Quality Resource Group Inc: Factory direct pricing on KN95, three-ply, four-ply, blank and custom made masks, as well as face shields, gloves, gowns and thermometers.
Rocket Industrial: One-time use masks available with volume discounts for Chamber members. Contact order@rocketindustrial.com for more information.
Sam's Club: Reusable, disposable, full face safety shields available.
TD Fischer Group: Branded masks available
Young's Drug Store: 100% cotton masks with non-woven lining are available.

If your business is a retailer or supplier of masks, please share those details with Sharon at sbaumann@wausauchamber.com or 715-845-6231.