DARLINGTON – On May 5, 8 and 12, the Lafayette County Health Department announced there were new confirmed cases of COVID-19, three on May 5, four on May 8 and one on May 12, taking the total confirmed cases to 14. Three individuals have previouly recovered. According to mapping from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/cases-map.htm), five of the confirmed cases are in Darlington or in the northern portion of Lafayette County, covering Willow Springs, Darlington and Fayette townships.
Lafayette County Health Department Director Elizabeth Townsend states that testing capabilities across the State of Wisconsin is making the identity of positive cases easier.
Test results for Lafayette County still take about two days to come back after the test has been submitted to the lab.
Contact tracing gives the health department the ability to identify individuals that have been exposed to a known positive case and allows that individual to get into quarantine before they begin to show symptoms, if at all. Symptoms of the illness vary from person to person, some being less severe than others. Overall, the tracing can help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We are in daily contact with these individuals to monitor their symptoms and ensure they are receiving support to be able to isolate safely.” Townsend said.
They continue to tell people to stay at home as much as possible, avoid gatherings of 10 people or more, stay at least six-feet away from other people when possible, and wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds using soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer when water and soap is not available.