Recognizing the urgent need to reverse the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the Fox Valley region, more than 175 community leaders and officials came together in a virtual community discussion Thursday to focus on a collective effort to address the concerning situation facing the region.
Local public health officials, school and business leaders, and executives and physicians from two of the region’s health care systems – ThedaCare and Ascension St. Elizabeth – explained the progress made in the Fox Valley region in the spring and summer is unraveling and called on community members to recommit to being safe in the currently dangerous environment.
“The data is far more than just numbers – these are our friends, families, neighbors and colleagues that call Northeast and Central Wisconsin home,” said Dr. Imran A. Andrabi, ThedaCare President and CEO. “They are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends and family who are suffering from this virus, and it is up to each of us to do our part to keep those we care about safe and for our region to move forward.”
One of the most important pieces of information used to gauge the status of the pandemic in the area is called the effective reproduction rate, or R number, which refers to the rate at which the virus is spreading. For the Fox Valley region, the R number is approaching 1.6, indicating that right now the region has widespread community transmission.
“Today, our local R Number is higher than it has been at any point since this is all started,” said Frank Mellon, senior innovation executive at ThedaCare. “The stress on our community and our local health care providers is real. We need to get our R number down quickly to get the spread of the virus back under control.”
During the virtual meeting, officials discussed the need for each Fox Valley resident to do everything possible to protect our community by doing what works to stop the spread of the virus: wearing face coverings, avoiding gatherings of people, physical distancing and good hygiene.
“We need to pull together as a community now. Caution-fatigue is real, but so is COVID-19 and its dangerous impact,” said Dr. Mark Cockley, Chief Clinical Officer at ThedaCare. “We need everyone to refocus and recommit to wearing masks, avoid large gatherings and more. We all need to act now.”
For updated safety precautions and more, please visit: https://besafewisconsin.org/
