Area COVID-19 activity is back down after a surge that started in late July, however "waves of cases" are expected to continue and Monroe Truck Equipment is the latest business to shut down due to an outbreak.
The company, which employs 500 in Monroe, reported its first positive COVID-19 cases on Sept. 3 in a news release.
"Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our employees and their families, we have made the decision to close our Monroe, WI facility today, sending all employees to be tested and while also deep-cleaning our facility," Monroe Truck Equipment announced.
The company plans to reopen Sept. 8.
Six employees have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, said Brittni Ackley, director of human resources.
Monroe Truck Equipment has six locations across four states and is headquartered in Monroe. The facility at 1051 W. 7th St. is about 350,000 square feet under cover on 70 total acres.
Monroe Truck Equipment reports it was notified of a positive case among employees at the Monroe facility during the last week of August and "immediately identified individuals in contact with the initial case, isolated them and sent them for testing," coordinating case management with Green County Public Health.
"Most importantly, we are relieved to report the employees affected by this are recovering well," the news release stated.
The company started taking "many proactive and protective measures" starting in March to avoid and contain virus contact, including social distancing, mask compliance, continuous cleaning, limited travel and customer access and work-from-home rotations for office employees.
Masks were provided to employees starting in March and have been mandatory since Gov. Tony Evers' mask mandate went into effect Aug. 1, Ackley said. Employees working at a distance outdoors or in a ventilated shop with open doors aren't required to wear masks.
The outbreak at Monroe Truck Equipment will be the tenth outbreak recorded in Green County to trigger a facility-wide public health investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. These outbreaks range in size from one employee at a nursing home to nearly two dozen cases in a larger workplace setting.
COVID-19 activity on the decline
Green County's COVID-19 activity level remains at high, however the trajectory as of Sept. 2 was trending downward. Activity level is measured by the state based on overall caseload and case trajectory.
On Sept. 1, Green County reported no new cases in a single day for the first time since late July. As of Sept. 3, the county recorded 276 total cases, with 16 active. One person was reported as hospitalized.
Green County has had one documented COVID-19 death, reported in June. Lafayette County has not reported any COVID-19 deaths.
Lafayette County reported 187 total cases as of Sept. 1, with just one active case. Weeks earlier there were dozens of active cases, and the county's total cases doubled between late July and late August.
The recent decrease in active cases has brought Lafayette County's activity level down to medium. It is one of just eight Wisconsin counties with a medium activity level. The rest are rated at high.
Elizabeth Townsend, director of Lafayette County Health Department, speculated that community behavior played a role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
"I can only guess that it is because more people are masking while out and about. At first there was some resistance to the masking, but I think that recent uptick in cases may have been a wake-up call for many," Townsend said.
She encouraged the community to keep up safety precautions.
"I think we will continue to see waves of cases throughout the pandemic, especially with school starting soon. It will be important for people to continue to mask, social distance and avoid large social gatherings," she said.
Some of the recent cases were linked to a large social gathering, she said, but the rest were mostly community spread — meaning the infected person reported no known exposure to COVID-19 — or confined to a household.
Lafayette County has had seven outbreaks that initiated Department of Health Services facility-wide public health investigations. These include outbreaks among staff at Lafayette Manor and attendees of an ATV fundraising ride and at a food processing facility where 135 employees were tested.
Townsend did not respond to emails seeking information on the other four outbreaks.
As of Aug. 27 she said no Lafayette County residents were hospitalized. Typical recovery time for those infected in Lafayette County has been 10 days, she said, "but in serious cases we have seen up to a month to recover."
Winter worries
RoAnn Warden, director of Green County Public Health, said she is concerned about the risk of new infections as colder weather approaches and more activities move indoors, where research shows COVID-19 spreads most easily.
"And then to have flu season on top of it. ... It's very concerning," she said.
Green County Public Health is cautioning people to "protect yourself and others by avoiding confined and crowded spaces."
"Someone with COVID-19 can be infectious two days before they begin feeling symptoms, meaning they could feel great while they're around other people but could be exposing those other people to COVID-19. ... If you do have to be in a confined or crowded space, be sure to wear a mask, try to stay 6 feet away from others if you can, and to wash your hands," the agency posted to its Facebook page recently.
Community-wide testing for COVID-19 is being held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16 at the Ames Road Multi-Purpose Building, 11974 Ames Rd., Darlington.
