COVID-19 Community Updates

City of Whitewater Reopening Local Government Plan (PDF) as of May 29, 2020.

The City of Whitewater has created a reopening plan including phases to reopen facilities and programs in a safe manner for both employees and the community.

The plan will be updated regularly on the city website as new information is made available.

“The plan outlines our operations moving forward,” said City Manager, Cameron Clapper. “However, because new information comes out regularly regarding COVID-19, we expect that the plan will be updated regularly.”

In order to observe physical distancing practices, the City continues to have a number of employees working remotely. While the Municipal Building is open, meetings with specific department staff members, including directors, should be scheduled in advance.

All service counters will be open for those wishing to pay a bill, submit/request a permit application, or register to vote in person. Staff will also be available to respond to emails and voicemails. City staff will continue to keep the lines of communication open and encourage the community to reach out as needed.

May 26, 2020- Key COVID-19 Updates for the Whitewater Community

View the flyer listed above with details about COVID-19 Testing available in Jefferson County May 27th through May 30th.

Rental Assistance: Last week Gov. Tony Evers announced the launch of a $25 million Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program for Wisconsinites who have experienced income loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program will provide direct financial assistance for rent and security deposits for eligible individuals. The effort is funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Adult Wisconsin residents with a household income at or below 80 percent of the county median income are eligible. Eligible individuals may receive assistance of up to $3,000 in a combination of rental payments and/or security deposits. These payments will be paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant. More details, including, application requirements and the distribution process for the rental assistance, will be shared in the upcoming days. More details.

May 22, 2020- Key COVID-19 Updates for the Whitewater Community

New or Updated Resources for Whitewater Residents

Key Updates - 5/19/20

Community Testing

• Individuals who were tested at a national guard run testing facility need to contact the public health office in the jurisdiction where they reside for their test results. Test results are only provided to the health department in the jurisdiction in which you reside.

Large Gatherings

• DHS has published an update on their Avoid Illness page regarding guidance for large gatherings.

• Walworth County has guidance for events in the reopening blue print under entertainment and venues. This guidance focuses on limiting crowd size based on size of the venue and the type of event. It also provides guidance on other aspects of hosting an event that should be considered.

Business

• Gov. Evers released a $75 million grant program to assist businesses in reopening safely. View the press release here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/28c2d0c

Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF)

• DHS and Walworth County continue to recommend that LTCF maintain strict guidelines for visitors, staffing management, and use of PPE. Residents in LTCF remain our most vulnerable and protecting them is a priority.

• View DHS guidance for LTCF here: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/ltc.htm

Key Updates – 5/20/20

Increased Testing

• Mass testing of residents and staff in multiple long term care facilities has commenced in Walworth County. This along with community testing and pre-operative testing will continue to increase the number of cases identified in our community.

• The most important measure of success is not the total number of cases but the number of patients hospitalized and our health care system’s capacity to provide care.

• Our health care systems remain strong and committed to serving Walworth County.

DHS Recommendations

• DHS has added recommendations for summer camps to their Schools Page

• Recommendations for youth sports has been added to the DHS Community Page

• DHS added recommendations for large gatherings on their Avoid Illness Page

Funding Announcements

• Governor Ever’s office has announced funding on many different topics including rental assistance and economic stimulus. View all the press releases here: https://evers.wi.gov/Pages/Newsroom/Press-Releases.aspx

Key Updates – 5/21/20

Data

• Walworth County Information Systems has been working hard to create visuals of the demographic data related to our COVID-19 positive cases.

• Stay tuned as this data should be published to the HUB site in the next week or so

Reopening Businesses

• The Walworth County Reopening Blueprint is now available in Spanish: https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/856/COVID-19

• WEDC has released a series of videos targeted for business safe reopening. View the Focus Forward videos here: https://wedc.org/focus-forward/updates/

Foodshare

• DHS has worked with a number of retailers and Foodshare to expand the ability for individuals to use their benefits to order groceries online. View the press release here: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/releases/052120.htm

	Walworth County	Jefferson County	Rock County
Positive Tests (Confirmed) Cases	316	67	493
Negative Tests	2,279	1,908	4,708
Currently Hospitalized	2 cases	25% of cases	20% of cases
Isolating at Home	83 cases	-	-
Cases Recovered	220	37	81
Deaths*	11	2	14

May 15, 2020- Key COVID-19 Updates for the Whitewater Community

Municipal Facility Closures

Though the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the Governor’s Safer At Home order (Order #28), many of the practices outlined in the Governor’s order were of significant value in protecting the health and safety of employees. Because the dangers associated with the spread of COVID-19 remain, the City of Whitewater will continue with modified operations until further notice. As a result, municipal facilities will remain closed to the public until further notice. This standard will be reevaluated on or before June 1, 2020. Any updates or changes will be provided publicly via this page as well as the City’s other media outlets.

May 14, 2020- Key COVID-19 Updates for the Whitewater Community

View the May 14, 2020 press release from City Manager, Cameron Clapper in reference to the changes made to the Safer at Home Emergency Order #28.

March 31, 2020- SBA Paycheck Protection Program

To All Whitewater Businesses:

Please see the below information regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which was signed into law by President Trump on Friday (March 27th). Special thanks to Knight Public Affairs for assembling this information.

Individuals with questions should contact their preferred lender for more details.

The CARES Act will put the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses and nonprofits into action.

The SBA is finalizing the regulations and requirements for the PPP and banks are waiting for guidance on how to move forward, however it is important for you to get with your lender now to be prepared in every way you can.

The documents below will help you begin the process:

CARES Act FAQs

Small Business Owners Guide to the CARES Act

Here are more COVID-19 procedures and announcements that may be helpful to you:

DOR Tax Filing Deadline Extension

DOT Rest Areas Remain Open

OCI Guidance on Insurance Flexibility

DATCP Guidance for Food Supply and Delivery

DOT Emissions Testing Timeline

DWD Unemployment Information

DFI Federally Insured Financial Institutions

DPI Updates