JANESVILLE (WKOW) -- Rock County will move back to Phase One of its reopening plan that recommends tightening restrictions in the face of a pandemic that has dramatically worsened over the past six weeks.
The return to Phase One was announced Monday in a press release from Rock County Public Health.
Public health officials laid out bullet points covering some of the major changes to expect as a result of the return to Phase One.
These are some of the main recommendations in the plan:
- Everyone should avoid gatherings of any size between individuals who are not members of the same living unit or household.
- Public and private gatherings, festivals, carnivals, fairs, concerts, parades, and contact/team sports should not take place.
- Schools should provide virtual options and flexibility to shift to virtual and transition to virtual school for a minimum of 2 weeks after any holiday or seasonal extended break.
- Libraries, faith-based services, office settings, restaurants, bars, retail establishments, service establishments, community centers, shopping malls, auctions, gym/recreational facilities, pools, and places of amusement should limit capacity to 25%.
- Salons, body art facilities, pet groomers, and spas should not allow walk-in clients.
- Outdoor playgrounds and garage/rummage sales should be limited to ten people or less.
As reasoning for the move, Rock County Public Health pointed to several dire statistics as reasoning for the change.
Thirty percent of all COVID-19 cases confirmed in the county since the pandemic began were reported in the past 16 days, affecting 2,364 people.
In October, Rock County saw more positive cases than among all previous months combined.
Fourteen people in Rock County have died from COVID-19 since Nov. 1.
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