Weekly Update: March 28, 2022
Ask Your Doctor About COVID-19 Treatments if You Have Symptoms
Treatment for COVID-19 is available through your healthcare provider throughout the state. Oral antiviral medications reduce the chances of severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 and can shorten the length of illness. Oral antivirals Paxlovid and molnupiravir were authorized by the FDA in December 2021. They work by stopping the virus that causes COVID-19 from replicating in your body.
If you are at high risk for severe illness, and develop symptoms, call your doctor to ask if you are eligible to take these treatments.
Being up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines ensures you have the best protection possible against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
To be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you will need to be fully vaccinated and get a booster dose when eligible.
- The primary series includes two doses of Moderna or Pfizer or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
- People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should get an additional primary dose for the best protection.
- Everyone 12 years and older should get a booster dose to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and boost protection against COVID-19.
If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised, you will need to get an additional dose for better protection. Visit CDC's website, call 211, or talk to your health care provider to learn more.
Spring Break COVID-19 Safety
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is encouraging Wisconsinites planning or returning from spring break travels to take simple public health precautions to prevent illness. Although overall COVID-19 case numbers are declining, students and other travelers can still become ill or spread COVID-19 to others. DHS recommends getting tested before traveling and after returning home if you’ve been to a location with high COVID-19 Community Levels. Continuing to layer prevention strategies is essential for staying safe, protecting the most vulnerable in our families and communities, and reducing strain on health care systems in communities across the country.
If Wisconsinites do travel, DHS recommends they know the COVID-19 Community Level of their destination and follow the appropriate precautions. Wisconsinites should not travel if they:
- Have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not completed their isolation period.
- Have recently been exposed to COVID-19 and are recommended to quarantine.
- Are awaiting COVID-19 test results.
Mask wearing is still required on all forms of public U.S transportation. Wisconsinites are also responsible for knowing and complying with all airline and destination requirements. We urge all Wisconsinites to continue to use a combination of COVID-19 prevention strategies, even while traveling, that will allow us to continue to keep our communities safe and healthy.
Two New Bills to Support Healthcare Providers and Patients
Gov. Tony Evers signed two bills to support Wisconsin’s healthcare providers and patients. The first bill signed by Gov. Evers continues the innovative Acute Hospital Care at Home program, which was established during the pandemic to allow hospital services to be provided in a home setting if the federal Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a hospital to provide the hospital-associated service.
Additionally, the governor signed a second bill making it a Class H felony to assault or threaten healthcare providers or staff members and their families.
“We’ve learned critical lessons during this pandemic, including the need to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare, and that includes finding innovative tools to bring quality care right to patients’ doorsteps,” said Gov. Evers. “This pandemic has also underscored the importance of our healthcare workers and all they do to support our families, our communities, and a healthier state, and they deserve to be safe doing their life-saving work.”
$86 Million in Grants to Assist Diverse Businesses
Gov. Tony Evers today awarded more than $86 million in grants to support small businesses in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that have historically had difficulty accessing credit and capital. A list of grant awardees and additional information can be found on the program website (see award announcement).
Wisconsinites can visit BadgerBounceback.wi.gov to view pandemic-related assistance information for families, farmers, businesses, organizations, and communities, as well as the latest data and success stories about how COVID-relief investments are making a difference across the state. For updates on other recovery-related grant opportunities, sign up for the Badger Bounceback update list.
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