Wisconsin works to keep schools safe and open

Keeping Kids Safe and In School, a statewide multimedia campaign that focuses on ways to keep Wisconsin children healthy and in the classroom was launched. Keeping Kids Safe and In School raises awareness, and promotes good public health safety practices for school-aged children and their families.

Included in those practices, are getting children five and older vaccinated; wearing a well-fitting mask at school, as well as other public, indoor spaces; and staying home from school when sick.

It will also include videos from Wisconsin doctors, urging vaccination in children. As the Omicron variant continues to surge through Wisconsin, children under 18 years old continue to represent the highest number of new confirmed cases. This age group also represents more than one-fifth of new confirmed cases since the end of August 2021.

There are available programs continuing to provide COVID-19 testing to Wisconsinites, including community testing sites, a K-12 testing program, support for childcare testing, testing programs in shelters, longterm care facilities, jails and pharmacies, and a service to distribute free at-home testing supplies.

In addition, the state has distributed more than 5.4 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) since the beginning of the year, with 5.4 million N95/KN95 respirator masks distributed to over 130 different locations across Wisconsin since the start of January.

As part of these distribution efforts, more than 533,000 masks have been distributed to school districts across the state.