Guidance for summer group activities is out

Now that spring has come, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), has updated the Staying Safe in Your Community webpage, to include recommendations for fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The webpage now includes guidance for a variety of spring and summer activities, as well as guidelines for attending or hosting gatherings.

“As we start to get back to some of the activities we love this spring and summer, it’s critical we continue following public health best practices,” said DHS deputy secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk. “These are necessary strategies while COVID-19 continues to spread and most of our state is still unvaccinated.”

Van Dijk says people need to continue to wear a mask in public, keep six feet apart from others, get tested if they have symptoms and get vaccinated when able.

New variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID- 19, continue to be identified in the state. Studies show they spread more easily and rapidly than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.

The updated guidance aims to help individuals, businesses and organizations protect themselves, and others, from COVID- 19, by lowering risk when planning or taking part in community activities.

Whether or not someone is fully vaccinated, if someone chooses to attend or host a gathering, there are steps to take to reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19, by the following steps:

• Keep the gathering small, preferably with only one other household.

• Hold the gathering outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

• Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces throughout the gathering.

• Frequently wash hands before and after touching shared surfaces.

• Avoid crowds and large events.

• Avoid gathering if sick or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Guidance for specific activities, such as graduation ceremonies and farmers markets, is also provided on the webpage.