OMRO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A spike in coronavirus cases in Omro is leading to the high school canceling in-person classes for at least a week and county health leaders urging people to be tested.
The Winnebago County Health Department says high school students gathering outside the school day appears to be a driver of new cases. Some of those cases are related to sports and extracurricular activities, while others are related to other gatherings in the community, the health department says.
“With so many families now (affected) it is important to alert the community as a whole of the increased risk of exposure to COVID-19,” Doug Gieryn, director/health officer for Winnebago County Public Health Department, said in a news release. “We commend the School District of Omro for rapidly identifying and responding to the spike in cases.”
As of Tuesday, Omro High School had at least 12 students infected, 20 total cases and 170 close contacts. Additional cases were expected as the county worked on contact tracing. Cases in the city were about 30% higher than the average rate.
“The Omro community needs to pull together now to slow transmission by following public health guidelines that include testing, masking, following quarantine guidelines and avoiding gatherings with people outside of your household,” Linda Kutchenriter, Administrator-Treasurer for the City of Omro, said in a news release.
The county health department recommends testing for anyone who was exposed or had close contact with someone who has tested positive. Those who were exposed should wait at least four days before being tested.
