Door County followed the state’s lead on Friday morning, issuing a public health advisory regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Signed by Door County Public Health Director Sue Powers and unanimously approved by the Door County Board of Supervisors in a special meeting on Friday, the advisory highlights the area being listed at a critically high activity level and offers mitigation strategies such as staying at home when possible, social distancing and masking. The three-page document says without taking the proper precautions, Door County could suffer from “more unnecessary illness, vulnerability from an overwhelmed health care system, and insecurity from an unstable economy.”

While Door County allows the local health officer to issue a directive if guidelines are not followed, the advisory is not intended to be independently enforced. The advisory is different than the public health order that was enacted and later rescinded at the end of May. Governor Tony Evers issued a similar health advisory last week. During a media briefing earlier this week, Door County Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Heise said the area has seen approximately 85 percent of its total positive cases since the beginning of September. You can see the full advisory by clicking on this link.