Door County Medical Center officials want you to practice extra caution when visiting your loved ones at the hospital as respiratory illnesses continue to rise across the state.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the overall respiratory illness activity in the state is at the “very high activity level,” with more than 25 percent of emergency department visits having a respiratory illness diagnosis for the weekend ending on January 25th. The rate has been on an upward trajectory since the beginning of September. According to the department's dashboard, influenza is the main culprit in northeast Wisconsin, with the virus listed as “very high activity” and increasing. RSV diagnoses are at the “high activity level,” while COVID-19 is also decreasing from the “moderate activity “level.

As a result, Door County Medical Center is asking for a limit of two people to visit any patient at one time. Visitors are also being asked not to visit patients if they feel sick or have cold-like symptoms like coughing, congestion, and fever. You are encouraged to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer to cover your coughing and sneezing with your elbow or tissue.

The new restrictions went into effect on Wednesday morning.