CDC Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Quarantine

On December 2, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on how long a person should quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19. “Quarantine” keeps someone who has been in close contact with a known COVID-19 case away from others to prevent the spread of the virus. The CDC’s current […]

Dane County Public Health Emergency Order #10

UPDATE 11/22/20 On November 20, 2020 PHMDC amended the definition of “mass gathering” under Amended Emergency Order #10. A mass gathering is now “any gathering of individuals that are not members of the same household or living unit.” UPDATE 11/17/20 Starting Wednesday, November 18, in Dane County, all indoor mass gatherings are banned and all […]

Employee Holiday Travel during COVID-19

Traditionally, November and December are months when employees take more time off to travel and/or spend time with family and friends for holidays. This year, employers and employees need to consider the health risks involved in traveling and group gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reality is that employees’ increased exposure to COVID-19 can […]

Governor Evers Recommends Continued COVID Mitigation Efforts

On November 10, 2020, Governor Evers presented a public address and signed Executive Order #94, strongly advising that all residents and businesses continue following stringent COVID-mitigation efforts. While this order has no enforcement capability, it serves as a reminder to minimize interactions outside of households. For businesses, it provides no new restrictions, but it reiterates […]

Employees Must Notify Their Employers of Positive COVID-19 Result

According to a November 4, 2020 blog post, Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) will no longer notify employers that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 unless the employee works for a school, or a childcare, healthcare, or congregate living facility. Instead, employees are responsible for notifying their employer if they tested positive, and […]

Close Contact in the Workplace: Think 6-15-24-48

The CDC has updated its definition of “close contact” and it is now referred to as the “6-15-24-48 analysis.” The updated guidance defines a “close contact” as someone who was: within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from two days (48 hours) […]

OSHA Issues Guidance on Reporting Work-Related COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths

On September 30, 2020, OSHA published new guidance on employers’ obligations to report employee in-patient hospitalizations and fatalities resulting from work-related cases of COVID-19. Employers must report hospitalizations with 24 hours: In order to be reportable, an employee’s in-patient hospitalization due to COVID-19 must occur within 24 hours of exposure to the virus at work. […]

Wisconsin Judge Reinstates Emergency Order Restricting Indoor Gatherings

Update 11/06/2020 The Governor’s Emergency Order #3, which limited indoor gatherings throughout Wisconsin, expired on November 6, 2020. On the same day, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that a lower court should have issued an injunction blocking enforcement of the Emergency Order. Update 10/26/2020 The statewide indoor capacity restrictions in Emergency Order #3 are not […]

Statewide Limits on Indoor Public Gatherings

On October 14, 2020, a Sawyer County district court temporarily blocked Governor Evers administration’s Emergency Order #3, which limits indoor public gatherings statewide. The Court will hear arguments on Monday, October 19, to decide whether to issue a permanent injunction that would permanently block enforcement of Emergency Order #3, unless a higher court overrules that […]

WI Emergency Order #3 – Statewide Limits on Indoor Public Gatherings

Indoor public gatherings are limited statewide starting on October 8, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. and ending on November 6, 2020 under Emergency Order #3. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm issued the order on October 6, 2020. Emergency Order #3 restricts “public gatherings” to 25% or less of the established indoor […]