Coronavirus Update From Village Of Whitefish Bay Leaders

Press Release From the Village of Whitefish Bay:

Posted on March 14, 2020

Dear North Shore residents:

We reach out as the chief executive officers of our seven communities. In the last few days, we are operating under states of emergency at the national, state and county level. Each of our municipalities are also in the process of issuing city and village states of emergency.

We want to offer assurances and best practice recommendations to our residents.

COVID-19 is a global pandemic. It is spreading quickly, and the intensity of this virus is more severe than the flu or pneumonia. Our aging populations are at increased risk with this virus.

As you know, travel has been restricted around the globe. Local schools are closed for a four-week period. Libraries are closed, sporting and entertainment events and venues are closed, and many workplaces are trying to conduct their business from remote locations.

In addition to the many recommendations you are seeing about washing hands, disinfecting surfaces and bathrooms, and maintain social distance, we want to offer some additional recommendations to allow our local municipal governments to remain open and offer services.

You can obtain accurate and timely information about local resources at these sites:http://www.nshealthdept.org/CommunicableDiseas…/COVID19.aspx

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm

We are encouraging ALL of our residents to request an absentee ballot for the April 7 election. Voting through the mail reduces public contact with our poll workers, many of whom are elderly retirees. You can request a ballot here: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ Please do so as soon as possible. It takes time for a ballot to be mailed to you and for you to mail it back. While you have until April 2 to request a ballot, the possibility of receiving it and having it be received back in the municipality by Election Day is not guaranteed the closer we get to April 2.

Please limit visits to City Hall and Village Halls. All of our communities operate with very small city and village staff. We need to ensure that they remain healthy in order to continue to provide vital municipal services. You can pay utility bills online or through the mail. Tax payments can be mailed and receipts will be sent to you. Please utilize our various municipal websites to obtain information, or call city and village halls, before coming in for information and services.

https://www.bayside-wi.gov/

https://www.browndeerwi.org/

https://www.villageoffoxpoint.com/

http://glendale-wi.gov/

https://riverhillswi.com/

https://www.villageofshorewood.org/

https://www.wfbvillage.org/

Lastly, please make sure that you are checking on your neighbors—particularly your aging neighbors—to make sure that they have adequate food and supplies. Offer to do their grocery shopping for them or run errands for them so that they can limit contact in large public spaces. Collaborate as neighbors on childcare and other day-to-day errands and chores.

Our goal as local leaders is to work with county, state and national leaders to ensure that this virus is contained as quickly as possible, that exposures in our communities are limited, and that we can return to “normal” life as soon as the situation allows.

This press release was produced by the Village of Whitefish Bay. The views expressed here are the author’s own.