By City Times staff

WOOD COUNTY – The Wood County Health Department held its second drive-through event on June 2; this one at the fairgrounds in Marshfield, where members of the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard performed nasal-swab testing.

With a number of COVID-19 cases surrounding the Marshfield area, Wood County Health Department Public Information Officer and Community Health Planner Kristie Egge said it was important to hold the event now, to see if the virus was spreading into the city.

Egge said:

Egge said the initial turnout was higher than what officials expected, and higher than what they saw at a similar testing event on May 9 in Wisconsin Rapids.

She added:

Egge said the timing of the event coincides with several parts of the economy opening back up, and also an increase in available test kits.

She explained:

Wood County has had a total of 10 cases of COVID-19. One individual has died, eight individuals have recovered and one person is currently recovering. But despite the lack of a massive outbreak, Egge cautions against mass gatherings.

As far as wearing masks and social distancing, Egge says she doesn’t see things returning to normal for quite some time, but thinks we can find a new normal—and those practices should be part of that.