A statement from Wright County Administrator Lee Kelly:

The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in many changes to the daily lives of our residents. With the first confirmed case of COVID-19 identified in Wright County, we want to inform our residents that the county has been prepared for this moment.

Wright County Public Health has been our lead agent in this preparation process. Staff has been tracking the spread of COVID-19 for the last two months and is in preparedness and response mode in the event that additional cases are identified in Wright County. Our Public Health Division has been in direct contact with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) on a daily basis and is following the guidance being put forth by MDH, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the World Health Organization.

As most already know, in an attempt to lessen the potential of a large outbreak, numerous events have been cancelled or postponed and many schools and businesses have promoted social distancing and limiting visitors. However, county government needs to remain operational and we are taking the steps necessary to keep Wright County government running through this constantly-evolving situation.

Wright County has a Continuity of Operations Plan in place that deals specifically with situations like this. County departments have been preparing for how their offices will function in the event of having a shorthanded work force to provide the services of their departments. Employees have been told that, if they are sick, they should not come to work and risk the spread of infection to their co-workers and the public. We are also adhering to the guidance from Wright County Public Health and the Minnesota Department of Health concerning prevention techniques to lessen an individual’s risk of acquiring the virus.

This is a fluid situation that changes daily and hourly with more questions than answers at this point. While the sincere hope is that the outbreak is very limited in Minnesota, preparation has been going on for the last several weeks to determine how Wright County will remain operational during this time. That planning will better help us deal with the issues that may arise in the coming weeks, but we want to assure our communities that the county is mobilizing its efforts to maintain the services that residents have come to expect, demand and deserve.

To see the release issued this afternoon by Wright County Public Health, click here: http://www.co.wright.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/19004/Wright-County-COVID-19-Update-3132020