Waukesha County Exec Paul Farrow Tests Positive For Coronavirus

WAUKESHA, WI — The coronavirus cases in Wisconsin are continuing to climb as a Waukesha County elected official tests positive for the coronavirus. County Executive Paul Farrow announced on Friday he has tested positive.

There were 3,861 new coronavirus cases reported on Friday by the state Department of Health Services, an increase from 3,747 on Thursday. To date, more than 166,000 people have tested positive and 1,574 have died. The seven-day average for new cases was 3,052, marking the first time it had topped 3,000. There was also a record-high 1,043 people hospitalized as of Thursday.

Farrow made the following statement:

“Last week, a member of my household developed COVID-19 symptoms and subsequently tested positive for the virus. As soon as they told me they were feeling ill, I self-quarantined and began working from home to avoid the possibility of spreading the virus in the community. A few days later, I also developed mild symptoms and was contact traced. Today I received a positive COVID-19 test.

“I have followed the recommendations of the CDC and utilized Waukesha County's Public Health infrastructure to stop the spread of COVID-19 outside of my household. The simple tools of self-quarantining, testing, and contact tracing are extremely effective, and I encourage all residents to use them if they begin feeling sick in order to protect our most vulnerable friends and family members from this virus.

“Everyone should follow Waukesha County’s “Stay Safe to Stay Open” guidelines, by protecting the vulnerable, staying home when sick, social distancing, wearing a mask, and following CDC best practices.

“Residents should also be certain to get a flu shot this year to minimize risks from that virus, as well as to reduce the burden on health care resources that are dedicated to managing the pandemic.

“I am thankful for the support of the community and look forward to a full recovery. I will isolate until that time.”