Changes to COVID-19 Reporting Requirements for Wisconsin Hospitals and Health Departments

DHS Logo Original 07/11/2018

COVID-19

Changes to COVID-19 Reporting Requirements for Wisconsin Hospitals and Health Departments

COVID-19 remains a Category I Reportable Condition in Wisconsin, which means health care providers and/or laboratories must report confirmed or suspected cases to the Department of Health Services (DHS) within 24 hours of detection.

This memo from State Health Officer Jeanne Ayers and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Westergaard outlines new reporting requirements and allows for waivers of some of the mechanisms by which COVID-19 should be reported to local health departments.

  • Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and deaths due to COVID-19 are now required to be reported to DHS.
  • DHS is now waiving the requirement for notifying local health departments by telephone of suspected and confirmed cases. Cases should be reported electronically through the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS), or by fax to the patient’s local health department.
  • EMResource is the system being used by the state to collect information about hospital bed occupancy, ventilators, and personal protective equipment each day.