COVID-19

Weekly Verification for Data on DHS Facility-Wide Investigations COVID-19 Page

Beginning on Wednesday, August 24, facility-wide investigations will include a new category, “Educational facility.” Educational facilities include schools, colleges, universities, and child day care centers. During previous weeks these facility types were included in the “Other setting” category. The updated setting descriptions below will be reflected on our facility-wide investigations webpage when data are updated on Wednesday at 2pm.

A single confirmed case in the following setting initiates a facility-wide public health investigation:

• Long-term care facilities include skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes) and assisted living facilities (community-based residential facilities and residential care apartment complexes).

Two or more confirmed cases in the following settings initiate a facility-wide public health investigation:

• Group housing facilities include correctional facilities, homeless shelters, dormitories, and group homes.
• Health care facilities include hospitals, clinics, dialysis centers, hospice, and in-home care.
• Workplace (non-health care) settings include manufacturing and production facilities, distribution facilities, offices, and other indoor workplaces.
• Educational facilities include schools, colleges, universities, and child day care centers.
• Other settings include adult day care centers, restaurants, event spaces, and religious settings.

On May 13, DHS began listing nursing homes that have at least one case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member. Only facilities that have greater than 10 beds and an active investigation will be listed.

An active investigation in nursing home is defined as one or more positive case, regardless of whether the case is a staff or resident. An investigation is considered closed, and the facility removed from this list, 28 days after the last positive employee worked during their infectious period or the last confirmed resident was identified and placed in isolation. Only nursing homes with an active investigation will be listed by name at this time. You can confirm that your long-term care facility is listed as a nursing home by searching on the DQA Provider Search.

Detailed WEDSS close out instructions can be found on the PCA portal on the COVID-19 dashboard.

DHS will continue to also list cumulative investigations by county.

DHS is requesting that LHDs verify their investigation counts and nursing homes with confirmed COVID cases by 9 AM on September 2. Outbreak investigations that were entered into WEDSS and had at least one or two confirmed cases linked (depending on setting) as of 9 PM on August 30 will be included on the list.

To verify investigation counts and nursing home names follow these steps:

• Go to the COVID-19 dashboard on the PCA portal.
• Under Local and Tribal Health Department Resources, open the document “LHD to verify - Investigation Counts and Nursing Home List 8.31"
• On the “Investigation Counts by County” tab review the number of investigations by county for your jurisdiction.
  1. If the numbers are correct, please write “verified” in the “LHD verified and comments”
  2. If the number seems incorrect, please provide comments in the “LHD verified and comments” field, and we will review the comments and make appropriate corrections. Please include the WEDSS IDs of any outbreak investigations you think should be included or deleted.
  3. Only comments in the “LHD verified and comments” field will be addressed. Please do not edit other fields.
• The “Investigation List-NOT Posting” Tab is a list of all outbreak investigations included in the aggregate outbreak counts. It does not need to be reviewed but can be used as a resource if you want to see what outbreaks and investigations are being included in the aggregate counts.
• The “Nursing Home List-For Posting” Tab has a list of all nursing homes that have a confirmed COVID-19 case in a resident or staff member. Please review the list of facilities in your
  1. If the facility is correct, please write “verified” on the “LHD verified and comments”
  2. If the facility has met the met the 28 day requirement described above to be closed, please write verified and closed in the LHD comments field.
  3. If the facility name is incorrect please provide corrections in the “LHD verified and comments” field, and we will review the comments and make appropriate corrections. Any facility where the outbreak has been “Sent to State” in WEDSS should say “closed” in the LHD comments list. If a facility is not “Sent to State” or have “closed” in the “LHD comments” field, the facility will be listed publicly.
  4. If a facility name is missing, please provide the facility name and WEDSS Outbreak ID (6-digit number) in the comments column.
  5. Only comments in the “LHD verified and comments” field will be addressed. Please do not edit other fields.
• While you are editing this document, others will not be able to make changes. Be sure to press “save” and close the document after making changes. Please do not leave the document open for longer than necessary.

If you have questions or are unable to edit the document in the PCA Portal, please email questions or edits to dhscdesoutbreaks@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Please do not respond to this email. If you have COVID-19 related questions that are not related to facility-wide investigations, please email DHSLTHDResponse@wi.gov.