UPDATE: Fond du Lac County campgrounds can reopen, with restrictions

FRIDAY 4/17/2020 10:50 a.m.

FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – Campgrounds in Fond du Lac County will be able to reopen after the county’s public health officer issued an order rescinding a previous order closing camgrounds.

Under the latest Fond du Lac County Public Health Order, Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says the April 7 order closing the campgrounds will end at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 24.

Campgrounds in the county will then be allowed to remain open as long as the following restrictions are followed:

• Those on the campgrounds practice social distancing, maintaining six feet between each other at all times
• The use of buildings or public spaces that would encourage social gatherings of any number of people will be prohibited
• All campsites must be limited to members of a single household or living unit. All other private gatherings of any number of people are prohibited.
• The cleaning frequency of shared bathrooms, laundry facilities, and shower buildings must be increased.

Mueller says this order will remain in effect as long as Governor Tony Evers’ latest Safer at Home order is in effect. Currently, that latest order is in effect until May 26.

Original Story: Fond du Lac County to close campgrounds under new order from public health officer

TUESDAY 4/7/2020 12:59 p.m.

FOND DU LAC CO., Wis. (WFRV) – All Fond du Lac County campgrounds have been ordered to close by Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller.

According to Mueller, the order to close the campgrounds has been enacted for mutltiple reasons:

• They bring in people from outside of Fond du Lac County
• By bringing more people into the county, it puts a greater strain on local stores for supplies and groceries
• Causes groups of greater than 10 to congregate, violating the Safer At Home order
• Reduces the ability for people to properly social distance

Mueller says this order will remain in effect until Governor Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order is in effect. Currently, the ‘Safer at Home’ order remains in effect until April 24, but could be extended on Gov. Evers’ instruction.

Campgrounds are considered essential housing under Gov. Evers’ order. Many, like De Pere’s Apple Creek Campground, are housing essential workers such as healthcare workers.

As of Monday, April 6, there have been over 40 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Fond du Lac County. Of those, 29 are considered recovered. In Wisconsin, 2,440 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.