State setting up voluntary coronavirus isolation facilities in Madison, Milwaukee

The state will be opening voluntary coronavirus isolation facilities in Milwaukee and Madison, Gov. Tony Evers' administration announced Tuesday.

The sites at a Super 8 hotel in Milwaukee and in the Lowell Center in Madison will open Wednesday and will be run by the state. 

The facilities will be for people with symptoms who are suspected of being infected with the virus or who have confirmed but mild cases, state officials said.

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The Super 8 location on South Howell Avenue by Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport has capacity for 110 people while the Lowell Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has space for 137.

"As we think about flattening the curve and how our goal in this pandemic is to keep the number of people who need a hospital bed lower than the number of hospital beds available, these isolation sites are a critical component to that," Julie Willems Van Dijk, Wisconsin Department of Health Services deputy secretary, said during a call with reporters Tuesday afternoon. 

She said these are places people can go to protect those around them from contracting the disease. They're also locations where people who were using a hospital bed can be discharged if they are homeless or live in a congregate setting such as a dorm or group home that wouldn't be safe to return to.

These are not medical facilities, however. People staying in the facilities will take care of themselves and there will not be nursing or medical resources. Food, security and fresh linens will be provided. 

Those who need further medical care can let staff know and will be connected to that care. 

The Wisconsin National Guard will be helping to staff the facilities but security will be provided by private security firms or "other state assets," she said.

At this point, no patients have spots reserved in either facility.  

Willems Van Dijk said she didn’t have figures for the capacity at hospitals in Madison and Milwaukee, the number of coronavirus patients and the number of available beds, in particular in intensive care units. She said the state is updating its data system to collect that information and anticipated it would be available in coming days.

“I can tell you we have not heard concerns from any hospital that they are reaching capacity at this point in time,” she said.

State officials don’t know what capacity will ultimately be needed in the isolation facilities. 

“If we fill up very quickly, then I think we’ll work with our partners to identify additional isolation facilities,” Willems Van Dijk said. “If we don’t, we’ll continue to monitor for the ongoing need for each of these facilities.”

People will stay at the facility voluntarily and are expected to be there about 14 days or three days after their symptoms dissipate. They will only be allowed to register at the facilities if they’ve been referred by a medical provider or public health official, according to a statement from Evers’ office.

People who stay at the facilities will be checked on by phone every four hours during the day and will be checked on at night, if needed. 

On Sunday, Milwaukee area officials announced they were opening an “isolation facility” at Clare Hall on the grounds of the Saint Francis de Sales Seminary to provide temporary shelter for people experiencing housing instability who have coronavirus symptoms or who face the most risk from the virus’ spread.

Contact Alison Dirr at 414-224-2383 or adirr@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonDirr.