by Benjamin Yount
There’s at least one confirmed case of the measles and nearly two dozen confirmed cases of the coronavirus among Afghan refugees at Fort McCoy.
The fort’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Phillips, on Thursday told The Chippewa Herald they identified a case of the measles last Saturday.
“Since the identification of the case, no other guests have been diagnosed with measles,” Phillips told the paper. “The rapid response at Fort McCoy reflects careful preparation and strong interagency collaboration aimed at meeting the needs of our guests, including the management of infectious disease.”
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services referred The Center Square’s questions about the measles case, as well as questions about coronavirus vaccinations to Gov. Tony Evers’ office.
DHS has said in the past, however, that it is providing the coronavirus vaccine as well as other “critical immunizations” to the refugees currently staying at Fort McCoy. At last count, Phillips said there were fewer than two dozen confirmed coronavirus cases.
Phillips said anyone who has tested positive for either the coronavirus or the measles is being isolated and quarantined.
But so too are the people who were exposed to both. Phillips did not have a count as to just how many of those people are in quarantine.
The confirmation of the measles case came the same day as word from the Wisconsin National Guard as to just how many refugees are coming to the state.
Commanders on Thursday said 90 planes full of refugees have arrived at Wisconsin’s Volk Field, and were then transferred to Fort McCoy. The National Guard says Fort McCoy is ready to handle as many as 13,000 refugees as part of what they are calling Operation Allies Welcome.
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Benjamin Yount is a contributor at The Center Square.
Photo “Fort McCoy US Army” by Jonathunder. CC BY-SA 3.0.
