MADISON, WI (WSAU) –A statewide mandate requiring face coverings when in an enclosed, public space has been issued by Governor Tony Evers.
Executive Order #82 declares a public health emergency due to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus and requires face coverings for anyone spending time indoors in a place that’s not a private residence.
“While our local health departments have been doing a heck of a job responding to this pandemic in our communities, the fact of the matter is, this virus doesn’t care about any town, city, or county boundary, and we need a statewide approach to get Wisconsin back on track,” said Gov. Evers. “We’ve said all along that we’re going to let science and public health experts be our guide in responding to this pandemic, and we know that masks and face coverings will save lives. While I know emotions are high when it comes to wearing face coverings in public, my job as governor is to put people first and to do what’s best for the people of our state, so that’s what I am going to do.”
The order takes effect at midnight on August 1st and runs through September 28th. Both Evers and DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm noted that the state has continued to see a significant increase in cases each day, and many of those are coming from outside the Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay areas.
“The data is what drives our decisions, and that data tells us we have significant community spread in Wisconsin and need to take statewide action,” Palm. “Community spread means that any interaction out in the community can mean exposure and because people can spread COVID-19 without symptoms or even knowing they are sick, we need to take universal precautions in order for wearing face coverings to be effective.”
The first week of July saw an average of just over 660 new cases each day being reported statewide. That number has increased to a daily average of 938 for the week of July 22nd-26th.
Evers had previously suggested he was considering a statewide face mask mandate back on July 24th but said he was holding back because he wasn’t sure if he had the ability to do so with an executive order. His previous order relating to COVID-19, the Safer at Home order which shut down or limited the capacity of some businesses, was shot down by the state Supreme Court.
