by Kevin Zimmermann
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WI (WHBL) – When the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the extension of the “Safer at Home” executive order was unconstitutional and void, it was left to counties and municipalities to implement their own rules.
In response, Sheboygan County Chairman of the Board Vernon Koch and County Administrator Adam Payne released guidance that will be detailed tomorrow for a county plan to reopen called “Sheboygan County Safe Restart Recommendations”. The plan, according to the joint statement, is based on federal and state guidance to slow the spread of COVID-19 and bring back our economy by using data-driven information designed to safely reopen businesses and organizations throughout the county.
The Sheboygan County Division of Public Health recommendations include:
● If businesses or organizations choose to open, they should implement the WEDC Guidelines
● Practice good hygiene and social distancing
● Disinfect frequently used items and surfaces as much as possible
● Strongly consider using cloth face coverings while in public, and particularly when using mass transit
● People who feel sick must stay at home
● Phased-in capacity limits within non-essential businesses
● People over the age of 60, and those who are medically vulnerable, should continue to shelter at home or avoid interacting with others
● Online education and remote work are encouraged
As for the numbers, the daily release from the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health reports another positive test return for COVID-19 among the 35 persons tested. 70 cases have now been recorded and 10 of those are still active. Another 4 persons recovered since yesterday, and 1 person is hospitalized with the disease.
Even as Wisconsin reverberates from yesterday’s State Supreme Court ruling that found the extension of Governor Evers’ “Safer at Home” emergency order unconstitutional, the pandemic at the center of the drama continues its slow progression through the Badger State. Wisconsin’s 72 counties and hundreds of municipalities were sent hurrying to implement local rules to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the absence of an umbrella order from the state.
5,860 tests were administered statewide in the last 24-hours, a new daily record, and 6.4% of those returned positive. That interrupts the 14-day downward trend required by the now-neutered “Badger Bounce Back” program that would have begun reopening the state. Another of the six metrics – the downward trend of flu-like illnesses reported within a 14-day period, had yet to begin its decline since tracking began on 4/28.
Wisconsin has now recorded 11,275 cases of COVID-19, with a hospitalization rate of 17%. 434 persons have died of the disease, 13 of them since yesterday.
