News of the Day

There’s a “night and day difference” between Wisconsin hospitals’ readiness to handle a potential surge in COVID-19 cases today compared to two months ago, said Eric Borgerding, president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

As they resume non-urgent services and primary care appointments, health care providers are prepared to respond to a potential future wave of COVID-19 inpatients, he said.

To date, Wisconsin hospitals have not experienced extreme capacity surges during the pandemic, which public health leaders largely credit to the effectiveness of social distancing measures.

The rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations has remained largely steady over the past month, at about 350 patients, he noted. As of Monday morning, there were 379 COVID-19 inpatients in the state, up from 356 COVID-19 on Friday. Hospital leaders have said the region saw its peak of COVID-19 hospitalizations in mid-April.

Moving forward, Borgerding said, WHA will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 inpatients as a key indicator of the stress the coronavirus is putting on hospitals’ capacity.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said there would be no “grand bargain” with Republican legislative leaders after they won a lawsuit striking down his administration’s extended COVID-19 safer-at-home order.

Evers talked with Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald the day after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the extended order, and he said he plans another discussion with them this week.

“I know there’s this feeling that there’s going to be this grand bargain found, but I don’t see that happening,” Evers said in an interview aired Sunday on “UPFRONT.”

“Maybe we can come up with some things that could be helpful, but they said no restrictions. So for example, if we decided we don’t want 50 people in a small office, that’s probably a bad idea, but that is off limits. And they control this process,” Evers said.

He said he hoped they could find some agreement on what could be accomplished in the event of another surge in COVID-19.

Evers said it’s now up to people to take their own precautions against novel coronavirus.

Less than 24 hours after the state Supreme Court quashed the Department of Health Services’ extension of the state’s ‘Safer at Home’ order, thereby ending all the restrictions it placed on residents and businesses, Gov. Tony Evers moved to restore the emergency powers to his health agency.

Evers took the first step Thursday, when he released the framework for the rule change, a so-called Statement of Scope, that will be put forth for public input starting Monday.

The agency is tasked with two goals, limiting the spread of COVID-19 to healthy Wisconsinites, i.e. the “boxing in” phase of the Badger Bounce Back plan, and reopening the business sector without jeopardizing long-term economic growth by risking a second wave of the virus.

Following the ten-day public comment period, DHS officials will take the feedback provided and draft its proposed rule.

Once that 10-day period is over, DHS can publish the rule, going into effect immediately. However, the legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules does have authority to meet and make changes to it if they deem it necessary.

“Whether it will be a repeat of the ‘Safer at Home’ order or something that will be negotiated between the legislature and the department is yet to be seen,” said Republican Rep. Joan Ballweg, who co-chairs that committee.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down a statewide coronavirus stay-at-home order on Wednesday, siding with a legal challenge from Republican lawmakers who said the state’s top public health official exceeded her authority by imposing the restrictions.

At stake in Wisconsin was a “Safer at Home” order that had been extended through May 26 by the state’s secretary for the Department of Health Services, Andrea Palm, acting at the direction of Governor Tony Evers.

The court ruled that while Evers, a first-term Democrat, possesses emergency powers as governor, the stay-at-home directive was effectively imposed by Palm, whose discretion as a political appointee is more limited.

“We further conclude that Palm’s order confining all people to their homes, forbidding travel and closing businesses exceeded the statutory authority … upon which Palm claims to rely,” the court said.

The two highest-ranking leaders of Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled legislature, House Speaker Robin Vos and Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald, praised the ruling.

The decision, they said in a joint statement, “allows people to once again gather with their loved ones or visit their places of worship without the fear of violating a state order.”

They urged small business owners to follow guidelines issued by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation on how to safely open up the state.

“Wisconsin now joins multiple states that don’t have extensive ‘stay at home orders’ but can continue to follow good practices of social distancing, hand washing, hand sanitizer usage and telecommuting,” Vos and Fitzgerald said.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor today issued targeted guidance and reminders that provide states with details regarding required integrity functions for their regular unemployment compensation programs, as well as those authorized by Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, in UIPL 23-20. The guidance aims to help states guard against fraud and abuse of their unemployment insurance systems.

“As states implement the various provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide benefits to eligible applicants, they must exercise due diligence at all times in the administration of their programs to protect the integrity of the unemployment insurance system,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John P. Pallasch. “As the stewards of taxpayer dollars, states and localities have an obligation to spot and detect waste and fraud in the unemployment insurance system and report it to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and other appropriate channels,” Pallasch added.

To protect the program integrity of the regular unemployment compensation program, states must maintain weekly certification processes to verify the continuing eligibility of the program’s claimants and must complete required checks for interstate wages. The department also requires that states maintain these key eligibility determination processes for regular unemployment compensation claims to conform and substantially comply with federal unemployment compensation laws. States are also required to implement the same program integrity activities used for the regular unemployment compensation program for the CARES Act programs, such as verifying identity and cross matching with certain databases designed to prevent and detect improper payments and fraud.

Small shops in Wisconsin can open their doors to a handful of customers under the latest change to the state’s Safer at Home order.

Gov. Tony Evers on Monday said stand-alone retailers and shops in strip malls can open to five people at a time.

“This is focused on small retailers,” the governor said. “I don’t speak for the Kohl’s corporation, but I can’t imagine them opening their stores for five people.”

Evers is also allowing drive-in movie theaters to open, but everyone has to stay in their car.

The governor say this “turning of the dial” does not include barbers or hair salons.

Small shops in Wisconsin can open their doors to a handful of customers under the latest change to the state’s Safer at Home order.

Gov. Tony Evers on Monday said stand-alone retailers and shops in strip malls can open to five people at a time.

“This is focused on small retailers,” the governor said. “I don’t speak for the Kohl’s corporation, but I can’t imagine them opening their stores for five people.”

Evers is also allowing drive-in movie theaters to open, but everyone has to stay in their car.

The governor say this “turning of the dial” does not include barbers or hair salons.

Many lawmakers say it’s good to see steps toward reopening Wisconsin’s economy, but add that it’s disappointing to see Evers once again change his Safer at Home order on the fly.

“Gov. Evers continues to miss the mark by tinkering,” Sen Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, said on Twitter. “Hospitalizations are down or flat over the last week. Businesses and citizens are acting sensibly. Wisconsin is ready to open up – NOW!”

His new order takes effect immediately.

Wisconsin puts out tips businesses can use to keep you safe when they finally reopen. It comes as we all wait for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule on the “Safer at Home” order — which is in place through May 26.

In an effort to keep workers, customers, and families safe as Wisconsin works towards reopening businesses, Gov. Tony Evers announced Friday, May 8 some best practices and safety tips to follow across multiple industries.

The brochures include general guidelines for all businesses to follow as well as industry-specific advice, such as for restaurants, retailers, manufacturers, professional offices, farmers, builders, hotel and motel operators, barbers, personal care services and other fields.

The guides were developed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) in consultation with the Departments of Health Services, Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and Tourism, as well as and industry experts and associations.

Some of the general advice for businesses includes:

• Making sure that employees who are sick don’t come to work
• Curtailing business travel whenever possible.
• Promoting telecommuting or other work-from-home arrangements
• Making sure employees have access to sanitizers and personal protective equipment when appropriate.

Gov. Evers said the reopening of state businesses will continue to be guided by the health care metrics contained in the Badger Bounce Back plan, which include tracking new cases of COVID-19, assessing available medical resources to cope with COVID cases, and ensuring adequate testing and mitigation resources.

A Republican-backed stay-at-home order in Wisconsin would include a shift to regional restrictions and a move away from a state list of so-called “essential businesses,” the leader of the state Assembly said Wednesday.

Speaking at an online Wisconsin Health News event Wednesday morning, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he hopes Republicans will never have to debut their own proposal. He would prefer to have a “seat at the table” while the executive branch drafts changes to its current order.

During the event, the Speaker reiterated his party’s support for a more regional approach to restrictions on businesses and people.

“Let’s start to turn the dial, as opposed to treating every part of the state like it is Milwaukee,” he said. “Because if we wait for Milwaukee and Brown County to be the indicator, it’s going to be a long time potentially before Wisconsin can open up.”

Vos also said he supports including more specific phases for restaurants reopening, including possible guidelines for when they could offer outdoor seating and benchmarks for reaching different percentages of indoor capacity.

He also urged a move away from a list of so-called “essential businesses” that are allowed to be open, while others are not.

“I don’t understand how you can go and get a key made at Walmart or buy flowers for Mother’s Day, but somehow if you would go to the flower shop or the key shop, that would be a major threat to public health,” Vos said.

He said he trusts people and businesses to take the appropriate health precautions.

Vos also said the state should have the plan to allow for churches to begin offering in-person worship services again.

The Speaker said he has been consulting with the Wisconsin Hospital Association and nursing home groups when considering possible changes to Wisconsin’s current policies.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce on Tuesday announced that its board on Friday unanimously approved a resolution calling for a phased-in “smart restart” of the state’s economy, beginning as early as the week of May 11, two weeks before Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order is scheduled to expire.

MMAC president Tim Sheehy today said the organization supported the governor’s initial “Safer at Home” order, but urged Evers to begin a phased reopening of the state’s economy.

MMAC’s support of Gov. Evers’ initial “Safer at Home” order through April 24 was strongly informed by concerns raised by health care leaders over the speed of the disease’s spread and the possibility of our health care systems being overwhelmed with critically ill patients,” Sheehy said.

But each day that “Safer at Home” lasts, the economic damage continues to mount. Economists at UW-Madison estimated the state’s unemployment rate at 16.7% as of April 16. The high during the Great Recession was 9.3%.

“The extension of this (Safe at Home) order to May 26 is well-intentioned, and we appreciate the challenge that elected officials face in an unprecedented crisis,” Sheehy said.

“However, it is time to move forward with a smart restart to build employee and consumer confidence, which is the best cure for our economic ills. We believe the (Milwaukee) region can work together and find ways to resume additional economic activity while adapting smart practices to protect employees and customers.”