BARS ARE CLOSING, SCHOOLS ARE OUT
And coronavirus is still spreading in Wisconsin
Coronavirus cases continue to mount in Wisconsin, including the first people believed to have become infected through community spread — meaning they did not get the virus from traveling overseas or in another state.
While 46 confirmed cases spread out in a state of 5.8 million people might not seem like a lot, officials warn this is only the beginning, the tip of a tidal wave that could wash across Wisconsin as it has done elsewhere in the world.
State Department of Health Services chief medical officer Ryan Westergaard said local health departments are still conducting interviews to determine travel histories and contact with others who have the virus, but confirmed cases with no such history are signaling “likely” spread in the community.
“How widespread? We don’t know,” Westergaard said Monday, adding that community transmission is not in all parts of the state but certainly could reach that point if the trajectory of the virus continues as projected.
So far, 10 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have reported residents testing positive for coronavirus.
Milwaukee County has 13 confirmed cases; nine are in Milwaukee, and others have popped up in Oak Creek, West Allis and Wauwatosa.
Among the infected are a Milwaukee Public Schools staff member and a civilian employee of the Milwaukee Police Department.
“This is the most serious challenge the world has faced since World War II,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Monday evening as he urged people to stay home.
Officials in the state emergency operations center moved to what’s known as a Level 1 activation, the highest alert for an event that affects the entire state. It’s the first time a Level 1 response has been initiated for something health related.
The activation is rarely used. It was deployed on New Year’s Eve in 1999 to prepare for what was known as Y2K amid fears the millennium change would cause computers to go haywire and trigger large-scale disruptions, according to retired Wisconsin Army National Guard Col. Sheri Swokowski.
Life as all Wisconsinites know it continued to change dramatically Monday, as Gov. Tony Evers banned all gatherings of 50 or more people.
The order is crucial in the effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, even if it means throwing a big bucket of cold water on St. Patrick’s Day gatherings — a day when bars and restaurants are typically packed with people guzzling Guinness and noshing corned beef and cabbage.
“Folks, it’s on all of us to practice social distancing,” Evers said in a conference call Monday with reporters.
Milwaukee City Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik said Monday night that gatherings should be limited to only 10 people, which is in line with what President Donald Trump said earlier Monday.
The ban is not as draconian as in states such as Ohio and Illinois, where all bars and restaurants have been shut down, but the effects will hurt. The order requires bars, restaurants, theaters and other gathering places in Wisconsin to limit to 50 patrons, or to 50% capacity, whichever is smaller.
It also applies to weddings, funerals and schools.
The restrictions don’t apply to grocery stores, food pantries, child care centers, pharmacies and hospitals.
Many retailers, though, are closing their doors or curtailing hours. Everything we buy, whether it’s coffee (all Colectivo cafes are closing) or groceries (Pick ‘n Save and Walmart are closing earlier than usual each evening) or clothing and housewares (all Kohl’s stores in the U.S. are cutting back hours) or bingo cards (Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is shut), is being affected by coronavirus.
The Germantown village board axed an item from its regularly scheduled Monday night meeting because the controversial topic — about a new residential development — was expected to draw a large crowd, and officials worried it would push the number of attendees over 50.
Hospitals and clinics banned almost all visitors with a few exceptions, including partners of mothers in labor and family members of people in end-of-life care. The Milwaukee Archdiocese suspended public celebration of Mass through April 3. Milwaukee Public Transit officials asked people to stay off city buses unless travel is essential, and encouraged passengers to avoid putting money into cash boxes and instead use smart cards or an app.
Monday was the first day many schools across the state shut down, following the governor’s Friday order. By Wednesday, more than 1 million children in Wisconsin will be out of their classrooms, at least through April 5, and some even longer. During the break, some schools are providing academic instruction and materials; some are not.
Wisconsin is one of many states to order a blanket closure for all schools. Across the country, more than 46,000 schools have been or are scheduled to be closed, affecting more than 21 million students.
At 20 MPS schools on Monday, homework packets and lunches were handed out to students and their families. The meals MPS gives students often provide crucial nutrition. According to state data, 84% of students in the district qualify for free or reduced lunches and are considered economically disadvantaged.
Because of the wide range of school district responses to the shutdown — from worksheets to virtual classes — the closure is expected to widen the opportunity and achievement gaps between students throughout Wisconsin.
Plus working parents now must scramble to find child care.
“I’m kind of freaking out,” said Joann Robinson, who has four kids in Milwaukee Public Schools. If she can’t get leave from her job at a political advocacy group, Robinson worried she may have to quit to take care of her kids.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Public Instruction announced Monday that it is waiving the requirement for all school districts to hold a certain number of hours of instruction.
DPI also said it’s requesting a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for mandated assessments and will work with state lawmakers and the governor to suspend state testing requirements this spring.
It might seem like spring break started early and will last way longer than normal. But the coronavirus outbreak has blown apart vacation plans. Airlines are cutting back flights and places people want to visit, from Disney World to Wisconsin Dells water parks, are closed.
What will school kids do with all their free time? They can’t go to the library. They probably can’t go to the movies, unless they happen to be among the first 50 patrons in the theater. Museums? Nope. Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA? Shut. Zoos, parks, Mitchell Park Domes? No, no and no.
Even Elton John is postponing his final tour, which includes a stop in Milwaukee — telling fans he’ll say goodbye to the yellow brick road at some point, but not any time soon.
Patrick Marley, Molly Beck, Annysa Johnson, Alison Dirr, Sophie Carson, Madeline Heim, Samantha West and Cathy Kozlowicz contributed to this story.