Officials tell people to stay home as weekend begins
City’s outbreak draws attention from CDC
As Wisconsin heads into the first weekend under a safer-at-home order, the count of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to increase and officials are taking new measures to alleviate the strain of the pandemic.
The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 more than doubled between Monday and Friday this week.
Officials are particularly concerned about the growing number of confirmed cases in Milwaukee, especially among the city’s African American community.
Milwaukee County reported 468 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday afternoon. The overwhelming majority — 369 — were in the City of Milwaukee.
As of 8 p.m. Friday, eight people in Milwaukee County have died after contracting coronavirus; all were African American.
Gov. Tony Evers called it “a crisis within a crisis.”
The coronavirus has caused the death of 15 people in Wisconsin as of Friday evening.
Some reports trying to compare outbreaks across the U.S. with limited data sets have pegged Milwaukee as a top city for coronavirus. But restrictions in testing volume and availability make it difficult to make a meaningful comparison of the severity of outbreaks across regions.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have taken notice of Milwaukee, however. A CDC team came to Milwaukee this week to study how the coronavirus is spread. The study is looking at the “secondary attack rate,” or the number of cases that occur within the incubation period following exposure to a primary positive coronavirus case.
There is a lag time between when
people contract the virus, start to show symptoms and then are tested. So though Evers’ safer-at-home order — which closed businesses and banned gatherings of any size — has been in full effect for a few days, it will be a while before the number of newly confirmed cases slows.
“It will likely be several weeks before we’re able to see the results of those efforts,” Andrea Palm, Wisconsin Department of Health Services secretary-designee, said in a briefing with reporters Friday.
Without taking action to reduce spread, there might’ve been 22,000 infections by April 8, possibly resulting in more than 1,000 deaths, Palm said previously.
The goal of the social distancing efforts is to slow the spread of the new coronavirus so that the health care system is not overwhelmed with patients.
Plans to enforce safer-at-home order
Evers’ order, set to last until April 24, limits movement and specifies six essential reasons a person could leave their house such as going to work, buying groceries and exercising outdoors. Gatherings of any size, public or private, are banned.
How will these rules be enforced? Milwaukee Police
Chief Alfonso Morales said the department will take an educational approach and reserve legal penalties for repeat offenders.
Law enforcement can punish violators with a $250 fine or 30 days in jail, according to Evers’ order.
Milwaukee Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Sheronda Grant said officers have already been called to multiple areas and business establishments about possible violations of the order, and individuals have voluntarily dispersed.
“MPD is still seeking voluntary compliance from our community as we fight COVID-19 together,” she said.
Officers anticipate confusion about the new rules and will try to explain the order when stepping in to disperse gatherings, Morales said in a department video posted to social media this week.
“But make no mistake, violators of the stay-athome order put first responders and the community at risk of spreading COVID-19, and repeat offenders could face arrest or possible criminal penalties,” Morales said.
Morales indicated in the video that other Milwaukee-area law enforcement agencies were taking a similar approach looking for voluntary compliance.
Other police departments in the state have clarified that they will not randomly pull over drivers to determine why they’re on the road.
In Wauwatosa, however, police are authorized to fine offenders up to $500, according to an ordinance the city council passed earlier this week.
Evictions and foreclosures banned
Evictions and foreclosures are banned for 60 days through an emergency order issued Friday by Evers and Palm.
Landlords throughout Wisconsin cannot evict tenants and lenders must halt foreclosures under the order. Milwaukee and Dane counties had recently imposed bans, but Evers’ order goes further.
“Evictions and foreclosures pose a direct and serious threat to the health and well-being of Wisconsinites,” Evers said. “Ensuring they are able to keep a roof over their heads and those in social services can prioritize assisting those who currently do not have shelter is critically important.”
Advocates had called for the ban, warning of the dangers of people losing their homes during the outbreak.
“During this time individuals, families, and small businesses may see disruptions in paychecks due to losing hours, tips, business, or employment,” Evers said in the statement. “This is another step we can take to prioritize the health and safety of Wisconsinites during this public health emergency.”
While the pandemic has shut down large parts of Wisconsin’s economy, many people will have reduced pay or no pay at all.
Since March 15, the number of unemployment applications filed in Wisconsin is nearly 160,000.
Wisconsin processed another 19,489 claims for unemployment benefits Thursday, the fourth straight day that the number has been at or near 20,000.
Mary Spicuzza, Cary Spivak, Elliot Hughes, Alison Dirr, Daphne Chen, John Diedrich and Joe Taschler and of the Journal Sentinel and Mica Soellner of USAToday Network - Wisconsin contributed to this report.