Summer will be changed by COVID-19
County outdoor spots are ‘use-at-your-own-risk’
Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer, but the season won’t be the same this year. This weekend’s celebrations have gone virtual. Summerfest
is postponed. The Fourth of July fireworks on the lakefront are canceled.
Milwaukee County pools will stay closed, officials announced Friday.
And while it’s impossible to close Lake Michigan, there won’t be lifeguards at Bradford Beach.
Although the state is beginning to reopen, the changes to Wisconsin’s summer traditions reflect a stark reality: The coronavirus pandemic isn’t over, no matter how much people want it to be.
On Friday, Wisconsin reported 511 new coronavirus cases among 9,465 tests analyzed.
The total number of results reported has dramatically increased from two weeks ago, when about 2,000 results were coming back daily. The 511 confirmed cases reported Friday came close to the state record, which was set Wednesday with the announcement of 528 positive tests.
Friday was the second day in a row positive cases made up about 5% of all daily results. That percentage is down from 8% on Wednesday, which Health Secretary Andrea Palm said was a good sign.
Since the pandemic took hold in Wisconsin, 14,396 coronavirus test results, or about 8% of 172,703, have come back positive. COVID-19 has resulted in the
deaths of 496 people statewide.
Activities that continue require caution
Some summertime activities will continue despite the pandemic, but they won’t look the same.
In Milwaukee County, playgrounds, outdoor fitness areas, dog parks, disc golf courses and basketball and tennis courts opened Friday.
Jen Francis, the county’s interim parks department executive director, and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett cautioned people about remaining 6 feet apart, wearing masks and using hand sanitizer.
“Our human instincts are to be out and be with people,” Barrett said. “No problem with people being out, but if you’re interacting with other people, please, please wear those face masks.”
Francis added that the county is not cleaning or disinfecting shared surfaces at its outdoor locations and that they are being offered at a “use-at-your-ownrisk basis.”
State parks, which have been closed on Wednesdays and operating with reduced hours the rest of the week, will resume normal hours this weekend, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
Patrons won’t have access to bathrooms until June 3, however. Towers, shelters, playgrounds, nature centers, headquarters, entrance stations and concession buildings will remain closed to the public.
All campsites are closed until at least June 7. The department plans to reevaluate conditions after that date.
Going outside? Protect yourself.
Getting outside this weekend and throughout the summer will necessitate collective adherence to the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines for protecting yourself from the coronavirus, experts say.
Fortunately, there are safe ways to practice almost all of Wisconsin’s favorite outdoor activities. Fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and lake swimming are all good options if people maintain their distance. Same for hiking and biking.
As tempting as it may be to hop in your car and head to your favorite lake or fishing spot, the Department of Natural Resources has asked people to stay in their own communities in order to limit the potential spread of coronavirus.
“Yes, we’re still encouraging people to fish close to home,” Sarah Hoye, DNR communications director, said last month. “Fishing is a big deal for the state, we totally get it. It’s just one of those things — we’ve never seen anything like this. We want to make sure people will be safe and not spread the virus.”
Small businesses beginning to open
Even though the in-person Cedarburg Strawberry Festival has been moved online, some small businesses in the touristy downtown have begun to cautiously reopen.
Debbie Lauer, who owns the home decor store Up The Creek, is limiting capacity to five people for now but said she might increase that to 10 this weekend.
“Our biggest concern is that they won’t come in and, with the way the economy is, if they do come in, will they spend any money?” she said.
Holistic health and decor store Sissy & Me (next door to Up The Creek) is taking more precautions.
During the quarantine, Sissy & Me owner Toni Murrenus and her daughter Jessica found that curbside business was a good alternative.
The store was open last weekend, but only six customers came inside.
While the business was closed, they set up an honor system for curbside items. Customers could purchase an item and leave money or a check in an unmanned cash box.
“The problem was we had just ordered our spring and summer outdoor decor, and it was going to be a total loss if we didn’t do something,” Murrenus said. “A few people gave themselves a sale.”
Murrenus will continue to depend on curbside sales, although she will be at the store more often to let people inside if they ask and to make credit card transactions.
“We have not really opened doors,” she said.
Elliot Hughes, Amy Schwabe and Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel staff; Sammy Gibbons of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin; and the Associated Press contributed to this report.