State breaks 1K new cases; Biden blames GOP
Wisconsin reported 1,117 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, a new record and the first time the state has exceeded 1,000 cases confirmed in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic.
The milestone drew the attention of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who blamed the acceleration of the virus in Wisconsin on Republican legislative leaders and President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“At nearly every turn, Trump and Republicans in the Wisconsin state legislature have undermined the advice of public health officials and Governor Evers’ efforts to keep people safe — and we’re all paying the price,” Danielle Melfi, state campaign director for Biden, said in statement.
Wisconsin recorded the highest daily case count of all of its Midwestern neighbors — exceeding Illinois’ 955, Minnesota’s 352, Iowa’s 512 and Michigan’s 573.
Aides to Trump and legislative leaders did not immediately provide a reaction to the Biden campaign’s criticism.
In a briefing with reporters, Department of Health Services state health officer Stephanie Smiley pleaded with residents to make changes in their behavior.
“We believe it’s the duty of people to protect themselves and protect others by physically distancing and wearing a mask,” Smiley said. “We certainly want people to make those choices.”
The spread of the virus is likely quicker and more widespread now than it was in March when Gov. Tony Evers issued a statewide order closing businesses and schools to curb its reach, Smiley said, though she said the state has changed how it calculates virus activity.
Infected people were averaging three to five contacts when the virus first began to spread. Now, it’s between 15 and 20, she said.
Evers, who was not part of Tuesday’s briefing with reporters, has said a state Supreme Court ruling in May that threw out much of his stay-at-home order continues to block him from issuing statewide orders aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.
But legal experts have told the Journal Sentinel otherwise, saying Evers could mandate masks or impose other orders if he wanted to.
Illinois and Michigan have mask mandates while Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin do not.
The new cases reported Tuesday make up 7.7% of the 14,488 tests processed since the day prior. The state also added 13 deaths Tuesday, bringing the total to 859.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported that 354 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 Tuesday, a slight decline from the day prior but an increase of 61 since last Tuesday. One hundred and one of those patients were in the intensive care unit.
China Lights go dark: The popular light-display extravaganza has been postponed until 2021, another victim of the pandemic.
Organizers announced the decision on Facebook Tuesday. China Lights 2020 had been scheduled to run from Sept. 18 through Nov. 1 in Boerner Botanical Gardens in Whitnall Park in Hales Corners.