Evers possibly exposed to COVID
Governor is vaccinated, will stick to schedule
MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, will keep a normal schedule after learning an attendee at his Thursday press conference to sign the new state budget has since tested positive for the virus.
The governor's office sent an email notifying of the possible exposure to media outlets whose reporters and photographers may have attended the event at Cumberland Elementary School in Whitefish Bay.
Evers was joined there by state lawmakers, cabinet members of his administration and some children. Evers' office is not aware of anyone else who attended the event who has tested positive, a spokeswoman said.
“The governor, who completed his vaccine series earlier this year, is asymptomatic and will continue to attend events and meetings as scheduled,” Britt Cudaback, a spokeswoman for Evers, said in the email to news outlets.
Evers received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year.
Evers' office gave reporters recommendations in line with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states that most fully vaccinated people with no COVIDlike symptoms do not need to test, quarantine or be restricted from work. They should still monitor for symptoms for 14 days, the guidance states.
The governor's office also asked unvaccinated attendees to immediately seek testing, and to quarantine until July 22 regardless of test results, and encouraged becoming vaccinated against COVID-19.
Media advisories sent from Evers' office before the event said that all attendees “must follow all CDC and local public health guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including, as appropriate, mask-wearing and social distancing.”
Most people at the event were not wearing masks. The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks, but the Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommends that even fully vaccinated people continue to wear masks in settings like K-12 schools.
School was not in session during
Evers' press conference but small crowds of people gathered in the library where it took place and the hallway outside. A small group of students also were participating in summer camp activities in a cafeteria.
The CDC continues to relax guidance for vaccinated people, highlighting the effectiveness of the vaccine. Last week, the CDC said vaccinated teachers and students do not need to wear masks in school buildings, though some schools plan to continue to require masks.
In Wisconsin, just over half of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. New cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin are increasing.
State health officials warn the delta variant could lead to a surge in cases like other states, including Missouri and Arkansas, are seeing. Wisconsin has 83 cases of the fast-spreading variant.