Protesters go to Vos’ home to lay a wreath

Protesters on Thursday went to the Rochester home of GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to lay a wreath of flowers in response to his recent comment appearing to blame immigrant “culture” for a COVID-19 outbreak in Racine County.

“We’re here to send a message to Robin Vos, who hasn’t had to risk his life or the life of a loved one to work to support them,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of immigrant advocacy group Voces de La Frontera. Neumann-Ortiz called on Vos to resign, apologize and “support real change.”

It was revealed recently in a secretly recorded meeting with Gov. Tony Evers that Vos seemed to blame immigrant “culture” for Racine County seeing an increase in coronavirus cases.

Vos responded in a statement Thursday saying the protests were about politics.

“Today was not about worker benefits; it was about politics, which is unfortunate,” Vos said. “At a time when everyone is looking for answers, we should be finding ways to work together.”

Protesters met at Echo Veterans Memorial Park to pay tribute to those who have died from the coronavirus after contracting it at work.

Dozens drove from the park to Echo Lake Foods, where they dropped off a wreath. Neumann-Ortiz believes Echo Lake Foods and Briggs & Stratton could have done more to protect and provide more benefits to their workers.

According to Voces, Juan Manuel Reyes Valdez, who worked at Echo Lake Foods, died after contracting the coronavirus, and Michael Jackson, who worked at Briggs and Stratton, died after contracting coronavirus.

They then drove to Vos’ house with another wreath but were told by Racine County sheriff’s deputies that they couldn’t leave items at the mailbox. The deputies offered to take the wreath and photos to store them at their subpatrol station, where they could be picked up later.

Racine County Supervisor Fabi Maldonado

agreed to pick up the wreath and photos later on.

Cases tick up in Wisconsin

The protest came as the state Department of Health Services reported 422 new cases, or about 4% of newly reported test results. Both marks are the highest since June 4.

New cases had been fewer than 300 and test positivity had been below 3% every day since June 12.

State health officials also reported seven more deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the total to 719.

The positivity rate was still lower than the state’s cumulative rate of 5%, which is influenced by frequent double-digit percentages in April and early May, when testing capacity was limited.

Milwaukee stalls further reopening

And on Thursday, City of Milwaukee officials announced the city would not further reopen this week, based on criteria they are using to determine when to reopen.

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik said the “testing” metric, one of five metrics officials are using, had been “red” last week. Officials are using red, yellow and green to denote how well the city is doing on the five metrics, with red being the worst and green being the best.

The city’s goal is to perform 2,000 tests per day or see a positivity rate of less than 5%, she said.

“We’re teetering about 10%,“she said.

Other metrics include case numbers, hospitalizations, tracing and availability of protective gear for health care workers.

If any of the five metrics is in the red zone during a 14-day period after the city has moved into a new phase, there is no movement to the next phase, she said.

An update about moving to Phase 4 will be coming on June 26, she said.

Milwaukee County is approaching 10,000 cases while the city has had 7,977 cases, Kowalik said.

There have been 328 deaths due to COVID-19 in the county, with 225 in the city, she said.

Kowalik also said the city is seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among Latinx residents who are younger than 15.

Milwaukee leaders also cautioned those celebrating Juneteenth on Friday to continue to take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19, including staying 6 feet from other people, not shaking hands or hugging, wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer.

June 19, or Juneteenth, commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.

MIKE DE SISTI / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Chance Zombor, from left, the grievance rep for United steelworkers Local 2-232; Adebisi Agoro, holding a photo of his cousin of Mike Jackson, back second right, a 45-year-old father of eight who collapsed in late May while on the assembly line at Briggs & Stratton and later died of COVID-19; Fabi Maldonado, Racine County Board supervisor; and Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, walk with a wreath to be placed at the driveway of the home of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in Burlington.