Gov. Tony Evers held a primetime address Tuesday night to rally for unity over Wisconsin’s COVID-19 response and announce a new executive order that encourages Wisconsinites to stay home, but doesn’t add new restrictions.
Executive Order 94 advises Wisconsinites to stay indoors and limit their contact with people outside of their household to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The order also encourages businesses to take additional steps to protect local communities, such as limiting staff and customers in stores.
The order does not add any new restrictions, but Evers urged residents to move gatherings online and continue supporting restaurants using pickup and delivery options.
With the upcoming holidays, Evers encouraged Wisconsinites to celebrate within only their immediate households.
“We must get back to the basics of fighting this virus just like we did last spring, and it starts at home,” Evers stated in his address. “If you have to leave your home, limit it to essential needs or errands. Please only leave your home if it’s absolutely necessary like going to the doctor, picking up prescriptions, grabbing groceries or getting tested.”
Evers cited a University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projection that 5,000 people in Wisconsin could die from COVID-19 by Jan. 1 if no action is taken.
Evers’ address comes as Wisconsin continues to struggle to contain the spread of the pandemic. On Nov. 9, the state Department of Health Services recorded a seven-day average percent positive rate of 36 percent. Evers pointed towards surges in the state.
“Since just last Friday, we’ve added more than 25,000 new cases. It took us seven and a half months to get to 100,000 cases. But it only took 36 days to add another 100,000. The way things are going, it will take us only 20 days to reach another 100,000,” Evers stated.
Evers said he will announce a package of COVID-19 legislation in the next few days.
Evers added that the federal CARES act, which provided COVID-19 economic relief to states, will expire on Dec. 31. If Congress does not pass an additional relief bill, Wisconsin will have to pay for all expenses moving forward.
“Please contact your congressperson and ask them to provide additional support and resources for our state’s response to this virus,” Evers stated. "We must be able to continue all our efforts to keep people healthy and safe.
On Tuesday night, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters that he called Evers after the speech and left a message, saying that they have not spoken since May.
“I think the people of Wisconsin want us to stop arguing about COVID and start working together to show that we can actually help to work together to solve the problem,” Vos said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi also called on state legislative leaders to work with Evers on a plan to combat COVID-19.
“The lack of a comprehensive statewide plan to mitigate the spread of the virus is contributing greatly to our challenge. This virus knows no boundaries; it is spreading at alarming rates. We’re doing everything we can to slow this virus but we need your help, too,” Parisi said Tuesday in a letter to Vos, incoming Senate Majority Leader Devin Mahieu, R-Oostburg, and outgoing Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.
