APPLETON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Less than 12 hours after the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the extension of a Safer-At-Home order, a number of communities enacted their own — similar—  rules.

Among them are Appleton and Outagamie County.

Health officials from both agencies say the move was made to buy Wisconsin’s legislature and governor time to come up with a set of directives to safely open the whole state.

“In the ruling that was delivered yesterday, the Supreme Court denied the request for a six day stay to allow the legislature to create new rules for us in the state,” said Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford. “In the City of Appleton, our rationale was give the legislature the time they asked for to take action and provide direction to us here at the local level.”

Wednesday’s court ruling created a patchwork of regulations. For example, salons, restaurants and bars can open in Fond du Lac County, but not in neighboring Winnebago County.

That has Winnebago County health officials asking residents to use prudence in the coming days and weeks. 

“For those that wish to take advantage of differences in orders, we ask them to reconsider because these infections travel rapidly,” said Doug Gieryn of the Winnebago County Health Department. “These infections travel rapidly within in families and from business to business because of those family members. That’s really what we’re trying to prevent, that next outbreak in that next location.”

Mary Dorn of the Outagamie County Public Health Department said Safer-At-Home had a positive impact in slowing spreads of the virus.

“What we need to ask of the community is that they bear with us as we work together to slowly and gradually open back up,” she said.