WISCONSIN CORONAVIRUS: THE LATEST

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Last month, not long after President Donald Trump said the U.S. military will help distribute millions of doses of a forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine, a conspiracy theory quickly went viral. Stories falsely claiming that the government “plans to force a vaccine on everyone” were quickly debunked by fact-checking websites, but the idea took hold in some of the more paranoid corners of Facebook and YouTube.

For months, conspiracy theories surrounding compulsory COVID-19 vaccination have bounced around social media. The contours of the claims are generally the same, involving forced injections of an unsafe, or in some cases, actively dangerous vaccine. They’ve spread like the virus itself, first within the strident anti-vaccination community and then migrating well outside of it, with fear of “forced” vaccines raised by the likes of tennis superstar Novak Djokovic and former Texas Congressman Ron Paul, father of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — As a record-breaking surge of coronavirus cases continues to sweep through Wisconsin, outbreaks in two state prisons have infected hundreds of inmates and employees.

Cases in correctional facilities have more than doubled in the past month: On Sept. 8, there had been 899 positive tests among those in DOC facilities, according to the department’s COVID-19 dashboard. By Thursday, Oct. 8, that number had risen to 2,157 positive tests, with 1,000 of those cases still active.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — In his time as director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Keith Poulsen says he’d never seen the lab perform a test on a human sample — until the pandemic landed on their doorstep.

The lab, which sits on UW-Madison’s campus, mainly serves the agriculture industry, checking animal samples for disease. But as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world and loomed large over back-to-school plans, Poulsen and his team took up the call from campus leaders, adding humans to the herds and flocks they work to keep healthy.

MADISON, Wis. — There's been a noticeable shift in what it looks like to go to a grocery store. Someone wiping down carts at the front of the store, markings on the floor detailing social distancing guidelines, a clear barrier between checkout clerks and customers.

“We take sanitation specifically in our stores very, very serious,” said Kevin Metcalfe, who runs Metcalfe's Market with his brother.

GREEN BAY, Wis.— A Green Bay-area doctor is urging the public to follow safety guidelines so the region can flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Brian Johnson is the chief medical officer for Aurora BayCare Medical Center. He says there’s no time for complacency.

MADISON, Wis.— A Wisconsin veteran battled coronavirus while needing a heart transplant.

Jerry Clemens is an Army Veteran, and he has had quite the year. He has spent most of his time in the hospital and it all began back in March.

MADISON, Wis. — As the Governor's order restricting indoor gatherings takes hold, about 20 percent of the state's will be operating under different regulations.

The Milwaukee Public Heath Department and Public Health Madison and Dane County have said they are sticking to their orders because they are more strict.

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Like other schools across the world, UW-Oshkosh faced an important question when planning for this fall’s return to campus: What’s the best way to keep students, faculty, and staff safe in the midst of a global pandemic?

UWO Chancellor Andrew Leavitt, who himself has a background in chemistry, says the school made a somewhat controversial choice: They focused their strategy on rapid antigen tests, which are quicker and cheaper but potentially less accurate.

WISCONSIN— Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 141 new hospitalizations on Wednesday, Oct. 7. This is a record-high for the state. On Thursday, Oct. 8, they report another 110 hospitalizations which brings the total number of hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic up to 8,061.

On Wednesday, Wisconsin Hospital Association reported there were 873 Wisconsinites in the hospital. 219 of those were ICU patients.

WISCONSIN— Wisconsin saw a total of 3,132 new confirmed cases of coronavirus today, Oct. 8, setting a new record high for the state.

The previous high was 2,887 news cases in one day.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday announced the launch of the Alternate Care Facility at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, a direct response to the increase in hospitalizations around Wisconsin.

Hospital systems requested the activation of an emergency field hospital. Leaders in Green Bay, Appleton, Neenah and Wausau say that their ICUs are at capacity. They are being forced to transfer patients to other facilities and are understaffed. The trifecta of factors led to the ask.

MADISON, Wis. — Governor Tony Evers (D-Wisconsin) and top Wisconsin public health officials defended an emergency order limiting public indoor gatherings to 25 percent capacity of buildings and rooms on Tuesday. They told reporters the order is a necessary actions to help hospitals and healthcare workers combatting coronavirus.

“Our healthcare systems are teetering,” Evers said. “They're on the brink and when there's no room at the inn, and that inn is your local hospital, that's a problem for everyone.”

OSHKOSH, Wis.— Much of Northwest Wisconsin continues to face an upward trend in COVID-19 cases.

There was more than there hour wait time at Sunnyview Expo Center in Winnebago County. It's a first for the center. The county itself has tripled in positive cases in the last month.

MADISON, Wis. — Today, Gov. Evers administration issued a new order today limiting indoor public gatherings to 25 percent of a room or building's capacity. The new orderwill impact bars, restaurants, and other businesses.

This directive is effective at 8 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2020, and will remain in effect until Nov. 6, 2020, and applies to any gatherings at locations that are open to the public such as stores, restaurants, and other businesses that allow public entry, as well as spaces with ticketed events. You can read frequenty answered questions here.

GREEN BAY, Wis.— Health officials and hospital leaders in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley continue to urge the public to practice social distancing, wear masks, and follow all safety guidelines to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases they say is threatening the stability of the region’s healthcare systems.

“It is very difficult to stay home, not go out, not see friends, not go out to see the football game with 20 people,” says Dr. Mark Cockley, chief medical officer for ThedaCare. “It’s very difficult to do that right now because we’re very social people, but I think for the long term it is better if we persevere through that.”

WISCONSIN— Wisconsin reported yet another record-breaking coronavirus statistic on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 2,892 new coronavirus cases on Saturday. This is the highest number of newly recorded cases in a 24-hour period in the state.

MENASHA, Wis.— Health officials in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley say a surge in COVID-19 cases has stressed the region’s hospital systems.

Nancy McKenney is public health director for the City of Menasha. She says the positive cases the last two weeks, 151, were 50% higher than the previous two weeks, 99.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — With the election quickly approaching, both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have been fighting to secure battleground states like Wisconsin — all in the midst of a pandemic that has upended the campaign season.

That march down the campaign trail took another turn on Friday when Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, making him one of more than 7.3 million Americans who have been infected.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — With 669 patients in the hospital and cases continuing to shoot up, Wisconsin’s COVID-19 outlook is reaching alarming new levels.

“This is what we’re facing here in Wisconsin: COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease, and it is spreading in our state. It is stretching our hospital capacity. And it is overwhelming our public health infrastructure,” Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said at a Thursday briefing. “We must take action.”

GREEN BAY, Wis.— Dr. Robert Freedland of La Crosse gets right to the point.

“As physicians, we are now calling on President Trump to cancel his rallies as his own COVID-19 task force advises maximum social distancing — especially in Wisconsin,” the ophthalmologist said.

WISCONSIN— Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 2,887 new positive coronavirus cases on Thursday, Oct. 1. This is an all-time high for the state by a few hundred.

Wisconsin reported there are currently 683 people in the hospital due to coronavirus on Wednesday, Sept. 30. This tops the previous record-high, 646 hospitalizations, which was reported on Tuesday.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Donald Trump appears to have canceled a planned appearance in western Wisconsin amid calls from the city’s mayor and the state’s governor, both Democrats, that he not hold a rally amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

“We have received word that Air Force One is not coming to La Crosse on Saturday, so we are assuming the Trump campaign has changed its plan and is not coming to La Crosse,” Caley Cavadini, spokeswoman for La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat, said Thursday. Kabat had called for Trump to cancel the rally.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The coronavirus tightened its grip on the American heartland, with hospitals in Wisconsin and North Dakota running low on space, and the NFL postponing a game over an outbreak that’s hit the Tennessee Titans football team.

Like other states, health officials in Wisconsin had warned since the pandemic began that COVID-19 patients could overwhelm hospitals. That’s now happening for some facilities as experts fear a second wave of infections in the U.S.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — In recent months, the scientific world has seen a steady flow of research updating what we know about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and how it affects humans. Because the virus is so new, researchers are still grappling with many questions about its function. And because of the nature of the scientific process, no single study can completely answer those questions. Instead, new research is constantly challenging our understanding of the pandemic.

Here, we explore some recent studies that have shed new light on the virus and its impacts.

MADISON, Wis.— Coronavirus is spreading more and more across the Badger State, and to areas with more seniors who could be at higher risk of complications or death.

Wisconsin ranks third in the country in the number of cases per capita, meaning per 100,000 people. On average, 2,000 Wisconsinites tested positive for coronavirus every day this week. That’s now doubled. Just a few weeks ago, in the beginning of September, about 1,000 people were testing positive per day.

WISCONSIN— Wisconsin reported yet another record-breaking coronavirus update on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 2,817 new coronavirus cases on Saturday. That is the highest number of newly recorded cases by a few hundred. The state's cumulative positive case numbers now sits at 113,645.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- As the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic gets set to intersect with the upcoming flu season, Advocate Aurora Health Care is stepping up to provide free flu vaccines in marginalized neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

"We know that health inequities have existed in our country for a long time and in our community and in our state, and Covid-19 really shined a bright light on those health inequities," Cristy Garcia-Thomas, the Chief External Affairs Officer at Advocate Aurora told Spectrum News 1. "[U]nfortunately our marginalized communities, including people of color and, in particular, African-American and Hispanics, are hit very hard with Covid-19..."

GREEN BAY, Wisc.— The head of Bellin Health in Green Bay says its hospital is facing a surge of COVID-19 cases exceeding anything they saw this spring.

“Our emergency department has experienced unprecedented surges of patients last Friday and more recently this week,” said Chris Woleske, Bellin’s chief executive officer. “The need was so great that we had to hold patients on gurneys in the hallways to provide the necessary care to them.”

WISCONSIN— The Badger State has the most hospitalizations tied to coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic.

As of Friday, Sept. 25, 543 people are currently in the hospital due to coronavirus. That number includes 147 ICU patients, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

WAUSAU, Wis.— After months of masks, hand washing and social distancing, people are getting tired of COVID-19.

“Everybody is sick of it, but you have to roll with it. It is what it is,” said Nicole Selner of De Pere. “You try to make the best of it, and find some positive moments. You have no choice but to keep going.”

MADISON, Wis.— For the first time since declaring another public health emergency for the coronavirus and extending the state-wide mask mandate through Nov. 21, Governor Tony Evers (D-Wisconsin) spoke with reporters about the decision.

Evers extended the mask mandate on Tuesday. In a media briefing, he said precautions like the mask mandate were working this summer and Wisconsin was in a good place in August when it came to the coronavirus.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Wisconsin’s latest coronavirus spike broke yet another record Thursday when the state announced 530 people were hospitalized with the virus — the highest number the state has seen during the pandemic.

It was the third record-breaking day in a row, after Tuesday topped the previous high set back in April and Wednesday marked the first time active hospitalizations had surpassed 500, according to the Department of Health Services.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jonathan Bock has been getting a lot of questions about how people can make music safely as the threat of the virus looms.

Bock has a professional interest in the subject as an ear, nose, and throat surgeon at Froedtert Hospital. But for him, the matter is also personal: He’s a lifelong musician himself who spends his free time playing in a band. And when that band got together for a socially distanced rehearsal after four months apart, he says he felt firsthand the power of music as “the world’s best antidepressant.”

WISCONSIN— Flu season is looming in the not-so-distant future, and the pandemic appears to be here to stay, taking more than 200,000 U.S. lives since it began. But, that sore throat you had this morning might not be a result of the flu or coronavirus.

It could just be allergies.

WISCONSIN — After a month of respite, Wisconsin is back on Chicago’s quarantine list as the state has seen its cases rise to new heights in the past few weeks.

Chicago first announced its Emergency Travel Order back in July, directing travelers from areas with high COVID-19 rates to quarantine for two weeks after arriving in the city.

WISCONSIN — Charter, the parent company of Spectrum News 1, announced that beginning Monday it will relaunch its Remote Education Offer providing 60-day free internet and WiFi access to help connect new households with K-12 and college students or educators.

COVID-19 has forced schools, colleges, and universities to close and Charter says, now more than ever, students and educators need to be connected.

WISCONSIN— Wisconsin set a new coronavirus record, reporting 2,034 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, Sept. 17, and then immediately topped it.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 2,533 new coronavirus cases on Friday, Sept. 18 with a daily positivity rate of 19.4 percent. Thursday's positivity rate was 17.8 percent.

MADISON, Wis.— A Wisconsin startup is helping homeless shelters stay coronavirus-free by using RNs, retired nurses, and even nurses in training.

Nurse Disrupted was started by nurses Tracy Zvenyach and Bre Loughlin in response to the pandemic. The goal is to provide virtual COVID-19 screenings as people enter businesses, schools, or even shelters.

This article talks about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free, confidential support at 1-800-273-8255, or text HOPELINE to 741741.

WISCONSIN— It’s now roughly six months since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll across the US, leaving a strain on all those involved in treating patients and finding a cure.

MADISON, Wis. — It’s been an unusual start to the school year for UW-Madison students.

Little boxes on Zoom replaced packed rows in lecture halls; dorm packing lists grew to include masks and hand sanitizer. And for the thousands of students quarantined over COVID-19 concerns, the campus experience is now largely confined to their own rooms.

APPLETON, Wis.— ThedaCare in Appleton is geared up — and able — to handle a spike in COVID-19 patients.

But it would rather not.

MILWAUKEE — Six months now after Gov. Tony Evers first declared a Public Health Emergency tied to the spread of COVID-19 and President Donald Trump declared a National Emergency one day later, coronavirus numbers in Wisconsin continue to reach record levels this week.

Six months ago Saturday in Wisconsin (nearly two months after the first confirmed case in the U.S.), Evers announced a State of Emergency while Wisconsin had documented fewer than a dozen total cases of COVID-19.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — There are a variety of ways to measure the spread of COVID-19. Right now, Wisconsin is faring poorly on a number of them.

“We cannot continue on this path,” Gov. Tony Evers said at a state briefing on Tuesday. “At one point Wisconsin was in a pretty good place, but that is no longer the case.”

WISCONSIN— Tuesday, Sept. 16, Gov. Tony Evers and officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services gave an update on the latest coronavirus numbers and information.

Today's positivity rate sits at 11 percent, seeing 1,348 new positive cases. Wisconsin lost 10 more people today, and hospitalized 56.

NEW YORK — There won't be a live Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

Concerns about novel coronavirus spurred organizers to move the iconic celebration online, the mayor said.

WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin-made app and website is growing with new features to tell you all you need to know about COVID-19 in Wisconsin.

The COVID-19 Wisconsin Connect app was released this past spring, however, additional developments and resources are being added on. The COVID-19 Wisconsin Connect App was created by staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and it’s growing as kids return to school.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS)— When it comes to designing schools for the "new normal," you can bet one Madison-area architecture firm is beyond busy helping districts across Wisconsin.

"We've been able to work with many school districts throughout Wisconsin. Since, 2014, we've worked, we've done about $1.5 billion worth of school design," EUA’s Chris Michaud says.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — For Jack Phillips, the past couple of weeks have been, simply put, “chaotic.”

A second-year Ph.D. student at UW-Madison, Phillips has been juggling their virtual classes as a teaching assistant, in-person neuroengineering research, and, in the midst of COVID-19, a personal effort to share knowledge about the virus and the school's “Smart Restart” plans.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Local doctors are hoping the spread at UW-Madison doesn’t extend to the rest of the Madison community.

WAUSAU, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Six months into the pandemic, personal protective equipment continues to be a sought after commodity.

Aspirus in Wausau says it’s “well positioned” on stocks of items ranging from masks to gloves.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Even as COVID-19 has caused nearly 200,000 deaths in the U.S., it’s also exacerbated other dangerous and potentially deadly issues for some Americans — like those struggling with addiction and mental health.

According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, overdose deaths in the county this year are projected to surpass 500, on pace to set another annual record and outnumber coronavirus deaths.

Dr. Katie Loftus was treating coronavirus patients at Mount Sinai Hospital Health System until she got sick herself. It was a mild case of COVID-19, and after two weeks, she was back at work.

Two months later, a new problem emerged.

DANE COUNTY, Wis., (SPECTRUM NEWS)- Health Officials in Dane County are addressing a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Over the past week, they have seen more than 1,200 new cases, linked in large part to the return of students and staff to the UW Madison campus.

Earlier this week Dane County executive Joe Parisi wrote a letter urging university administrators to send students home for the semester.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — When it comes to assessing our risk for COVID-19, Po-Shen Loh says a lot of us are driving blind: We don’t have much of an idea of how immediate the risk is, and most contact tracing efforts focus on alerting people who have already been exposed.

With his contact tracing app, NOVID, Loh hopes to give people “headlights” to look ahead and see how many degrees of separation they are from a positive case.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- On Tuesday, AstraZeneca voluntarily halted its Phase 3 COVID-19 trial because of one unexplained illness in the United Kingdom.

A representative for the drug manufacture says it along with an independent committee will investigate, but now question swirl over how common it is to put a top trial on hold.

As more is understood about how the coronavirus spreads, greater attention is being paid to the air inside schools. National Health Reporter Erin Billups takes a look at the latest recommendations and why it matters.

The indoor air quality of educational institutions has come into laser focus, because we now know that the coronavirus can transmit through aerosols.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Students are heading into their first full day of new coronavirus restrictions as UW-Madison leaders try to curb the spread on campus.

Monday, almost eight percent of UW-Madison students tested had COVID-19. Officials said undergraduate students are a big part of the spread.

WISCONSIN (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- Wisconsin saw a total of 1,498 new confirmed cases of coronavirus today, Sept. 4, setting a new record high for the state.

However, the Wisconsin DHS did report that they experienced an issue with reporting. They say that the issue has been resolved, but claim that the high numbers reporter today are directly attributed to that. This was shared after the release of the daily numbers.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — In recent months, the scientific world has seen a steady flow of research updating what we know about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and how it affects humans. Because the virus is so new, researchers are still grappling with many questions about its function. And because of the nature of the scientific process, no single study can completely answer those questions. Instead, new research is constantly challenging our understanding of the pandemic.

Here, we explore some recent studies that have shed new light on the virus.

NATIONWIDE — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified health officials in all 50 states and five large cities last week to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by late October or early November, according to a report Wednesday.

The guidance distributed by the CDC outlines detailed scenarios for distributing two unnamed vaccine candidates — each requiring two doses a few weeks apart — to hospitals, mobile clinics and other facilities, The New York Times reported. Health care professionals, other essential workers and national security employees will be the first to receive the vaccine under the agency’s plan.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — On Wednesday, students across most University of Wisconsin campuses returned to class for the first day of fall semester. As school gets underway, there are already more than 350 COVID-19 cases across the system, according to data dashboards published by several UW campuses.

The UW system is offering a combination of in-person and online classes across its campuses, with a widespread testing protocol supported by $32 million in funding from the state. UW System President Tommy Thompson said at an August event that he thought their plan was “as good or better as any university I’ve seen.”

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- A historic and huge opportunity for Madison and the entire state emerges as UW Health announced participation in a COVID-19 vaccine trial.

Sometime Wednesday, UW Health chief quality and safety officer Dr. Jeff Pothof will roll up his sleeve for the first COVID-19 vaccine trial in the country.

MADISON, Wis (SPECTRUM NEWS) --UW School of Medicine and Public Health's top medical leader says the state needs to be more diligent in following safeguards designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"We [Wisconsin] need to do better. The bottom line is we need to do better and we are not in a good spot now," Dean Robert Golden says. "And I guess it's all relative. I had no shoes and complained until I met someone who had no feet, I mean we're doing better than some of the areas of the country that are doing a horribly desperate in. attempt to save lives. But we must do better."

NEW BERLIN, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — The great outdoors is a place Johnathan Hansen likes to be. He recently graduated from New Berlin Eisenhower High School and is one small step away from becoming an Eagle Scout. He decided to make his final project to reach this high rank an outdoor classroom.

This idea came about when his science teacher, Mrs. Emily Dethloff said how nice it would be to have a classroom outside.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — With researchers working around the clock to find a cure to the coronavirus, Jerry Woodward, a microbiology professor at the University of Kentucky thinks that he may be working on a vaccine with promising results.

“The vaccine has been working quite well we've been getting very good antibody responses and T-cell responses so that's encouraging,” Woodward said.

LA CROSSE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Last week, reports out of La Crosse County brought up a concerning question: Can you get infected with COVID-19 more than once?

On Tuesday, the county health department included the following statement in its regular update on Facebook: “Today is the first time that an individual person has been counted in our case count twice due to reinfection, and their COVID-19 infections were more than three months apart.” In the comments section, officials added that the patient’s symptoms were different the second time around.

FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS)- With the percentage of positive COVID-19 cases on the rise in Fond du Lac County, health officials are reminding residents to avoid large social gatherings.

The county health department held a Facebook Live event Wednesday to address case numbers in the county. Fond du Lac County Health Officer Kim Mueller says that contact tracing has shown that many people aren’t following recommendations to avoid large group events.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — It’s become a common idea during the pandemic: COVID-19 does not affect all communities equally. As the coronavirus has torn through the U.S. and the world, low-income areas have been hit hard by higher infection rates and by more severe infections as pre-existing conditions exacerbate effects of the disease. This impacts many essential workers who haven’t been able to stay safer at home.

To compound these issues, low-income communities also disproportionately lack access to intensive care options, according to recent research from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More than 1,000 people have died in Wisconsin since the coronavirus pandemic began in the state six months ago, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported Tuesday.

There were 61,785 confirmed cases and 1,006 deaths as of Tuesday, the state reported. That death count is the 28th highest in the country overall and the 37th highest per capita at just over 17 deaths per 100,000 people.

NATIONWIDE — Hyatt announced Monday that it will make face coverings a requirement for all of its hotels in the Americas to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

“This new policy comes at a pivotal time amidst the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and helps us care for the health and safety of our guests and colleagues,” Mark Hoplamazian, the president and CEO of Hyatt, said in a statement.

WISCONSIN, (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- On Thursday, Wisconsin saw an additional 839 new positive coronavirus cases. Over the course of the pandemic, the state has seen 57,779 positive coronavirus cases. 9,562 of those are currently active.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- Milwaukee Health Department approved Marquette University's re-opening plan. The university announced Wednesday they will re-open in the fall.

Marquette calls their recovery plan a "phased approach," where they could move forward, or backward, with ease.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — In recent months, the scientific world has seen a steady flow of research updating what we know about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and how it affects humans. Because the virus is so new, researchers are still grappling with many questions about its function. And because of the nature of the scientific process, no single study can completely answer those questions. Instead, new research is constantly challenging our understanding of the pandemic.

Here, we explore some recent studies that have shed new light on the virus.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS)- A new book being released this month is helping families deal with the transition back to school in the era of COVID-19.

Dr. Emily Mazzulla is an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Marquette University. Mazzulla specializes in trauma and resilience: Skills she is putting to use helping families navigate returning to school.

The holidays in New York are going to be less cheery and bright now that it’s curtain down for Radio City’s "Christmas Spectacular."

Madison Square Garden Entertainment, the parent company of the famed Music Hall, announced today that their yearly Christmas Show starring the Radio City Rockettes has been canceled due to the uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

RACINE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — For Chris Mason, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic has become a family affair.

Mason, a professor of genetics at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been working for months to hone a faster, simpler, cheaper coronavirus test — one that could help us get to the broad-scale testing levels experts say we’ll need to suppress the virus. He started this work in his lab in New York City, where he says living through the devastating height of the pandemic felt a little like living through a war.

MADISON, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS) - The pandemic is hard on everyone, but it can be especially hard for kids who may not understand exactly what’s going on.

Children and teenagers are grieving. They’re grieving prom, graduation, seeing their friends regularly, and having the first day of school in-person. They can feel a whole range of emotions.

MADISON, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS) - People facing homelessness in Madison will soon be able to get tested for coronavirus.

City officials announced Thursday they’ll be testing at four shelters. Those include the Salvation Army, The Beacon and two Porchlight locations.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday issued a statewide mask mandate amid a spike in coronavirus cases, setting up a conflict with Republican legislative leaders who oppose such a requirement and successfully sued earlier to kill a “safer at home” order.

The Democrat Evers declared a new public health emergency, after his initial one expired in May, and ordered the wearing of masks for anyone age 5 and up starting on Saturday for all enclosed spaces except a person’s home. The new order also applies to outdoor bars and restaurants, except when people are eating or drinking.

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Wisconsin is now considered in the “red zone” for coronavirus spread, according to a federal report.

APPLETON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- As school districts across Wisconsin continue to modify and develop their back to school plans to start the new school year in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, the Appleton Area School District this week produced its plan which gives families several options.

"What we're going to be doing is to offer a totally virtual option for families, early childhood through Grade 12," Dr. Judy Baseman, the Appleton Area School District Superintendent told Spectrum News 1 Wednesday night. "We're also going to be offering our hybrid model, which is for Grades 5 through 12, which would be 2 days in person and 3 days virtual, and then for our kindergarten through 4th grade, we would offer a fully 5 day in-person option."

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Wisconsin is one of 20 states that doesn’t have a statewide mask requirement. Thousands of people have now signed a petition to change that.

Democratic State Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) started the petition Monday. By Tuesday, it had blown up.

WISCONSIN (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- While we’re still a couple of months away from flu season, it's something doctors are already concerned about, especially since it's coming right in the middle of a global pandemic.

The issue was brought up multiple times this week. During a Milwaukee County COVID-19 briefing, Dr. Kristin Bencik with Bayshore Pediatrics with Children’s Wisconsin says, "'Flu shots are on the horizon. We do not want to know what’s going to happen when flu hits with COVID. We can prevent flu. It’s so important to get flu shots for your kids now. If you’ve never gotten the flu shot, this year is definitely the one to get it."

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Across the world, scientists are racing to craft an effective coronavirus vaccine, with more than 160 candidates in various stages of development. Researchers in the U.K. and the U.S. recently published promising results, and government officials have projected that a vaccine will be available by the end of the year.

But with demand for vaccine doses spanning the entire world, the distribution will mean more time will pass before many Americans actually get their shot. So, when the first limited doses arrive, who gets dibs?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Since the pandemic started, many parents are working from home all while trying to care for their kids. Some worry this could lead to more women leaving the workforce, reversing years of progress.

Mary Kate Reed is a full-time working mom of three. At the start of the pandemic, her husband was also working from home. Since June though, he went back into the office. That means, for most of the day, she's at home with her three children trying to squeeze work in when she can.

WAUKESHA, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- County-sponsored COVID-19 testing sites in Wisconsin are seeing a surge in traffic due to the rise in positive cases in the area.

The testing site at the Waukesha County Expo Center was forced to close early Tuesday due to overwhelming demand.

In recent months, the scientific world has seen a steady flow of research updating what we know about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and how it affects humans. Because the virus is so new, researchers are still grappling with many questions about it. And because of the nature of the scientific process, no single study can completely answer those questions — instead, new research is constantly challenging our understanding of the pandemic.

Here, we explore some recent studies that have shed new light on the virus.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced 1,117 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, setting a new record for the number of cases added on a single day and marking the first time the daily total passed 1,000 cases.

"This is the largest single-day increase in new cases Wisconsin has ever seen, and it's a good reminder that each of us needs to do all we can to stop the spread," interim state health officer Stephanie Smiley said at a Tuesday media briefing.

The New York Jets and Giants announced they will not have fans at home games this season “until further notice” because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The teams, who play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and have separate training facilities in the state, released a joint statement Monday after Gov. Phil Murphy announced an executive order limiting outdoor public gatherings to 500 people.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Wisconsin now has seen six confirmed cases of MIS-C — a rare inflammatory syndrome in children that has been linked to COVID-19 — the Department of Health Services reported in a Thursday briefing.

MIS-C, which stands for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, is an uncommon but serious condition that has cropped up across the country over the course of the pandemic, even as the vast majority of children show less severe symptoms from COVID-19 infections. A lot of questions remain about the exact causes of the syndrome, which can cause dangerous flare-ups in different parts of kids’ bodies.

MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — It all starts with a stick up the nose.

Well, actually, a sterilized swab — and in the more invasive cases, it reaches all the way to the nasopharynx, the upper area of the throat past the nasal cavity. That’s how clinicians typically collect specimens for COVID-19 testing, explains Jose Navidad, molecular and microbiology diagnostic manager at Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories.

MADISON, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Residents of Dane County who don’t have access to masks can soon get them for free.

“We have seen requests spike,” says Megan Syverson, part of Dane County Mask Makers. “In just the last six days, we have had 7,449 masks requested of us.”

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health announced on Tuesday that, along with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a series of clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine will now take place in Wisconsin.

Dubbed REGN-COV2, a press release issued Tuesday indicates that the New York-based pharmaceutical company's "scientists selected virus-neutralizing antibodies produced from mice that have been genetically modified to simulate a human immune system, as well as antibodies identified from humans who have recovered from COVID-19..."

MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - The numbers just keep going up. More Wisconsinites are testing positive for COVID-19, and a higher percentage of those tested have the virus.

“In the past week, we have increased our cases by 5,350 and broken our previous record for positive cases four times, including today,” says Department of Health Services secretary-designee Andrea Palm.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care workers have been on the front lines serving their communities — at the risk of their own physical and mental health.

“They’re our first line of defense in helping us get through this pandemic,” says Kristin Kroll, an assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “The things that they're having to see and do and work with are traumatic for anybody, particularly when they're fighting that concern of helping others and, at the same time, always that concern of bringing the virus back to their family at home.”