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.
“Wisconsin is one of the nine states with the highest rates of infection per capita," Evers says.
Notably, the number of positive cases for most age groups is actually decreasing. The only one seeing more cases is the 18 - 24-year-old cohort. Officials believe this is very likely related to both colleges reopening and socializing. Dorms are a high-risk environment, as people live in close quarters. Many young adults in this age group also socials off campuses at bars and restaurants, also creating environments where transmission is likely.
However, Wisconsin DHS officials stress that this surge does not indicate a redistribution of resources, claiming that tests are not being taken away from communities to be provided on campuses.
All of this being said, Evers says he still supports UW Madison's decision to open campus this year, despite the college's evolution to becoming a hot spot. He says that while he always knew it would be bumpy, he wants college students, and everyone in that 18 - 24 year old demographic, to take individual responsibility for their actions, in order to help protect the entire community.
He also supports the school's canceling of spring break. Looking ahead, it is unclear when we will get a vaccine, and even more unclear how quickly it will be able to be distributed.
Wisconsin DHS officials say they are not seeing an uptick in deaths and hospitalization, despite the positivity rate increasing. UW Madison specifically has not lost any students, and less than one percent of students have been hospitalized. However, even with this silver lining, young, healthy people can still experience longterm health effects from the virus or transmit it to more vulnerable populations.
The state is trying to get a handle on transmissions.
One way it's doing that is the mask mandate, but that ends on Sept. 28. While not a replacement for social distancing, Evers believes the masks have helped slow the spread of the virus, and has not ruled out extending the order. In fact, he admits he and his advisors are looking for ways to extend it. However, due to the state's previous court rulings, he is limited in what he can do.
Something he was able to do, he took action on yesterday. He announced the launch of the Tourism Relief to Accelerate Vitality and Economic Lift (TRAVEL) stimulus grant program. He touched on this grant during the briefing.
This $8 million effort is aimed at providing support to the tourism industry. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, TRAVEL grants will be distributed to Wisconsin’s tourism promotion and tourism development organizations for the purposes of resuming business operations and helping restore economic activity stemming from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Evers says last year the Wisconsin tourism industry generated an estimated 22 billion dollars and "is an important pillar of our Wisconsin economy."
While that grant may help out one industry, it does not change the fact that many who filed for unemployment are seeing major delays.
Evers says he is reluctant to blame the system or any specific aspect of the process but does say it is wrong people can't get financial assistance faster.
He says contractors have been hired who are working extended hours, and six or seven day work weeks. He says contractors will continue to be hired until the backlog is caught up with.