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.
“The governor's order allows for local units of government to be more restrictive and I would like us to think of that as more protective of health,” said Janel Heinrich, director of Public Health Madison and Dane County.
The Governor's order restricts indoor gatherings to 25 percent of capacity for a building or room.
The Dane County restrictions allow for 50 percent capacity in most businesses and workplaces as long as intensive hygiene and social distancing precautions are in place. For restaurants, the order already limited capacity to 25 percent and no indoor seating is allowed at taverns. There is also a 10 person limit on indoor gatherings in the county.
“We know that what's in our order requires all businesses to implement written hygiene, cleaning, and protective measures, policies and procedures and offer and requires training of employees,” Heinrich said. “So we will continue to follow our emergency order because of these more protective health measures that businesses are required to operate under here in Dane County.”
The City of Milwaukee allows up to 100 percent capacity in bars and restaurants as long as they meet extensive an COVID precaution checklist and application to operate.
The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Health department announced they would continue following their guidelines in a statement on Wednesday.
“Even though the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely order permits a larger threshold of individuals in certain places than Emergency Order #3 allows, the additional restrictions listed under the local order do more to prevent COVID-19 transmission than governor Evers’ Emergency Order #3,” the statement said in part.
In a media briefing Wednesday Governor Evers addressed Milwaukee operating under different restrictions.
“If a county or municipality health system has more stringent expectations that takes precedence over ours,” Evers said. “But that's the only circumstance by which our order can be changed.”