Gov. Tony Evers directed the Department of Health Services to update its previous order barring mass gatherings of 10 or more people to include closing salons, day spas and tattoo parlors effective 5 p.m. Friday.
The order maintains the ban on gatherings of 10 or more people and indefinite school closures. Under the order, hair salons, barbershops, day spas, tattoo parlors, body art establishments and tanning facilities must close.
The new order treats restaurants and bars the same, allowing the latter to have carryout sales of alcohol and food if allowed by local and state laws. That will allow thousands of establishments to stay in business during the emergency, per a statement from Evers.
Laundromats can remain open as can banks, credit unions and other financial institutions if they practice social distancing. All parts of the food delivery system can remain open too, as can the transportation system.
The ban doesn’t affect allied health professionals, including acupuncturists. And it allows facilities used for in-person absentee voting or as a polling location to remain open for voting, as long as they’re not assisted care or long-term care facilities.
There were 206 confirmed cases across 29 counties as of Friday afternoon, according to the Department of Health Services. There have been three deaths.
“Unfortunately, this number is expected to rise and things will get worse before they get better,” Evers told reporters Friday.
The agency also confirmed community spread in Columbia County, in addition to Brown, Dane, Kenosha and Milwaukee counties.
Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for communicable diseases at DHS, said their first cases had a travel-related or contact-related risk factor.
In the majority of cases now, those connections aren’t obvious, he said.
“I would say that it’s fair to say that most new infections that we’re hearing about are the result of community spread,” he said.
DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said the state has received nearly 55,000 N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile, which is being distributed to direct healthcare providers in areas with known community spread.
DHS is also using bed count information and advice from its medical advisory group to determine where to send the equipment.
Other protective personal equipment that the state received from national stockpile include: 130,326 surgical masks; 24,816 face shields; 20,233 surgical gowns; 104 coveralls and 72,044 pairs of gloves.
“We do expect additional releases from them as this moves forward,” Palm said. “We will continue to ask for more.”
Wisconsin Health News is removing the password on all stories related to the coronavirus. For the latest developments follow us on Twitter at @wihealthnews or check out our website. For complete healthcare coverage, sign up for a free trial to our daily email newsletter.