Evers extends safer-at-home order

Gov. Tony Evers said Thursday that he’s directing the Department of Health Services to extend the state’s safer-at-home order through May 26. He’s also closing schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

The new order, which takes effect April 24 when the current safer-at-home order ends, allows certain activities to start up again.

That includes opening golf courses and letting public libraries and businesses deemed non-essential in the previous order to start offering delivery and curb-side pick-up options.

“Before we lift safer at home, the steps of testing and more robust public health measures must be in place,” DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said in a statement. “These steps will help us reduce the risk of a second wave of the virus. If we open up too soon, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and requiring more drastic physical distancing measures again.”

The new order also calls on essential business and operations to increase cleaning and disinfection practices and adopt policies to prevent workers exposed to the disease from coming to work.

It also orders retailers to limit the number of people in a store at one time and create dedicated shopping time for vulnerable populations.

The order also gives local health officials the authority to close public parks and encourages people to remain home and not travel to cabins or out of state unless necessary.

The governor’s office also provided an FAQ about the order.

In a separate statement, Evers said he and other Midwest governors from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky will work together to reopen the region’s economy.

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