Madison chamber pushes back against COVID-19 fines

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is pushing back against Public Health Madison and Dane County’s plan to start issuing fines for bars and restaurants that violate capacity limits and other COVID-19 restrictions.

Chamber President Zach Brandon also expressed concern with the tone of the department’s recent messages, highlighting a Sept. 9 Facebook post warning residents that if they work or live in downtown Madison they should assume they’ve been exposed to COVID-19.

Brandon, speaking at a virtual chamber event Wednesday, said the department’s communication is “creating an environment of confusion and, frankly, some panic.”

“This rhetoric is difficult to put back in the box and it’s something that has damaging economic consequences and that we should all be aware of,” he said. “We have to get this type of messaging right.”

The department notified bars and restaurants about their enforcement plan Monday, after cases, and complaints about businesses rebuffing the public health order, ticked up in the county.

According to Dane County data, the seven-day average for new daily cases rose above 200 this week. The county set a one-day record of 487 cases on Sept. 9.

Each violation carries a $1,000 penalty, the department warned. Additionally, any establishment with a liquor license could have it suspended or revoked.

“For over two months (Public Health Madison and Dane County) has continued to educate on these order requirements, yet we continue to see increasing complaints of these businesses exceeding the order capacity,” spokesperson Sarah Mattes said in a statement emailed to Wisconsin Health News. “It only takes a few non-compliant operators to have a significant burden on our community.”

Brandon said the goal should be an “equilibrium where we balance public health with the economy.”

“We will continue to push for an education first platform,” he said during the chamber event. “We will make sure that public health guidance is clear and that it is data driven and that it’s devoid of politics.”