Evers extends indoor mask mandate through March 20

Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday extended the state’s indoor mask mandate through March 20.

Evers did so by declaring his fifth public health emergency declaration over the coronavirus.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard a case in November that seeks to limit his ability to declare multiple public health emergencies tied to COVID-19. It hasn’t issued a decision yet.

DHS reported 1,525 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, for a total of 524,402 people.

Forty-two more have died, bringing the state’s death toll to 5,512 people.

An additional 5,081 people were tested, for a total of 2,969,801 Wisconsinites.

DHS considers 24,700 cases active.

The seven-day average for daily new cases is 1,895, down 180 from Monday and 932 from last week.

The seven-day average for daily new deaths is 43, down one from Monday and up 10 from last week.

As of Monday, the seven-day positivity rate by person was 23.9 percent, down 0.5 percentage points from Sunday and down 5.1 percentage points from last week.

The rate by test was 7.4 percent, down 0.3 percentage points from Sunday and 2.2 percentage points from last week.

No patients were receiving care at the surge facility in West Allis on Tuesday.

There were 865 COVID-19 patients at Wisconsin hospitals, down 10 from Monday and 123 from last week, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

There were 203 in intensive care units, down six from Monday and 22 from last week.