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Record of nearly 8,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday

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Another day, another negative COVID-19 record for Wisconsin. The state Department of Health Services reported 7,989 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, more than 200 above the previous record.

There were just over 20,000 tests processed for a daily positive test rate of nearly 40 percent. The seven-day positive rate was 34.7 percent while the number of active cases increased to more than 74,600.

DHS reported 52 COVID-19 related deaths bringing the total to 2,793.

Trump campaign requests recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties

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President Donald Trump will request a recount in just two Wisconsin counties, both of which turned out solid majorities for Democrat Joe Biden.

The Trump campaign will request a recount only in Milwaukee and Dane, the state’s two most populous counties where a combined total of nearly 800,000 votes were cast.

President Trump’s campaign has officially filed its request for a partial vote recount in Milwaukee and Dane counties with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. It paid $3 million and the recount must be completed by December.

Canvassing results show Biden carried Dane County with 75 percent of the vote, and Milwaukee County with 65 percent. Menominee County, with a population of just 4200, gave Biden 82 percent of its votes.

COVID-19 vaccine distribution called ‘most extraordinary public health intervention’ ever in Wisconsin

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Public health officials in Wisconsin are already in discussions about how to distribute COVID-19 vaccines when they become available.

Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said Tuesday that local and tribal health departments and their community partners are preparing for the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.

“It will be the most extraordinary public health intervention our state has ever undertaken,” she said. “It poses significant challenges, such as the need for ultra-cold storage, and multiple vaccines, from multiple manufacturers, on different schedules.”

Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer have been announced and are seemingly highly effective. But even once they’re available, public health authorities urge us to continue to follow practices that can slow the spread of coronavirus.

Doctor Stephanie Schauer is the state Division of Public Health Immunization Program Manager. “It will take several months before vaccine supply will meet the public’s demand. I do want to reiterate that while we are looking forward to having safe and effective vaccine in the upcoming months, we still need to continue taking steps to protect ourselves, our families and our communities, both now and when the vaccine becomes available. Stay home, wash your hands, and physically distance when you do have to go out.”

The state’s efforts to distribute the vaccine will cost about $3.1 million. The vaccine would likely be distributed in phases–and only after undergoing rigorous safety testing by independent examiners.

“In that first phase it will likely be given to frontline healthcare providers through their employee health systems,” Willems Van Dijk said. It would then be given to those in long-term care facilities.

Vos says he’s willing to work with governor on pandemic response but offers few specifics

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After months of doing nothing about the pandemic, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he’s ready to work with the governor.

But during a Tuesday press conference, reporters pressed Vos for specifics. “You don’t have a bill. You just have ideas you want to talk about after 8 months. How can you say ‘we’ve been working on this all along’ if we haven’t got anything to show for it,” Vos was asked.

“Oh we do,” Vos said. “We have those exact ideas, but the whole point is as we have gone through the summer the Democrats have spent tens of millions of dollars lying about our record, saying we didn’t care about COVID, and that of course is not true.”

Governor Tony Evers has proposed legislation which includes a potential ban on evictions, requiring health plans to cover COVID-related testing and treatment, and to continue waiving the waiting period for unemployment insurance.

Evers’ office said he forwarded those proposals to Republican leadership, and had not heard back prior to Vos’ press conference.

Vos offered little in the way proposals beyond continued support for National Guard deployments at testing sites, and a need for more testing and tracing.

“We do not have bill language drafted. We do not have specific provisions that we’re offering like he does,” Vos said. “But I do think it’s important that as he has news conferences two and three times a week – and he should – that Assembly Republicans also have the chance to talk about things that we are for, and the things that we want to do, which is why we’re here today.”

His office released a statement Tuesday afternoon.

None of this may matter, as Senate President Chris Kapenga told the Journal Sentinel that he’s “not real keen,” on Evers’ proposals, which would cost about $541 million.

On Tuesday, the state reported new records for coronavirus-related deaths and hospitalizations.

Vos said most people in the state don’t care about partisan fights. “They want us to say ‘don’t focus on who’s fighting with who, don’t focus on who’s going to meet, what time where. Nobody cares. What they want is they want us to find answers where you can actually move the ball forward, and be able to things that can actually help those that are dealing with the coronavirus.”

Record day for COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin, Dane County puts strict gathering ban in place

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It’s been another record day of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Wisconsin as a surge of infections continues to move through Wisconsin.

The Department of Health Services reports that 318 people were sent to the hospital and 92 people died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a record for both of those numbers. Over 7,000 people tested positive, putting the total number of cases over 323 thousand.

The seven day average number of deaths is now at 49, and that’s up over 800 percent in only 2 months.

Public Health Madison – Dane County has put a ban on public indoor gatherings, and is restricting outdoor gatherings to just 10 people, even with social distancing. 

That includes sporting events, meetings, movies, conferences, and other activities. Indoor mass gatherings of any people who do not live together are prohibited. “This virus does not spread on its own. We spread it. Every gathering – no matter the size – is an opportunity for disease spread and prolongs the pandemic,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “We are hopeful that with the community’s cooperation, we can bring our numbers down and avoid more hospitalizations and deaths,” added Heinrich.

The new emergency order will be in effect starting on Wednesday and running through December 16th.

Canvass complete in all 72 counties, deadline for recount request 5:00 PM Wednesday

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The Wisconsin Elections Commission has received verified canvass statements from all 72 counties.

The results, which have been reviewed by WEC staff but are not scheduled to be certified by the WEC until December 1, show Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris defeated President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence by 20,612 votes.

The Trump/Pence campaign now has until 5:00 p.m. Wednesday to request a recount according to the procedures required by state statutes.

“Our county clerks have carefully estimated their costs for recounting 3.2 million ballots, which is approximately $7.9 million,” Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe said Monday. “These estimates are significantly higher than the actual costs of the 2016 recount, but they take into account factors not present four years ago, including the need for larger spaces to permit public observation and social distancing, security for those spaces, the higher number of absentee ballots, a compressed timeframe over a holiday, and renting high-speed ballot scanning equipment.”

November is peak month for car-vehicle collisions

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November is the peak month for vehicle accidents involving deer. According to State Farm, Wisconsin drivers have a 1 in 57 chance of hitting an animal, mostly deer.

Those odds rank the state 7th most risky according to a press release from the insurance carrier.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation encourages drivers to eliminate distractions, use extra caution in deer zones, be aware of risky dusk-to-dawn times, don’t rely on unproven tools such as deer whistles.

If you see deer, slow down, don’t swerve or slam on the brakes and know more are nearby.

Odds of hitting a deer in the road are the highest in West Virginia and the risk is lowest in Hawaii.

DNR sees increased license sales ahead of gun deer season

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The gun deer season starts this weekend, and the Department of Natural Resources says things are looking good heading into opening on Saturday.

DNR wildlife management director Eric Loebner says that COVID-19 hasn’t put a damper on enthusiasm in this year’s hunt. 

“Right now we’re at about a 9 percent increase over last year, so certainly the interest is out there and that interest is carrying throughout all outdoor recreational activities.”

Loebner reminds people to keep their COVID-19 precautions in mind, and to wear masks around other hunters, and wash hands when you get the chance. 

“Although getting out in nature is a great way to escape the mental challenge that we may be experiencing with a quarantine and a global pandemic, but it’s also important to think about protecting yourself and protecting your family members and those around you.”

The department is recommending against taking long trips to hunting camp this season.

“And if your camp is not that far from your house, you know, a short distance, I would also recommend people think twice about getting into a cabin or riding in a vehicle with non-household family members.”

Wisconsin sets new record of coronavirus hospitalizations Monday

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The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wisconsin reached a new high on Monday.

The Wisconsin Hospitals Association reported 2,274 coronavirus patients, including 456 in ICUs. That’s an increase of 178 over Sunday and 271 more than one week ago.

The state Department of Health Services reported 19 patients at the State Fair Park Alternate Care Facility.

DHS reported 4,389 new positive test results on just over 12,000 tests, a positive test rate of about 36 percent. Twelve additional deaths bring the statewide total to 2,649.

Wisconsin Supreme Court hears another challenge to Evers’ emergency orders

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Wisconsin’s  response to the global COVID-19 pandemic is back before the state Supreme Court.

The case was brought by Jeré Fabick, a policy adviser at the conservative Heartland Institute and a Republican donor who’s also president of a Caterpillar equipment dealer.

Fabick’s attorney, Matthew Fernholz, said Monday that Governor Tony Evers’ repeated executive orders are invalid, because his emergency powers have expired

“We are not taking issue with the governor’s decision to label COVID a public health emergency under the statute. We agree it meets the definition. The problem for the governor is it met the definition in March, it met it in July and it met it in September. And for him to issue those second and third emergency declarations, he needed approval from the legislature, and he didn’t receive it.”

Hannah Jurss, an assistant attorney general defending the Evers administration, argued that the governor’s authority over a health emergency allows him to issues multiple orders as conditions change. “The definition of public health emergency is not what defines when a governor issues a state of emergency order, but that’s what Fabick is arguing,” she said. “I think it’s important that the court consider the absurd results the would flow from Fabick’s ‘one and done’ interpretation.

If the conservative majority rules in Fabicks’ favor, Evers and Republican legislative leaders would have to cooperate on a coronavirus strategy, which hasn’t happened so far. The court’s liberal justices noted the legislature has failed to take any action on the pandemic for the past seven months.

The justices heard arguments virtually and are are expected to issue a decision soon.  In May, the Court struck down Evers’ “safer at home” order, ruling that the administration had overstepped its authority when it extended the order without consulting lawmakers.