The state of Wisconsin’s mask mandate will be extended, Gov. Evers’ office announced Tuesday. The governor’s office declared a new public health emergency due to recent surge in cases among young people.
“We continue to learn more about this virus, but what we do know is that we are facing a new and dangerous phase of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Evers. “We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state, especially on campus. We need folks to start taking this seriously, and young people especially—please stay home as much as you are able, skip heading to the bars, and wear a mask whenever you go out. We need your help to stop the spread of this virus, and we all have to do this together.”
In a statement, the governor referenced a statistic indicating that eight Wisconsin cities were listed among the top twenty cities in the United States where COVID-19 cases were rising fastest. Six of those eight cities have UW System campuses.
“There’s clearly a problem,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett told WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi following the announcement of the mask mandate extension. “There are a lot of young people who are clearly not following the mandate. They’re going to go home and see their parents and grandparents. It’ll spread even more.”
The extension of the governor’s order has the support of the medical community in Milwaukee.
“We are surging now with the number of new cases in Wisconsin,” said Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin. “We also know that mask mandates increase compliance.”
It’s also supported by many in the business community.
“[Business owners] recognize the safety of their employees is critical to keeping their businesses functioning,” said Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce President Tim Sheehy on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. “The mandates do help some customer-facing businesses dealing with their customers wearing masks.”