Wisconsinites urged to stay home in Saturday message from governor

By Brandi Makuski

Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday issued an urgent message to Wisconsinites: Stay home.

Though not an official quarantine or “shelter-in-place” order, Evers took to social media on March 21 to tell residents staying home is the best way to help healthcare systems across the state.

“We are obviously in the midst of a real crisis, and the people that are helping us get through this crisis, the ones that are in the healthcare world, whether it’s EMTs, healthcare workers, first responders, nurses, and so on, are putting their lives and their hearts on the line to help us get through this,” Ever said in his video message. “Now what we can do to help them is, frankly, stay at home.”

As of Saturday, Wisconsin has 281 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, with most located in Milwaukee and Dane counties. Marathon and Wood counties each have one confirmed case but none have been announced in Portage Co.

The Wisconsin death toll now stands at four. The latest victim, a 69-year-old man from Milwaukee Co. had major health issues before he contracted the virus, according to the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services.

In an effort to slow the spread, Evers on Friday announced new restrictions that shut down personal care businesses like spas, barbershops, hair salons, and tattoo parlors. In Friday’s announcement, Evers said statewide school closures would be “indefinite,” and included a provision that “media and news organizations can remain open to provide the public with vital information.”