Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers extended a mask mandate for his state as well as a state of emergency until 2021 amid rising coronavirus cases.
Evers, a Democrat, made the call after Wisconsin reached a single-day record of 92 deaths attributed to COVID-19 on Tuesday and a single-day record of new cases, with nearly 8,000, on Wednesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It’s clear based on where we’re headed, we cannot afford to stop or have a gap in some of the only mitigation efforts we still have in place,” Evers said on Wednesday.
The extended emergency order, which requires face coverings in public places, was set to expire on Saturday.
The governor also urged GOP lawmakers and conservatives to stop pushing lawsuits to overturn the state’s indoor mask mandate.
Wisconsin is among a handful of states that don’t have statewide plans to navigate the pandemic after a GOP-led lawsuit was established against Evers in May, blocking his ability to impose actions without the approval of the Republican-controlled legislature. Courts have rules against Evers in every suit, including those focused on a state-issued stay-at-home order and the closure of businesses. Only the mask mandate has survived, but litigation continues.
In Wisconsin, there have been surges in case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths, prompting state and local officials to take action. Hospitals across the state are reported to be at or near capacity, and they face widespread staffing shortages as healthcare workers exposed to the virus are forced to take leave and self-quarantine.
This is happening just ahead of Thanksgiving, and state officials have recommended people not to risk having family gatherings for the holiday.
“It’s not worth it,” said Andrea Palm, the Department of Health Services’s secretary-designee, according to Fox 11.
More than 340,000 cases of the coronavirus and almost 3,000 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in the state. Across the United States, the number of cases has now surpassed 11 million, and there have been 250,000 deaths tied to COVID-19.
