Conavirus......

[bae]

More mask info.

We're going to be requiring masks in public settings in the County under many circumstances likely by tomorrow.

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.13553.pdf

https://rs-delve.github.io/reports/2...al-public.html

[Yppej]

Bae your latest link says implement early for good results. Have you not had cases yet on your island?

[bae]

Bae your latest link says implement early for good results. Have you not had cases yet on your island?

The entire county had only 15 cases total, with ~3 weeks since our last case. The county next door to us, where the ferry comes from, had a very high rate of infection. We acted early, and ahead of the state, to close down transient vacation rentals, and engaged in a somewhat expensive media campaign to discourage strongly visitors. Our county of 15,000 people gets millions of tourist visitors a year. My island of 5000 gets about 1 million of them, from all over the world.

We are investigating how to reopen local businesses responsibly. However, this week, with the good weather and the reopening statewide of state parks for "local day use only", we have been flooded with off-island visitors, who clearly are not engaging in "local day use only", and who are not properly following our social distancing and other policies. We are also getting "virus tourists", who think this is a good place to hide out - it isn't really.

I suspect we will soon have a large rise in the number of cases, but we used the time wisely to prepare. Asking people to wear masks in public settings where they can't properly distance is important - we have 3 cemeteries here on the island, and no hospitals, ICU, ventilators, and so on.

[ToomuchStuff]

we have 3 cemeteries here on the island, and no hospitals, ICU, ventilators, and so on.

So three locations where six foot distancing is automatically the norm.

[dado potato]

@ Toomuchstuff

Good one!

[dado potato]

Wisconsin's policy goal is to shift from "boxing in" the entire state population to isolating people who have the virus and could transmit it to others. The rate at which the shift will occur is based on "gating" criteria which are based on daily reports of data from hospitals. To the best of my knowledge the gating criteria were defined by senior public health civil servants, with strong input from the CDC in April. The Governor is a Democrat, and the majority of the Senate and Assembly are Republican. The latest modification of the "Safer at Home" restrictions extended the period to May 26, and permitted opening of:
libraries for pickup and drop off of library materials,
arts and crafts stores for curbside pickup,
and golf courses.

The Wisconsin legislature filed suit in the state Supreme Court for an injunction against the acting Secretary of DHS. The court agreed to hear the case. Will the Court, with its "conservative" majority, side with the Governor or the Legislature? The Governor's argument is that the the executive branch necessarily has broad powers to act in the interests of public health, and it would be dangerous to impede these powers with the technicalities of "rule-making". I am not a lawyer, but I would guess the Court will deny the injunction.

I guessed wrong this time! The Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to grant the injunction. So now, the legislature will be involved in a rule-making process, before there will be restrictions on travel or business practices.

[Teacher Terry]

I am shocked at the decision.

[jp1]

I am shocked at the decision.

Why? The WI supreme court (from a virtual distance because of course they didn't want to actually come in contact with anyone) made it clear in the days before the primary last month that they are cool with people dying because that's the republican way. Now we get to watch WI follow GA and TN and KS into the rabbithole of "lots of new infections". And all the non-sciency people will be like "who would have thought this was going to happen??????" while the rest of the reality based community says "you're a special kinda stupid aren't ya?" and the non-sciency folks get upset that we're all so "judgey".

[Teacher Terry]

When I left Wisconsin in 1993 it was progressive and awesome. I have a hard time accepting reality.

[Tybee]

It does seem very different than when we used to go there a lot and were looking to buy a house there back in the late 90's.