Gov. Evers extends face coverings mandate

Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday extended a face covering mandate another 60 days.

The action came through an executive order declaring a public health emergency and a corresponding emergency order released Tuesday.

The face covering requirement is similar to the mandate enacted in late July and set to expire next Monday.

The new order is set to expire Nov. 21.

The emergency order calls face coverings “a proven, effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19 without having a significant impact on people’s day-to-day lives.”

In a news release, Evers said:

“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. 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.”

The state seems to be undergoing a surge in cases. The news release poitns out “last week, eight Wisconsin cities were listed among the top twenty cities in the United States where COVID-19 cases were rising fastest, and six of those eight cities have University of Wisconsin System campuses.”

State Sen. Van Wanggaard, whose district includes most of Western Kenosha County, was critical of the extension. In a news release issued shortly after Evers’ action Wanggaard said:

For someone who claims to be following the science, Governor Evers is ignoring his own data and the results of his mandatory mask experiment. According to Evers’ third COVID Emergency Order, Wisconsin’s COVID infection rate has decreased or remained flat for nearly every age group since early July, more than a month before his original mask order. In addition, Wisconsin’s recent spike in COVID infections is almost entirely driven by 18-24 year olds on college campuses and has exclusively occurred while Evers’ mask mandate has been in effect. Instead of following the science and the data, Evers’ is once again continuing his “one size fits all” approach to the virus, doubling down on a strategy that has proven ineffective for the age group driving the COVID-infection spike. I remain ready to vote to repeal this mask mandate.”

An extensive look at the latest action is available here from Racine County Eye.

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