Here & Now

Despite Pandemic Wisconsin Dells Busy Over July 4th Weekend

Frederica Freyberg:

An estimated 100,000 people ventured into the Wisconsin Dells during the 4th of July weekend even with coronavirus concerns. These are the crowds at Noah’s Ark Waterpark despite keeping attendance to 35% capacity. Guests were asked to wear masks inside the park but were not required to wear them. The number of COVID cases in Wisconsin now tops 33,000, with more than 800 deaths, and the rate of positive cases continues to rise. The upward surge has been steady since the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Wisconsin’s “safer at home” order. Governor Tony Evers this week said he would have considered imposing a face mask order to prevent further spread if he had the power to do so.

Tony Evers:

I know a lot of people have asked about issuing another “safer at home” order or requiring masks at the state level. Unfortunately, the reality is that the Supreme Court ruling in the Republican lawsuit really hamstrung our ability to respond to this pandemic.