Frederica Freyberg:

Governor Tony Evers hopes new statewide restrictions on public indoor gatherings will help bring down the record breaking surge in COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. The restrictions went into effect Thursday and will last until November 6th. The order reduces indoor gatherings to 25% capacity of an establishment. Places like retail stores, bars and restaurants. It makes exceptions for schools, childcare services, healthcare facilities and government offices, including polling places. It also excludes churches and political rallies.

Tony Evers:

We need everyone together to take precautions to keep our neighbors and communities safe. It is simply not enough to only wear a mask. We need folks to take further action to help stop the spread of this virus and flatten the curve. Because here’s the deal, folks. Our hospital systems are not invulnerable, either. Our healthcare systems are teetering.

Frederica Freyberg:

Republican leadership blasted the order calling it illegal because of the state Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the governor’s earlier safer-at-home order. We invited Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to join our program on this matter but he declined as did the Assembly majority leader. Speaker Vos did say this in a statement in response to the mass gathering emergency order. “With cases once again rising, it’s clear the governor’s go it alone, grab bag approach to responding to the coronavirus has been a failure. We must work together,” he says, “in order to keep our businesses open and our citizens safe. We would like to request a meeting with the governor as soon as possible to discuss answers to deal with the virus, especially solutions that don’t result in families going bankrupt and thousands being added to the unemployment lines.”