Evers extends Wisconsin stay-at-home order until May 26

Updated: 11 a.m., April 17

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday extended Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order for another month, keeping nonessential businesses closed until after the Memorial Day holiday weekend to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The order is available here.

Schools will be closed the remainder of the academic year under the safer-at-home order that will be in effect until May 26. Golf courses will be allowed to re-open, but club houses and pro shops will remain closed.

“A few weeks ago, we had a pretty grim outlook for what COVID-19 could mean for our state, but because of the efforts of all of you, Safer at Home is working,” Evers said in a statement. “That said, we aren’t out of the woods just yet.”

Before the order can be lifted, there needs to be more testing and other public health measures in place, said state Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm.

“These steps will help us reduce the risk of a second wave of the virus,” she said. “If we open up too soon, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and requiring more drastic physical distancing measures again.”

Evers also loosened restrictions on nonessential businesses, allowing them to make deliveries and have curbside pickup available. That includes arts and crafts stores making material available to produce face masks and other personal protective equipment. Lawn care services are allowed, as long as the work is done by just one person.

Evers said people are strongly encouraged to stay close to home, not travel to cabins or second homes and not travel out of state.

The extension of the Safer at Home order includes a few changes. Some changes allow more businesses and activities to open back up, while other changes help make businesses safer for employees and customers. The changes in this order include:

Businesses and activities ramping up service and operations:

• Public libraries: Public libraries may now provide curb-side pick-up of books and other library materials.

• Golf courses: Golf courses may open again, with restrictions including scheduling and paying for tee times online or by phone only. Clubhouses and pro shops must remain closed.

• Non-essential businesses: Non-essential businesses will now be able to do more things as minimum basic operations, including deliveries, mailings, and curbside pickup. Non-essential businesses must notify workers of whether they are necessary for the minimum basic operations.

• Arts and crafts stores: Arts and craft stores may offer expanded curb-side pick-up of materials necessary to make face masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Aesthetic or optional exterior work: Aesthetic or optional exterior lawn care or construction is now allowed under the extended order, so long as it can be done by one person.

Essential businesses and operations must increase cleaning and disinfection practices, ensure that only necessary workers are present, and adopt policies to prevent workers exposed to COVID-19 or symptomatic workers from coming to work.

Retail stores that remain open to the public as essential businesses and operations must limit the number of people in the store at one time, must provide proper spacing for people waiting to enter, and large stores must offer at least two hours per week of dedicated shopping time for vulnerable populations.

Essential businesses and operations that are essential because they supply, manufacture, or distribute goods and services to other essential businesses and operations can only continue operations that are necessary to those businesses they supply. All other operations must continue as minimum basic operations.

Public and private K-12 schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

Local health officials may close public parks and open spaces if it becomes too difficult to ensure social distancing or the areas are being mistreated.

People are strongly encourage to stay close to home, not travel to second homes or cabins, and not to travel out-of-state if it is not necessary.

Tribal nations are sovereign over their territory and can impose their own restrictions. Non-tribal members should be respectful of and avoid non-essential travel to tribal territory. Local government must coordinate, collaborate, and share information with Tribal Nations.

While Evers extended the order, pressure is building among some to reopen shuttered businesses. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce said that as of Thursday, more than 50 other business associations, local chambers of commerce and nearly 2,000 citizens and businesses signed a letter calling on Evers to let businesses reopen April 24.

According to a Facebook event page for organizers of the Wisconsin Freedom Rally, more than 750 people said as of Thursday afternoon that they planned to attend next week. Organizers said “we will be practicing our constitutional right to assemble and occupy the State Capitol Grounds.”