% >> GOVERNOR TONY EVERS DECLARED
% A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY A DAY
% AGO AND TODAY PRESIDENT DONALD
% TRUMP DECLARED A FEDERAL STATE
% OF EMERGENCY, BRINGING $50
% BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL
% FUNDING.%ALSO TODAY, NEW CORONAVIRUS
% CASES HIT DOUBLE DIGITS IN
% WISCONSIN, SPREADING TO
% MILWAUKEE, RACINE AND SHEBOYGAN
% COUNTIES.
% TO STAY UP TO UP-TO-DATE, VISIT
% wiscontext.org.
% THE STATE IS MOVING TO MIN MITIE
% THE SPREAD.
% ALL K-12 SCHOOLS PUBLIC AND
% PRIVATE WILL CLOSE EFFECTIVE
% WEDNESDAY.
% THE STATE IS ALSO HELPING 37
% RESIDENTS RETURNING TO WISCONSIN
% FROM THE PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP
% WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED AND
% WILL SELF-QUARANTINE FOR 14
% DAYS.
% NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS DRIVING
% THOSE PEOPLE HOME ONCE THEY LAND
% IN THE STATE.
% TONIGHT ZAC SCHULTZ REPORTS ON
% THE FAST-MOVING DEVELOPMENTS.
% >> ALL STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO
% STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.
% >> THE COVID-19 VIRUS HAS BEEN
% LABELED A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND
% NOW GOVERNOR TONY EVERS SAYS
% IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
% IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
% >> THIS DECLARATION ALLOWS US TO
% ACCESS STATE RESOURCES TO DEAL
% WITH THIS PANDEMIC HEAD-ON, CARE
% FOR THOSE WHO NEED HELP AND ALSO
% LIMIT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
% >> SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND
% WISCONSIN ARE CLOSING OR
% ADJUSTING THEIR CALENDARS.
% BUT GOVERNOR EVERS SAYS HE'S NOT
% READY TO ASK ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
% BECAUSE THEY CAN MINIMIZE RISK
% WHILE STILL PROVIDING ESSENTIAL
% SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, EVEN
% BEYOND EDUCATION.%>> ONE IS FOOD SECURITY.
% WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
% FOLKS IN WISCONSIN, INCLUDING
% KIDS AND OLDER ADULTS, WHO RELY
% ON SCHOOLS AND NONPROFITS IN
% ORDER TO GET THEIR MEALS.
% ENSURING THAT THOSE FOLKS ARE
% TAKEN CARE OF IS A TOP PRIORITY.
% >> ANDREA PALM, THE DEPARTMENT
% OF HEALTH SERVICES SECRETARY, IS
% ASKING PEOPLE TO AVOID LARGE
% GROUPS AND TO STAY HOME IF THEY
% HAVE SYMPTOMS.
% >> WE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE
% SIGNIFICANT STEPS ARE GOING TO
% DISRUPT PEOPLE'S LIVES, BUT ARE
% MAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO
% PROTECT THE LIVES OF THE MOST
% VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR
% FAMILIES, OUR COMMUNITIES AND
% OUR STATE.
% >> IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT NOW
% IS THE TIME FOR THE UNIVERSITY
% TO TAKE BROADER ACTION.
% >> A NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY OF
% WISCONSIN SCHOOLS ARE MOVING TO
% ONLINE CLASSES THROUGH APRIL.
% AND UW-MADISON IS ASKING
% STUDENTS TO MOVE OUT OF THE
% DORMS.%>> WE ARE ALSO DIRECTING
% UNDERGRADUATES WHO LIVE IN OUR
% RESIDENCE HALLS TO RETURN TO
% THEIR PERMANENT HOMES IF AT ALL
% POSSIBLE.%>> DANE COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOE
% PARISI SAYS RIGHT NOW THEY'RE
% ASKING PEOPLE TO VOLUNTARILY
% AVOID LARGE GROUPS, BUT THAT
% COULD SHIFT FROM VOLUNTARY TO
% MANDATORY.
% >> I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT
% THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH
% HAS THE POWER TO ENACT STATUTORY
% AUTHORITY TO PREVENT DISEASE
% SPREAD IN THE COMMUNITY.
% SHOULD THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
% ESCALATE, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC
% HEALTH HAS THE OPTION TO USE
% THIS AUTHORITY TO ORDER
% SUSPENSION OF PUBLIC EVENTS IN
% THE AREA.
% >> A NUMBER OF LARGE CROWD
% EVENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
% CANCELLED, INCLUDING SPORTING
% EVENTS, TOURS OF THE CAPITOL AND
% CAMPAIGN EVENTS.
% >> MOST POLITICIANS SPEND THEIR
% TIME HUGGING AND SHAKING HANDS
% AND THOSE DAYS ARE GONE.
% >> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M
% ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE AND NOW."