>> IT'S A FAST-MOVING SITUATION
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HERE IN
OUR STATE.
WE CHECK IN WITH ONE OF THE
PEOPLE AT THE HELM OF THE
RESPONSE.
WE ARE JOINED BY THE
SECRETARY-DESIGNEE OF THE
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES, ANDREA PALM.
SHE'S HERE WITH THE LATEST AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO THESE NEW CASES ARE SPREAD
ALL ACROSS THE STATE, WHICH KIND
OF DESCRIBES THE PROGRESSION.
IN THE COMING DAYS, WHAT DO YOU
EXPECT TO SEE?
>> WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO SEE
CONFIRMED CASES.
THAT'S PART OF WHY WE HAVE BEEN
LEANING IN TO INCREASE ACCESS TO
TESTING.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US AS
A STATE TO KNOW WHERE THOSE
INFECTIONS ARE SO THAT WE CAN
MOVE INTO ACTION QUICKLY WITH
OUR LOCAL PARTNERS IN LOCAL
PUBLIC HEALTH TO GET THOSE FOLKS
INTO SELF QUARANTINE, TO DO
CONTACT TRACING AND TO REALLY
WORK HARD TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD
OF THIS DISEASE.
>> AS TO TESTING, THERE'S BEEN
AN AWFUL LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT
THIS AND HOW IN MANY PLACES IT'S
JUST INADEQUATE.
WHAT ABOUT IN WISCONSIN?
DO YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TEST
AS MANY OF THESE CASES AS
NEEDED?
>> WE CURRENTLY ARE MEETING
DEMAND.
WE DON'T HAVE MORE DEMAND FOR
TESTS THAN WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR.
BUT WE DO THINK AS THIS
CONTINUES TO RAMP UP, WE WILL BE
IN A SITUATION SIMILAR TO MANY
OTHER STATES WHERE WE NEED
INCREASED ACCESS FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO THESE TEST
KITS.
WE HAVE PUT IN A REQUEST NOW SO
THAT WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE
FEDS CAN FULFILL THAT REQUEST
BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT.
THE STATE LAB OF HYGIENE HAS
ALSO PUT IN A REQUEST.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT A SHORTAGE, AN
INABILITY TO ACCESS TESTS COULD
COME TO WISCONSIN AND WE ARE
ASKING THE FEDS TO MEET OUR
NEED, AS ARE MANY OTHER STATES.
>> ARE THERE OTHER HOSPITALS OR
FACILITIES THAT EXPECT TO START
TAKING ON TESTING?
>> THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT
QUESTION AND AN IMPORTANT POINT.
WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF PRIVATE
LABS COME ONBOARD.
MOST HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, THEY
HAVE CONTRACTS WITH LABS WHO RUN
THEIR TESTS.
THEY TAKE THE SWAB OR BLOOD,
SEND IT TO THEIR DIAGNOSTIC AND
GET THE RESULTS BACK.
SO ADDING THAT CAPACITY SO THAT
HOSPITALS CAN USE THE CURRENT
INFRASTRUCTURE THEY ALREADY USE
WILL BE AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO
EXPAND CAPACITY MOVING FORWARD.
AND WE AT THE STATE LAB IN THE
STATE ARE WORKING TO HELP THOSE
PLACES GET UP AND RUNNING AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE HE ALSO ALSO ARE EXPLORING THINGS
LIKE CENTRALIZED TESTING
FACILITIES OR DRIVE-THROUGH
CLINICS.
YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT IN OTHER
STATES.
WE'RE EXPLORING AS MANY OPTIONS
AS WE CAN SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO
MEET DEMAND.
>> AS TO THOSE PASSENGERS ON THE
CRUISE SHIP, HAVE THEY ALREADY
BEEN TESTED WHERE THEY ARE OR
WILL THAT HAPPEN ONCE THEY GET
BACK TO WISCONSIN?
>> SO WE ARE IN REALLY CLOSE
COMMUNICATION WITH HHS AND THOSE
FOLKS ARE STILL WITH THE FEDERAL
HHS FOLKS AT BASES EITHER IN
GEORGIA OR IN CALIFORNIA.
AND WE HAVE REQUESTED THAT THE
TESTS BE DONE BEFORE THEY'RE
RETURNED TO THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
WE WANT FOLKS TO COME HOME AS
SOON AS WE CAN, BUT WE ALSO WANT
TO BE REALLY CAREFUL NOT TO HAVE
SYMPTOMATIC OR CONFIRMED CASES
MIXED WITH FOLKS WHO ARE
ASYMPTOMATIC AND NEGATIVE.
WE ARE WORKING OUT THOSE DETAILS
WORKING AS URGENTLY AS WE CAN TO
BE ABLE TO BRING THESE FOLKS
HOME.
>> WHEN K-12 SCHOOLS CLOSE AND
SOME IN THE STATE ALREADY HAVE,
WHAT KINDS OF PROVISIONS WOULD
NEED TO BE MADE FOR FREE AND
REDUCED MEALS?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND
SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNOR
KEEPS FLAGGING FOR FOLKS.
AND WE HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS
TO SCHOOLS THAT THEY THINK ABOUT
THOSE THINGS WHEN THEY ARE
THINKING ABOUT CLOSURES,
PLANNING FOR ALTERNATE CHILD
CARE, PLANNING FOR WORKERS WHO NEED TO TAKE TIME OFF
BECAUSE THEIR KIDS AREN'T IN
SCHOOL.
AND WHAT WE DO ABOUT ACCESS TO
MEALS.
AND THERE ARE FEDERAL PROVISIONS
THAT DPI I THINK RUNS THE
PROGRAM CAN ACCESS A SHIFT TO
WHAT WOULD BE THE SUMMER MEAL
PROGRAM, WHICH IS KIND OF PICK
UP AND GO KIND OF SCENARIOS
WHERE KIDS CAN STILL HAVE ACCESS
TO THAT FOOD, BUT IT'S A
DIFFERENT FORM AS OPPOSED TO IN
THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
>> HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOU THINK
THE CANCELLATION OF UNIVERSITIES
GOING ONLINE AND K-12 SCHOOLS
WILL BE TOWARD MITIGATING THE
COMMUNITY SPREAD?
>> THEY HAVE DIFFERENT IMPACTS
ON MITIGATION.
I THINK THE REASON WE CAME OUT
YESTERDAY AS PART OF THE
DECLARATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH
EMERGENCY ON MASS GATHERINGS IS
BECAUSE THERE IS VERY CLEAR
EVIDENCE THAT THESE LARGE
GATHERINGS WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE
IN CLOSE CONTACT FOR EXTENDED
PERIODS OF TIME IS A VERY
IMPORTANT WAY THAT THE VIRUS
SPREADS.
AND SO IT IS WHY WE LEANED IN
FIRST THERE AND WHY WE CONTINUE
TO TRY TO GIVE GOOD ADVICE TO
SCHOOLS.
WE THINK THAT THE MOVE TO CANCEL
OR DO AUDIENCE-FREE SPORTING
EVENTS AND OTHER SORT OF SOCIAL
DISTANCING TACTICS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT TO STOP THE SPREAD OF
THIS DISEASE.
>> WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU GIVE
TO PEOPLE?
>> SO I THINK THERE'S A BALANCE
HERE BETWEEN THE URGENCY OF THIS
AND DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO
PITCH IN AND HELP EACH OTHER AND
TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST
VULNERABLE IN OUR STATE, THOSE
WHO ARE OLDER, THOSE WITH
UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.
AND SO WHILE MOST FOLKS WHO WILL
BE INFECTED WITH THIS WILL
EXPERIENCE MILD SYMPTOMS, WE ALL
NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOLKS
WHO ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO
SEVERE DISEASE.
AND SO GETTING PREPARED NOW FOR
THE DISRUPTIONS THAT COULD
HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING TO DO AND THEN
TO BE SUPER CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT
HOW WHAT YOU DO IMPACTS OTHERS
IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SECRETAR