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 MITIGATE
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 F