>>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
AND I'M MARISA WOJCIK,
MULTIMEALED YA JOURNALIST WITH
"HERE & NOW" ON PBS WISCONSIN,
AND TODAY IS JUNE 2.
AS OF TODAY, THE LAST OF
WISCONSIN'S COUNTIES HAVE
DROPPED MASK MANDATES FOR THOSE
WHO ARE VACCINATED AGAINST
COVID-19.
WITH THE WITH LAST REMNANTS OF
THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS
LIFTED, WE TURN TO "HERE & NOW"
REPORTER, WILL HUSHMAN, IN FRONT
OF THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING,
WHICH IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,
AND AS OF THIS WEEK, BACK TO
PRE-PANDEMIC HOURS, AND, WILL,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
>> HEY, MARISA, THANKS!
>> IS WISCONSIN ON ITS WAY BACK
TO A NEW NORMAL, AND HAVE SOME
COUNTIES BEEN BACK TO NORMAL FOR
A WHILE, AND OTHERS ARE JUST
KIND OF HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION
MORE SLOWLY?
>> RIGHT.
YEAH.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE TODAY,
AS YOU SAID, WITH DANE COUNTY
BEING THE LAST COUNTY IN THE
STATE TO LET EXPIRE ITS MASK
ORDER AND OTHER PANDEMIC
RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC
GATHERINGS AND DINING AND RETAIL
AND BAR ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WE
ARE GETTING BACK TO SOME
SEMBLANCE OF A NEW NORMAL, BUT
AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS NEW
NORMAL HAS BEEN IN PROCESS FOR A
LITTLE WHILE.
SOME FRIENDS OF OURS AT A
PREVIOUS POSITION, AN
EPIDEMIOLOGIST, ONE OF THE
CREATORS OF THE DEAR PANDEMIC
WEBSITE AND BLOG, SHE RECENTLY
PENNED AN OP-ED FOR THE "CAPITAL
TIMES" IN MADISON, REFERRING TO
THE PERIOD AS A PAN-EXIT,
WARNING US A MONTH AGO, COULD BE
MESSY AND CONFUSING FOR FOLKS AS
WE GET TOWARDS THIS NEW NORMAL,
BUT, YEAH, THERE'S CERTAINLY
PARTS OF THE STATE WHERE
RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PRETTY
MUCH GONE FOR MONTHS.
COUNTIES EXPIRED THE MASK ORDERS
AFTER THE CDC RELAXED GUIDANCE
FOR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS IN
MAY, AN EVEN BEFORE THAT, THE
STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE
OVERTURNED BY THE WISCONSIN
SUPREME COURT AT THE END OF
MARCH, A NUMBER OF OTHER
COUNTIES HAVE NOT HAD ANY LOCAL
RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE OF THAT
SINCE THEN.
>> CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF
WHAT POSITIVE CASES LOOK LIKE
AROUND THE STATE, KIND OF A
SNAPSHOT PRESENTLY AS WELL AS
GENERAL TRENDS OVERALL?
>> SURE.
THE GENERAL TREND IS THAT NEW
CASES AND OVERALL
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS ARE
TRENDING DOWNWARD.
NEW CASES ARE TRENDING DOWNWARD
PRETTY QUICKLY.
JUST LAST WEEK, THE 7-DAY
AVERAGE FOR NEW CASES ACROSS THE
STATE WAS OVER 300.
EARLIER IN MAY, IT WAS OVER 600,
AND NOT TOO LONG AGO IN THE
THOUSANDS.
AS OF YESTERDAY, THE 7-DAY
AVERAGE FOR NEW CASES STATEWIDE
STOOD AT 179, AND THAT'S THE
LOWEST 7-DAY AVERAGE SEEN HERE
IN THE STATE SINCE LATE APRIL OF
2020, AND SO APRIL 22nd OF
2020, AND SO WE ARE DEFINITELY
AT A STAGE IN THE PANDEMIC NOW
WITH A LARGE AND GROWING NUMBER
OF PEOPLE BEING VACCINATED.
UNFORTUNATELY, A FAIRLY LARGE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LIKELY HAVE
IMMUNITY THROUGH PRIOR INFECTION
THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING
CASE RATES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS
AND DEATHS GOING DOWN, AND THE
HOPE IS THAT THAT CONTINUES.
I JUST ALSO WILL MENTION A
CAVEAT TO THE DATA IS THE FACT
THAT THERE'S NOT AS MUCH TESTING
GOING ON IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS
AS THERE WAS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF
THE SPRING AND ALL OF LAST YEAR.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, WHICH
WAS REQUIRING TESTING FOR
STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES ON
CAMPUS, AT SOME POINT IN THIS
SPRING ACCOUNTED FOR 10% OF ALL
TESTS GOING ON IN THE STATE.
WITH SCHOOL OUT OF SESSION NOW,
THAT'S A LOT OF TESTS THAT ARE
NOT HAPPENING, AND THEN IT ALSO
SEEMS LIKE GENERALLY PEOPLE ARE
JUST SEEKING TESTS A LITTLE LESS
OFTEN THAN THEY WERE EARLIER
THIS SPRING OR LAST YEAR.
>> THAT IS VERY INTERESTING.
SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT
DIFFERENT COUNTIES ACROSS THE
STATE, WE KNOW THAT NOT ALL
COUNTIES ARE SHOWING POSITIVE
CASES IN THE SAME LEVELS, IN THE
SAME TRENDS.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HOW COUNTY VARY IN
POSITIVE CASES RIGHT NOW?
>> SURE.
POSITIVE CASES ARE TRENDING
DOWNWARD IN MOST AREAS OF THE
STATE.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE STATE'S
BIGGEST CITIES, MILWAUKEE, AND
THE WHOLE METRO AREA, MADISON,
AND DANE COUNTY.
I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT
MILWAUKEE'S MASK MANDATE EXPIRED
JUST YESTERDAY.
A LOT OF OTHER KIND OF URBAN
CENTERS IN THE STATE, CASES ARE
TRENDING DOWNWARD.
THAT'S LIKE IN OUR ACTUALLY, A
NUMBER OF RURAL PARTS OF THE
STATE AS WELL.
THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF THE
STATE THAT HAVE DEFINITELY SEEN
MORE CASES, AT LEAST ON A PER
CAPITA BASIS, AND SO ADJUSTING
FOR THEIR POPULATION.
OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND LAST
MONTH THAN THEY HAD BEEN
PREVIOUSLY.
THOSE ARE GENERALLY IN KIND OF
THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE
STATE, AND SO IT STARTED OUT
WITH SOME BORDER COUNTIES, ALONG
THE MINNESOTA BORDER, WHICH
DEFINITELY SAW A BIT MORE OF A
VARIANT DRIVEN SURGE THIS SPRING
THAN WE DID HERE IN WISCONSIN,
AT LEAST STATEWIDE.
THOSE CASES, AND THAT SPREAD
STARTED TO SPILL OVER THE BORDER
INTO BORDER COUNTIES, KIND OF
NORTH OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO
AREA ALL THE WAY UP TO SUE SUPERIOR,
AND THAT'S SINCE MOVED EASTWARD
A LITTLE BIT.
RIGHT NOW, THE FOCAL POINT FOR
NEW INFECTIONS IS IN RUSK
COUNTY, WHICH IS A SMALL COUNTY
OF 15,000 PEOPLE, A LITTLE NORTH
AND EAST OF OCLAIRE.
>> VERY INTERESTING.
WHAT DO VACCINATIONS LOOK LIKE
ACROSS THE STATE?
HAVE WE REACHED A PLATEAU OF
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET
VACCINATED AT THIS POINT THAT
HAVE BEEN VACCINATED?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
VACCINATIONS ARE STILL
CONTINUING TO INCREASE ACROSS
THE STATE.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE EVERY DAY WHO ARE
STILL GETTING DOSES OF VACCINE,
WHETHER IT IS THEIR FIRST DOSE
OR THE DOSE THAT WOULD COMPLETE
THEIR SERIES, IF THEY ARE
GETTING VACCINED MANUFACTURED BY
PFIZER OR MODERNA.
THE PACE OF NEW VACCINATIONS IS
DEFINITELY SLOWING DOWN.
IT HAS BEEN SLOWING DOWN SINCE
ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL,
NOT LONG AFTER PRETTY MUCH
UNIVERSAL ELIGIBILITY FOR ADULTS
IN THE STATE.
IT'S -- RATES ARE ALSO VARYING
QUITE A BIT AROUND THE STATE AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL.
THERE ARE SOME COUNTIES, FOR
INSTANCE, HERE IN DANE COUNTY,
FULLY TWO-THIRDS OF RESIDENTS
HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE
OF VACCINE RIGHT NOW, AND DANE
COUNTY LEADS THE STATE IN THAT
METRIC.
DOOR COUNTY, TOURIST HOT SPOT, A
LITTLE SMALLER AND MORE RURAL,
IS ACTUALLY LEADING THE STATE IN
THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO
COMPLETED THEIR VACCINE SERIES.
THAT'S IN THE UPPER 50%, AROUND
58%.
DOOR COUNTY AS WELL AS BAYFIELD
COUNTY HAVE ALSO SEEN MORE THAN
60% OF THEIR LOCAL RES DIDN'TS
GET -- RESIDENTS GET AT LEAST
THE FIRST DOSE.
THERE'S 1 12 OR 14 OTHER COUNTIES
IN THE STATE SEEING THEIR
VACCINATION RATES, AT LEAST FOR
FIRST DOSES, ABOVE 50%.
A NUMBER OF THESE ARE SUBURBAN
COUNTIES AROUND MADISON AND
MILWAUKEE ALONG WITH LACROSSE
COUNTY, AND THEN A NUMBER OF
RURAL COUNTIES UP ALONG THE LAKE
SUPERIOR SHORELINE.
>> DO WE KNOW IF THERE IS A
CORRELATION BETWEEN COUNTIES
THAT HAVE LOWER RATES OF
VACCINATION, BUT HIGHER RATES OF
CASES PER CAPITA, AND VICE
VERSA, HIGHER RATES OF
VACCINATION AND MUCH LOWER RATES
OF POSITIVE CASE INFECTIONS?
>> SURE.
THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING AND
REALLY COMPLICATED QUESTION.
I GUESS MY ANSWER FOR YOU IS
THAT, NO, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW
FOR SURE.
AT LEAST, I DON'T BASED ON
REPORTING I'VE DONE AND THE
REPORTING THAT I'VE READ.
NO IF THERE'S TRULY A
CORRELATION BETWEEN VACCINATION
RATES RIGHT NOW AND NUMBER OF
NEW CASES.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT
AREAS OF THE STATE WITH HIGH
VACCINATION RATES ARE DEFINITELY
NOT SEEING CASES RISE, OR AT
LEAST THERE'S A COUPLE KIND OF
SMALLER COUNTIES, BAYFIELD AND
ASHLYN COUNTY UP IN THE LAKE
SUPERIOR SHORELINE WITH HIGHER
VACCINATION RATES THAT HAVE SEEN
A BIT OF AN UPTICK IN CASES IN
RECENT WEEKS, BUT NOTHING LIKE
EARLIER IN THE PANDEMIC, AND
THEN A NUMBER OF OTHER REALLY
HIGHLY VACCINATED AREAS HAVE
DEFINITELY SEEN THAT TREND
CONTINUE TO GO DOWNWARD.
I GUESS I CAN POINT OUT RUSK
COUNTY AND NEIGHBORING COUNTIES
UP THERE, SAWYER COUNTY,
BERNETTE COUNTY, HAVE LOWER
VACCINATION RATES IN THE STATE
RIGHT NOW, AROUND 30%, BETWEEN
30% AND 40% OR SO, AND CASES
HAVE BEEN KIND OF ELEVATED
AROUND THERE.
I SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT, THOUGH,
THAT THE TWO COUNTIES WITH THE
LOWEST VACCINATION RATES IN THE
STATE RIGHT NOW, TAYLOR AND
CLARK COUNTIES, WHICH IS JUST TO
THE SOUTH OF RUSK COUNTY, TO
ALSO QUITE RURAL COUNTIES, CLARK
COUNTY ALSO HOME TO A LOT OF
AMISH PEOPLE AND MENNONITES,
PLAIN PEOPLE, WHO GENERALLY
REFUSE VACCINATION FOR REALLY
ANY DISEASE, INCLUDING COVID.
THOSE COUNTIES HAVE VACCINATION
RATES RIGHT NOW AROUND 25% OR
SO, AND THEY HAVE NOT SEEN AN
UPTICK IN RECENT CASES, AT LEAST
AS OF RIGHT NOW.
I'LL BE WATCHING THAT CLOSELY IN
THE COMING WEEKS.
>> AND YOU TOUCHED ON THIS A
LITTLE BIT, BUT DO WE KNOW OF
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT YET
VACCINATED, WHY ARE THEY NOT YET
VACCINATED?
IS IT FOLKS WHO ARE JUST SAYING,
I AM NEVER GOING TO GET
VACCINATED?
IS IT PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST STILL
WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION?
ARE THERE STILL ISSUES OF
ACCESS?
YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY JUST NOT
ABLE TO TRAVEL TO GET THE
VACCINE.
NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IT WHEN
THEY ARE NOT WORKING?
>> RIGHT.
RIGHT.
YEAH.
AS I JUST MENTIONED, YEAH, THERE
ARE DEFINITELY SOME PEOPLE WHO
OBJECT TO VACCINATION ON
RELIGIOUS GROUNDS, BUT WE
CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN HEARING
ABOUT, AND I'VE READ THROUGH
POLLING DATA THAT SUGGESTS THAT
THERE'S DEFINITELY A POLITICAL
DIMENSION TO SOMEONE'S -- OR
PEOPLEGENERALLY, THEIR
WILLINGNESS TO BE VACCINATED FOR
COVID-19 SPECIFICALLY.
WE SEE LOWER RATES OF
SELF-IDENTIFIED REPUBLICANS
EXPRESS WILLINGNESS OR
ENTHUSIASM TO BE VACCINATED FOR
COVID-19 THAN WE DO POLITICAL
INDEPENDENTS OR SELF-IDENTIFYIED
DEMOCRATS, BUT THERE'S OTHER
ELEMENTS AS WELL.
WE ARE SEEING IN WISCONSIN,
WHICH IS A REALLY NATIONWIDE
PHENOMENA, THAT RURAL COUNTIES
ARE GENERALLY, GENERALLY
SPEAKING, LAGGING MORE URBAN
COUNTIES IN VACCINATION RATES.
I MENTIONED THAT DOOR COUNTY AND
BAYFIELD COUNTY HAVE REALLY HIGH
VACCINATION RATES SO, CLEARLY,
THERE'S LOCAL AREAS THAT BUCK
THE TRENDS, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT
DATA OVERALL, RURAL COUNTIES ARE
GENERALLY LAGGING BEHIND, AND
PART OF THAT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH
POLITICS.
THE RURAL PARTS OF THE STATE ARE
GENERALLY A LITTLE MORE
CONSERVATIVE, A LITTLE BIT MORE
REPUBLICAN THAN THE URBAN
CENTERS, FOR SURE, AND THERE MAY
ALSO BE ACCESS ISSUES IN RURAL
PARTS OF THE STATE, AND THEN,
ALSO, A SORT OF KIND OF
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE
PANDEMIC AND ITS IMPACT IN SOME
PARTS OF THE STATE THAT ARE
SPARSELY POPULATED.
THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS MUCH
AS AN OBVIOUS IMPACT OF THE
PANDEMIC EITHER THROUGH PANDEMIC
RELATED RESTRICTIONS, ON
GATHERING, MASKING, AND KNOWING
PEOPLE WHO GOT THE DISEASE.
THERE MAY VERY WELL BE JUST LESS
MOTIVATION IN SOME PARTS OF THE
STATE TO RECEIVE VACCINATIONS,
AND I SHOULD ALSO DEFINITELY
MENTION THAT WE ARE CONTINUING
TO SEE DISPARITIES BY RACE AND
ET
ETHNICITY AROUND THE STATE AND
VACCINATION RATES EVEN IN DANE
COUNTY, WHICH HAS THE HIGHEST
VACCINATION RATE OVERALL,
THERE'S A WIDE DISPARITY BETWEEN
THE COUNTY'S WHITE RES DON'T --
RESIDENTS AND BLACK AND HIS
PANIC RESIDENTS.
THE VACCINATION RATE FOR BLACK
RESIDENTS OF DANE COUNTY STANDS
AT 25%.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY
PEOPLE ARE HESITANT TO RECEIVE A
VACCINE.
AS YOU MENTIONED, SOME PEOPLE
JUST WANT TO WAIT IT OUT A
LITTLE BIT LONGER AND SEE HOW IT
GOES FOR THEIR FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED, AND THEN THERE'S
DEFINITELY OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY
BE ARE OPEN TO BEING VACCINATED,
BUT THEY JUST ARE NOT AS
ENTHUSIASTIC OR MOTIVATED TO
SEEK OUT A SHOT AS A LOT OF
OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THIS
SPRING, AND THEY MAY VERY WELL
END UP BEING VACCINATED WHEN
THEY GO FOR THEIR ANNUAL
PHYSICAL AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
OR ANOTHER SETTING OR IF THEIR
WORKPLACE OFFERS VACCINATION.
WE'LL DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO SEE
VACCINATION RATES RISE OVER THE
COMING MONTHS, BUT SLOWER THAN
IT HAS BEEN THIS SPRING.
>> A LOT OF FACTORS TO CONSIDER
IN WISCONSIN.
IT SURELY CHECKS A LOT OF BOXES
WHEN IT COMES TO GEOGRAPHY,
DEMOGRAPHICS, POLITICS, SO
DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO KEEP AN
EYE ON.
WHEN IT COMES TO VACCINATION AND
MASKS COMBINED, TECHNICALLY THE
CDC GUIDANCE IS FOR PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN VACCINATED DON'T NEED
TO CONTINUE WEARING MASKS, BUT
WHAT'S TO STOP SOMEONE WHO HAS
NOT BEEN VACCINATED FROM NOT
WEARING A MASK?
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION, AND I THINK, ONE, THAT
A LOT OF PEOPLE BASED ON MY
SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS, HAVE BEEN
ASKING LATELY, AND I GUESS --
MAYBE A SMALL SENSE OF SHAME
POTENTIALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE
FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN
VACCINATED TO CONTINUE WEARING
MASKS IN PUBLIC SPACES WHERE THE
CDC SAYS THEY SHOULD BE DOING
SO, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE
ARE -- THERE ARE DEFINITELY
PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF SKEPTICAL
OF SORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
INTERVENTIONS RELATED TO COVID
GENERALLY, WHETHER THEY BE MASKS
OR VACCINATION, AND SO THE KIND
OF LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF THAT IS
THAT THERE MAY VERY WELL BE A
NUMBER OF UNVACCINATED PEOPLE
WHO ARE DECIDING TO PUT THEIR
MASKS AWAY ALONG WITH EVERYONE
WHO IS VACCINATED RIGHT NOW, AND
YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU CAN'T TELL
UNLESS SOMEONE TELLS YOU WHAT
THEIR VACCINATION STATUS IS, AND
SO I THINK THE WAY I'VE KIND OF
INTERNALIZED MYSELF, PERSONALLY,
THE CDC GUIDANCE, IS THAT THE --
I'M SURE THE SCIENTISTS AT THE
CDC HAVE CONSIDERED THAT THE
POTENTIAL FOR UNVACCINATED FOLKS
TO LOSE THEIR MASKS NOW THAT
MASKS ARE NO LONGER RECOMMENDED
FOR VACCINATED PEOPLE, AND,
REALLY, I THINK THEY ARE
SIGNALING THAT VACCINATED FOLKS
SHOULD PUT THEIR TRUST IN
EFFICACY OF THE VACCINES TO
PROTECT THEM FROM THE INFECTION,
SHOULD THEY BE EXPOSED TO THE
VIRUS AT THIS POINT.
>> NOW, FROM THE TOP DOWN, THE
FEDERAL LEVEL TO THE STATE
LEVEL, IT HAS BEEN REITERATED
THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING
TO REQUIRE ANYONE TO GET A
COVID-19 VACCINE, HOWEVER, THE
WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED
LEGISLATURE IS WORKING ON
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD BAN AN
EMPLOYER FROM REQUIRING A
COVID-19 VACCINE, WHICH IS
LEGAL, AND IT WOULD ALSO BAN
BUSINESSES FROM DISCRIMINATING
AGAINST PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN
VACCINATED.
ARE THOSE REAL CONCERNS THAT ARE
PLAYING OUT IN WISCONSIN AT ALL?
IS THIS LEGISLATION NOT REALLY
GOING TO HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A REALLY
GOOD QUESTION, AND YOU'RE RIGHT,
THAT BILL, FROM MY
UNDERSTANDING, IS WORKING ET
CETERA WAY THROUGH THE CAPITOL
BUILDING.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THE FEDERAL
EEOC SAID THAT EMPLOYERS CAN, IN
FACT, MANDATE VACCINATIONS FOR
EMPLOYEES WITH A COUPLE
IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS, THOSE
BEING MEDICAL REASONS AND ALSO
IF AN EMPLOYEE HOLDS A SINCERELY
HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEF AND
PRACTICE THAT THAT IS SORT OF, I
GUESS, AGAINST VACCINATIONS IN
GENERAL, AND THEN THOSE WOULD BE
A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT HEARD, AT
LEAST IN WISCONSIN, OF MANY
EMPLOYERS INTENDING TO REQUIRE
VACCINATION AT THIS POINT OR
PLACES OF BUSINESS INTENDING TO
REQUIRE THAT PATRONS BE
VACCINATED.
I'VE HEARD OF A COUPLE SMALL
ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE ASKING
ABOUT PEOPLE'S VACCINATION
STATUS.
JUST QUITE LOCAL PLACES.
WE KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE
COLLEGES IN THE STATE, PRIVATE
COLLEGES, THAT ARE GOING TO
REQUIRE STUDENTS AND FACULTY AND
STAFF TO BE VACCINATED WITH THE
NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
FROM WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, THAT'S
NOT INCLUDING THE UW SYSTEM CAM
PUSSES
PUSS -- CAMPUSES AT THIS POINT,
BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING,
REPORTING ON THIS LATELY, IT
DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THAT --
EMPLOYERS DON'T SEEM TO BE
JUMPING, LIKE -- JUMPING AT THE
CHANCE TO MANDATE VACCINATIONS.
WHETHER IT'S OF THEIR EMPLOYEES
OR THE PATRONS OF THEIR
BUSINESSES.
>> IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE A
PATCHWORK OF KIND OF DIFFERENT
REQUIREMENTS, DIFFERENT PLACES,
BUT IN A LOT OF CASES, THERE ARE
NOT REALLY A LOT OF
REQUIREMENTS.
THIS SEEMS KIND OF CONFUSING
BOTH FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED, TRYING TO NAVIGATE
THEIR SAFETY, AS WELL AS PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED, TRYING
TO NAVIGATE OR ACCESS
REQUIREMENT ISSUES POTENTIALLY.
>> FOR SURE.
YEAH.
BACK TO THE PANDEXIT AND
MESSINESS AND CURRENT STAGE OF
THE PANDEMIC THAT WE'RE IN.
CERTAINLY, IT IS A MESSINESS
THAT I THINK PRETTY MUCH
EVERYONE WOULD GLADLY TAKE OVER
WHERE WE WERE AT LAST FALL WITH
A NUMBER OF HOSPITALS IN THE
STATE BEING AT CAPACITY AND
RECORD NUMBERS OF OF NEW CASES
AND DEATHS, BUT IT IS STILL
MESSY AND CONFUSING.
I KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF KIND OF
BIG BOX STORES HAVE SAID -- KIND
OF NATIONAL CHAINS -- WHETHER
IT'S A PLACE LIKE TARGET OR
WALMART OR LARGE GROCERY STORE
CHAINS HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE
BASICALLY LEAVEING ANY, LIKE,
MASKING OR WHATNOT UP TO THE
DISCRETION OF THEIR PATRONS
HOPING THAT THE PEOPLE ARE BEING
HONEST ABOUT THEIR VAX NATION --
VACCINATION STATUS WHEN THEY
FOREGO MASK OR ADHERE TO LOCAL
GUIDANCE.
BIG BOX STORES AND OTHER BIG
ESTABLISHMENTS IN DANE COUNTY
AND MILWAUKEE WERE DOING JUST
UNTIL YESTERDAY OR TODAY, BUT AS
OF NOW, NO ONE IS REALLY
REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK, AND IN
MOST, MOST SETTINGS, THAT
DOESN'T INCLUDE KIND OF PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION, PLANE RIDES.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY STILL
OFFICES THAT ARE REQUIRING MASKS
FOR SOME TIME.
I KNOW THAT THE DANE COUNTY
GOVERNMENT OFFICES ARE GOING TO
BE REQUIRING EMPLOYEES AND
VISITORS ON SITE TO CONTINUE
MASKING THROUGH EARLY JULY, AND
THEY SAY THAT'S TO GIVE
EMPLOYEES A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME
TO GET A VACCINE, BUT, YEAH, WE
ARE DEFINITELY AT THE STAGE
WHERE I THINK THE BEST PIECE OF
ADVICE I CAN GIVE, ONE I'M
FOLLOWING MYSELF, JUST CARRY THE
MASK WITH YOU.
NEVER HURTS TO HAVE ONE, AND FOR
YOU TO BE PREPARED.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND, OF COURSE, IT DOESN'T HURT
IF SOMEONE WHO IS VACCINATED
STILL WANTS TO WEAR THEIR MASK,
THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, WILL, FOR ALL
OF THESE UPDATES.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> OF COURSE.
THANKS SO MUCH, MARISA.
>> FOR MORE FROM "HERE & NOW"
AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT
PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS, AND THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON
"NOON WEDNESDAY."