WISCONSIN TODAY SHOW ANOTHER
2500 PEOPLE TESTED POSITIVE FOR
COVID-19 AND ALL 72 COUNTING
REPORT HIGH COVID ACTIVITY.
FOR MORE WE CHECK IN WITH CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER IN WISCONSIN AND
STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST, DR. RYAN
WESTERGAARD.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> HI, FREDERICA.
NICE TO BE WITH YOU.
>> HOW FRIGHTENED SHOULD WE BE
BY THESE NUMBERS?
>> WELL, I'M EXTREMELY MORE
CONCERNED, MORE CONCERNED THAN
I'VE BEEN THROUGHOUT ANY POINT
IN THE PANDEMIC.
THE INCREASE, MEAN THE
TRAJECTORY OF NEW CASES, IS
STEEPER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN.
WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO SEE AN
UPTICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS AND
SEVERE DISEASE.
SO THIS IS ABOUT THE MOST
CONCERNING PICTURE THAT WE'VE
HAD.
>> AND NOW HEALTH OFFICIALS LIKE
YOURSELF ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT
IS AROUND THE BEND AS WELL.
>> WELL, RESPIRATORY VIRUS
SEASON STARTS IN THE FALL, GETS
WORSE IN THE WINTER AND RESOLVES
IN THE EARLY SPRING.
IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT EVERY
YEAR, BUT THAT IS THE PATTERN.
SO IF WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF
COLD AND FLU SEASON AND COVID-19
VIRUS BEHAVES LIKE OTHER
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES, IT COULD
GET A LOT WORSE UNLESS WE TAKE
SOME PRETTY AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS.
>> LIKE?
>> WELL, WE SAW HOW TO FLATTEN
THE CURVE IN THE SPRING IN
APRIL AND MAY.
MOST STATES HAVE SOME SORT OF A
"STAY AT HOME" ORDER.
WIDESPREAD ATTENTION TO SOCIAL
DISTANCING WORKS.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO THAT
TO FLATTEN THE CURVE AGAIN.
>> AND YET WHAT IS AT THE
GOVERNOR'S DISPOSAL AT THIS
MOMENT IS A MASK MANDATE.
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> A MASK MANDATE CAN BE A
HELPFUL TOOL AS WELL, BUT IT'S
ONE PIECE OF A LARGE PUZZLE IN
TERMS OF PREVENTION STRATEGIES.
AND IF THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
DOESN'T SUPPORT A "STAY AT HOME"
ORDER, IT'S ON EVERYONE
INDIVIDUALLY TO TAKE IT ON
THEMSELVES TO LIMIT SOCIAL
CONTACT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
>> IS THAT FRUSTRATING FOR YOU
THAT THERE ARE POLITICAL LIMITS
TO THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK IN PUBLIC
HEALTH WE TAKE THE ENVIRONMENT
WE HAVE AND THE TOOLS WE HAVE
AND WE TRY TO BE AS HELPFUL AS
WE CAN.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE
SITUATION AS WE SEE FIT AND
TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEED IS
CRITICAL FOR MORE CONTACT
TRACERS.
HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO COMING UP
AGAINST SURGE CAPACITY IN OTHER
AREAS LIKE HOSPITAL BEDS?
>> WELL, THE HOSPITAL BEDS AND
VENTILATORS SEEM TO BE IN GOOD
SUPPLY.
WHEN WE TALK TO HEALTH CARE
LEADERS, THE CRITICAL PIECE,
WHAT THEY SAY IS THAT WE MIGHT
RUN OUT OF STAFF, NURSES, FOR
EXAMPLE, WHO IF THEY ARE EXPOSED
AND NEED TO QUARANTINE CAN
PROMOTE A REAL SHORTAGE OF
HEALTH CARE RESOURCES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST BED
AVAILABILITY.
IT'S ALSO STAFFING.
AND SO WE NEED TO PLAN AHEAD
FOR, AS YOU SAID, THE POTENTIAL
SURGE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO MAKE OUR RESOURCES WORK THE
BEST.
>> BRIEFLY HERE, DOCTOR, WE'RE
BEING TOLD NOT JUST TO DISTANCE,
WEAR MASKS AND WASH OUR HANDS,
BUT TO STAY HOME.
ARE WE BASICALLY TO
SELF-QUARANTINE IN THE MIDST OF
THIS WIDE COMMUNITY SPREAD?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT THE NOTION
OF QUARANTINE HAS A SPECIFIC
MEANING AND I THINK IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT.
THAT IS, WHEN YOU FIND OUT
YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY
WHO'S BEEN INFECTED OR DIAGNOSED
WITH COVID-19, A 14-DAY
QUARANTINE IS ESSENTIAL.
SO IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE
NEED IN TERMS OF WIDESPREAD
SOCIAL DISTANCING.
QUARANTINE IS SOMETHING WE
PROBABLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT MORE
AND UNDERSTAND BETTER AS A KEY
PREVENTION STRATEGY.
>> WE WILL TALK TO YOU NEXT
TIME.
DR. RYAN WESTERGAARD, THANKS
VERY MUCH.
>> THANKS FOR THE GOOD
QUESTIONS.
>> THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE
POLICE SHOOTING OF JACOB BLAKE
IN KENOSHA WILL SEE A WELL-KNOWN
OUTSIDE EXPERT TAKING ON THE
CASE AS A CONSULTANT TO REACH A
CHARGING DECISION.
FORMER MADISON POLICE CHIEF
NOBLE WRAY ALSO SERVED AS A
POLICE REFORM EXPERT FOR THE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
THE KENOSHA DA SAYS WRAY ASKED
ONE QUESTION BEFORE TAKING THE
CASE.
HAVE YOU ALREADY MADE THE
CHARGING DECISION?
WRAY WAS TOLD NO.
>> I'VE BEEN HONORED AS A
POLICING PROFESSIONAL TO DO A
NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT I'M FROM
WISCONSIN, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS
IS WISCONSIN'S MOMENT OF TRUTH.
AND I WANT THE BEST FOR THIS
STATE AND THE PEOPLE IN THIS
STATE.
SO I WAS HONORED ORIGINALLY.
AND THE REASON WHY I ASKED THAT
QUESTION IS BECAUSE THIS SHOULD
BE A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
INVESTIGATION.
IT SHOULD NOT COME ACROSS AS
SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN
PREJUDGED OR THE DECISION HAS
ALREADY BEEN MADE.
>> WRAY SAYS HE EXPECTS TO MOVE
WITH DELIBERATE SPEED, BUT SAYS
NO TIME LIME HAS BEEN SET FOR
WHEN HE MUST COMPLETE HIS
REVIEW.
NOW BACK TO PRESIDENTIAL
POLITICS.
ALL EYES ARE ON WISCONSIN THIS
FALL AND PARTICULARLY ON RURAL
WISCONSIN, WHERE A TIGHT
STATEWIDE VOTE COULD BE DECIDED.
WE TRAVELED TO CLARK COUNTY TO
SEE HOW VOTERS THERE WERE
APPROACHING ELECTION DAY.
HERE'S PORTIA YOUNG.
>> AMERICA'S HEARTLAND IS
HISTORICALLY WHERE POLITICAL
CANDIDATES FIND A STRONG
CONSERVATIVE BASE.
RURAL WISCONSIN IS TRADITIONALLY
NO DIFFERENT.
>> WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
CONSERVATIVE AREA.
I CAN'T SEE THAT CHANGING.
>> THAT'S EDITOR OF THE
NEWSPAPER IN LOYAL, A SMALL
DAIRY TOWN IN THE NORTHWEST PART
OF THE STATE.
LOYAL IS ALSO IN CLARK COUNTY,
WHERE THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY
DAIRY COWS AS PEOPLE.
>> HE SAYS FISCAL CONSERVATISM
AND THE AIL ABORTION ISSUE DRIVE THE
VOTE.
THIS IS DEFINITELY REPUBLICAN
TERRITORY NO MATTER WHO THE
CANDIDATE.
HE ACKNOWLEDGES BEING THE ODD
MAN OUT AS A DEMOCRAT.
>> NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO
MEET IN THE MIDDLE OR LISTEN TO
THE OTHER SIDE.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK.
I'M NOT SO SURE A GOOD FRIEND OF
MINE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO CALL ME
AN IDIOT BECAUSE I'M NOT VOTING
FOR TRUMP IN THE FALL.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.
>> HE SAYS COVID-19 ALSO WIDENED
THE DIVIDE, A DIVIDE HE THINKS
BECAME CLEAR FOUR YEARS AGO.
FARMERS, A LARGE POPULATION IN
THIS COUNTY, HAVE TRADITIONALLY
VOTED REPUBLICAN AND HAVE TAKEN
A BIG ECONOMIC HIT OVER THE LAST
FIVE YEARS.
YOUNG DAIRY FARMERS ROBIN AND
CHRIS SAY THEY HAVEN'T MADE UP
THEIR MINDS, BUT UNDERSTAND WHY
THERE IS STILL SO MUCH SUPPORT
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP IN CLARK
COUNTY.
>> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STARTED
HERE IN WISCONSIN.
>> I GUESS WHAT PEOPLE LIKE
ABOUT TRUMP, TOO, HE SAYS HE'S
GOING TO DO SOMETHING, HE DOES
IT, YOU KNOW?
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE AROUND HERE LIKE.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE
AROUND HERE.
PEOPLE ARE TRUE TO THEIR WORD
AROUND HERE.
SO I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH IT.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THE PERSON
REALLY IS UNLESS YOU MEET THEM
FACE-TO-FACE, WHICH IS HARD TO
DO.
>> SOME POLITICAL WRITERS THINK
DONALD TRUMP WINNING RURAL
WISCONSIN MIGHT BE HARDER TO DO
THIS TIME AROUND.
HE WON WISCONSIN FOUR YEARS AGO
IN SMALL TOWNS LIKE LOYAL AND IN
RURAL COUNTIES.
>> THANKS TO PORTIA YOUNG AND
MILWAUKEE PBS FOR THAT REPORT.
AND THAT IS ALL FOR TONIGHT'S
PROGRAM.
I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
>> FOR MORE "HERE AND NOW" 2020
ELECTION COVERAGE, GO TO
pbs.org AND CLICK ON NEWS.
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PROVIDED BY THE FOCUS FUND FOR
JOURNALISM AND FRIENDS OF PBS
WISCONSIN.