WISCONSIN DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE
RELENTING.
MORE RECORDS FOR POSITIVE CASES
AND DEATHS SET AGAIN THIS WEEK
BUT HELP IS ON THE WAY.
NEW VACCINES ARE IN THE FINAL
STAGES OF APPROVAL AND
WISCONSIN IS NOW PLANNING FOR
HOW TO ACQUIRE AND DISTRIBUTE
THEM.
CHIEF TO THAT TASK DEPUTY
SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES JULIE VAN DIJK
WHO JOINS US NOW.
DEPUTY SECRETARY, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> THE GOVERNOR DECLARED
ANOTHER EMERGENCY ORDER THIS
WEEK AND EXTENDED THE MASK
MANDATE WHICH HAS BEEN IN
EFFECT SINCE SUMMER.
WHY HASN'T THE MANDATE WORKED
EFFECTIVELY TO SLOW THE SPREAD?
>> TO CLARIFY, FACEMASKS AND
FACIAL COVERINGS CAN CERTAINLY
WORK VERY WELL.
WHAT IT REQUIRES US IS TO HAVE
A VERY HIGH UPTAKE AND
COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
ESTIMATED PROBABLY WE NEED TO
HAVE 80 TO 90% OF THE
POPULATION REGULARLY WEARING A
MASK IN ORDER FOR US TO SEE THE
DESIRED EFFECTS.
I THINK -- SO I THINK THERE IS
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO IMPROVE
IN THAT REGARD ACROSS THE STATE.
THE OTHER THING IS LAST WEEK WE
RECEIVED SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS
FROM CDC.
WE'VE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG
THAT FACIAL COVERINGS PROTECT
YOU FROM ME, BUT EMERGING
EVIDENCE ALSO SAYS THAT FACIAL
COVERINGS LIKE THE ONE I'M
WEARING NOW PROTECT ME FROM YOU
AND SO IT'S REALLY A WIN/WIN
FOR PEOPLE TO WEAR FACIAL
COVERINGS AND ALSO HAS TO BE --
THIS ISN'T A PANACEA.
IT HAS TO BE COMBINED WITH THE
OTHER PREVENTIVE MECHANISMS WE
TALK ABOUT.
STAYING SIX FEET APART FROM
EACH OTHER.
STAYING HOME IF YOU'RE SICK.
WASHING YOUR HANDS.
DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE.
DON'T TOUCH YOUR MASK.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ANNOYS
ME THE MOST IS WATCHING PEOPLE
ON TV ADJUSTING THEIR MASK ALL
THE TIME.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO
DO IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF WEARING MASKS.
>> DESCRIBE THE SITUATION NOW
IN WISCONSIN AS IT WEATHER THIS
SURGE IN COVID CASES.
>> YEAH.
WE'RE IN A REALLY TOUGH PLACE
RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE A STILL VERY RAPID
INCREASE IN CASES.
WE'RE RUNNING SECOND BEHIND
TEXAS IN TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES,
THIRD BEHIND THE DAKOTAS IN THE
RATE OF CASES AND AS A RESULT,
WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO SEE WHAT
WE KNEW WOULD HAPPEN IF WE
CONTINUED THIS RAPID INCREASE,
HOSPITALS FILLING UP.
UNFORTUNATELY OUR RATES OF
DEATH INCREASING.
THIS WEEK ALONE WE'VE HAD
SEVERAL DAYS WITH 70, 80, 90
PEOPLE DYING EACH DAY FROM THIS
DISEASE.
SO WE'RE ALSO RIFFALING NEW
YORK CITY.
WE'RE OVER 1,000 CASES MORE A
DAY THAN NEW YORK CITY AT THE
PEAK AND WHY THESE PREVENTIVE
MEASURES ARE SO IMPORTANT NOW.
IT'S A MAJOR TOOL TO START
BRINGING THIS RATE DOWN.
>> MEANWHILE THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES IS PLANNING FOR
DISTRIBUTION OF A VACCINE THAT
COULD START ARRIVING BY THE END
OF THE YEAR.
NOW YOU HAVE DESCRIBED THIS
WORK AS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED
THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED.
HOW SO?
>> WELL, WE'LL HAVE VACCINE
COMING FROM A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER.
EACH WILL HAVE DIFFERENT
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SCHEDULE
OF THE VACCINE, THE STORAGE OF
THE VACCINE, AS MANY PEOPLE
HAVE HEARD SOME OF THE FIRST
VACCINE IN FACT THE PFIZER
VACCINE WHICH IS APPLYING TODAY
FOR THEIR EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION, HAS TO BE STORED
AT VERY COLD TEMPERATURES.
AND SO WE'LL NEED TO DO A LOT
OF REALLY GOOD LOGISTICAL
PLANNING TO MAKE SURE WE STORE
IT RIGHT AND DISTRIBUTE IT
RIGHT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
>> SPEAKING OF THAT, WE WANT TO
KNOW WHO GETS IT FIRST AND HOW
MUCH SUPPLY OF IT WILL COME
INTO WISCONSIN?
AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO
ROLL OUT TO THE GENERAL
POPULATION?
>> YEAH.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE'LL
GET INITIALLY QUITE YET.
IT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH.
I DO KNOW THAT.
AND THEREFORE WE'LL BE
DISTRIBUTING THIS VACCINE IN A
PHASED MANNER.
OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS WILL BE
HELPING US WITH PRIORITIZATION.
WE ANTICIPATE HEALTHCARE
WORKERS WILL LIKELY BE FIRST.
NEXT IN LINE WILL BE PEOPLE
LIVING IN LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES, OUR MOST
VULNERABLE, AND THEN WE'LL
EXPAND TO OTHER POPULATIONS AS
VACCINE SUPPLY INCREASES.
IT IS LIKELY TO INCREASE OVER
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AFTER WE
RECEIVED OUR INITIAL SUPPLIES
AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE A GOOD
AMOUNT OF 2021 TO GET THE
VACCINE INTO EVERYBODY'S ARM
WHO NEEDS IT.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO JUST KEEPING ON
WITH FACE COVERINGS, SOCIAL
DISTANCING, HAND WASHING,
TESTING, AND CONTACT TRACING
AND ALL THE THINGS WE'RE DOING
TO CONTROL THE DISEASE.
>> WE VERY MUCH