WEEK WISCONSIN SAW ITS LARGEST
ONE-DAY INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS
CASES.
EARLIER I TALKED WITH GOVERNOR
EVERS IN OUR WEEKLY ONE-ON-ONE
INTERVIEW AND, GOVERNOR, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US
AGAIN.
IT'S THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW
THAT WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN
POSITIVE CASES.
IT STANDS AT 460 MORE CASES
REPORTED TODAY, FOR A TOTAL OF
7,314, WITH 327 PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DIED.
HOW DO THESE NUMBERS BODE FOR
THAT 14-DAY DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY
REQUIRED TO REOPEN THE STATE?
>> WELL, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER
THAT 14-DAY DOWNWARD TREND IS
THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE CASES
DIVIDED BY -- AS A PERCENTAGE OF
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TESTS.
SO WE ARE TESTING A LOT MORE.
NOW, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT --
SO ONE -- I THINK A COUPLE DAYS
AGO, THE NUMBER -- THE
PERCENTAGE OF POSITIVE TESTS
WERE ABOUT 6% OR 7%.
NOW THEY'RE 11% OR 12%.
SO THAT IS AN INCREASE IN THAT
PERCENTAGE.
BUT THAT IS -- YOU KNOW, I'M NOT
A MATHEMATICIAN HERE ON THOSE
NUMBERS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS
WE WERE TESTING A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN BROWN COUNTY THAT WORKED IN
THOSE MEAT-PACKING PLANTS, AND
SO THE LARGE NUMBER IS A LOT
CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.
I WON'T SAY ALL, BUT A LOT.
BUT WE'RE SPENDING -- WE WANT TO
MASSIVELY INCREASE SPENDING
ACROSS THE STATE, BUT AT THIS
POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE OF THAT
SURGE THERE, WE ARE TESTING MANY
PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE VIRUS.
>> I THINK I'M READING THESE
NUMBERS CORRECTLY FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES'
DAILY KIND OF TRACKING OF THESE
NUMBERS.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE TESTING
AROUND 3,000 A DAY, AND YET WE
HAVE THIS CAPACITY NOW OF
11,000.
>> RIGHT.
>> WHY AREN'T WE ABLE TO GET UP
TO THAT CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE?
>> WELL, SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE IS-- AND WE'RE ENCOURAGING
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO DO
THIS.
MY GOAL IS ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A
TEST SHOULD HAVE A TEST.
I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE DONALD
TRUMP, BUT THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE
TO DO.
WE DO HAVE ENOUGH TESTING
MATERIALS.
IT'S GETTING PEOPLE TESTED.
AND WE HAVE ENOUGH LAB CAPACITY.
SO WE -- YOU KNOW, I THINK WE
HAVE -- I'M TRYING TO THINK,
ALMOST 3500 TODAY.
SO WE ARE RAMPING UP.
WE'VE INCREASED TESTING.
WE HAVE PLANS ALL ACROSS THE
STATE.
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN IS GOING TO
HAVE LOTS IN THE NEXT COUPLE
DAYS, BUT SO IS THE REST OF THE
STATE.
I BELIEVE WE CAN GET TO THAT
80,000 NUMBER IN A HURRY.
FOCUSING ON GREEN BAY AND SOME
OF THE OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE
ARE SURGES AND ALL THOSE ARE
DISCONCERTING, AND SO -- BUT
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE
TESTING ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
WE WILL DO THAT.
THAT HAS TO BE OUR GOAL.
>> IN FACT, YOU ANNOUNCED TODAY
THAT YOU'RE KIND OF BRANCHING
OUT AND DOING COMMUNITY TESTING.
IS THAT PART OF YOUR EFFORT TO
REACH THIS CAPACITY, TO DO MORE
TESTING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
FOR EXAMPLE, PEPIN AND -- I'M
TRYING TO THINK WHICH OTHER
COUNTY IN NORTHWEST WISCONSIN,
PEPIN AND BUFFALO COUNTY ARE
HAVING TESTS ON MAY 1.
AND, YES, IT'S GOING TO BE
COMMUNITY TESTING.
IF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY WANT TO
GET TESTED, THEY'LL GET TESTED.
AND SO WE'RE DOING THAT ALL
ACROSS THE STATE.
WE'VE BEEN KIND OF REACTIVE.
I'M ENCOURAGING -- AND I'VE SAID
THIS A LOT.
HEALTH OFFICIALS THAT ARE
DEALING WITH PEOPLE, THEY SHOULD
BE ORDERING THESE TESTS.
THAT IS PART OF OUR JOBS, MAKE
SURE WE GET AS MANY PEOPLE
TESTED AS POSSIBLE.
>> NOW, YOU OPENED UP MORE
BUSINESSES TO THINGS LIKE
CURBSIDE PICKUP AND OPENED MOST
STATE PARKS THIS WEEK.
WAS THIS IN RESPONSE TO
CRITICISM, OR IS IT JUST TIME?
>> YEAH.
WE LOOK ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, WE ARE CONSTANTLY
VIGILANT ON WHAT WE CAN DO NEXT.
AND IT'S ALWAYS WEIGHING THE
RISK AND THE TRANSMISSION OF A
DISEASE VERSUS ECONOMICS.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS DO THAT.
SO WE FELT CONFIDENT IN THE
CURBSIDE WORK.
ACTUALLY, THE NIGHT -- FROM THE
DAY WE ASKED IT, I SAW
ADVERTISEMENTS ON TV FOR
BUSINESSES ADVERTISING THEIR
CURBSIDE TRANSACTIONS.
SO WE'VE -- IN THAT CASE WE
NARROWED IT DOWN TO ONE OR TWO
CONSUMERS AND ONE PERSON FROM A
STORE DOING THEIR WORK AT THE
CURBSIDE.
THAT SEEMS LOGICAL.
WE CAN CONTROL VIRUS
TRANSMISSION THAT WAY.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
BETTER WAYS TO DO IT, AND WE'LL
CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A STAY-AT-HOME
THING UNTIL THE END OF THE
MONTH, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING
TO THE END OF THE MONTH.
>> HOW OPEN ARE YOU TO PLANS
LIKE THOSE FROM THE WISCONSIN
MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE,
WHICH KIND OF ASSIGN RISKS TO
INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES AND WHERE
THEY ARE AND HOW MANY CASES
THERE ARE IN THOSE PLACES?
HOW OPEN ARE YOU TO THAT PLAN?
>> WELL, THEY HAVE SOME THAT ARE
-- PARTS OF THE PLAN THAT SEEM
REASONABLE, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE
-- THEY DID NOT INCLUDE THE
PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE OF THINGS AND
THAT IS WE NEED TO HAVE -- WE
NEED TO DRIVE DOWN THE NUMBER OF
VIRUSES IN THE STATE.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT
IS TESTING, TRACING AND HAVING
THE APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT.
THAT'S WHAT DONALD TRUMP LAID
OUT FOR US, FRANKLY, ALONG WITH
THE CDC.
SO WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING THAT.
BUT I DON'T DISMISS WHAT THEY'RE
DOING.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE HAS
TO BE A PUBLIC HEALTH CONNECTION
THERE.
>> ARE YOU NOW WORKING WITH
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE LEADERS,
THE VERY SAME ONES WHO TOOK YOU
TO THE SUPREME COURT TO SUE THE
ADMINISTRATION OVER ON THE
EXTENSION OF THE "STAY AT HOME"
ORDERS?
BUT ARE YOU WORKING WITH THEM TO
KIND OF WORK SOMETHING OUT HERE?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY WE'RE NOT
IN THAT POSITION.
CLEARLY, WE HAD A PLAN, AND
THEIR RESPONSE TO IT WAS TAKING
ME TO COURT, THE SUPREME COURT.
SO NOW THAT'S PLAYING OUT IN --
YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS HOW THAT'S
GOING TO WORK OUT.
BUT I'D SAY IF WE RELY ON THE
FACTS AND THE LAW AND PRECEDENT,
WE SHOULD WIN.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF
THEY HAVE A PLAN, LET'S TALK
ABOUT IT.
AND WE KEEP THEM INFORMED.
MY STAFF MEET WITH HIS STAFF
REGULARLY.
WE'VE ENCOURAGED THEIR STAFF TO
BE PART OF OUR -- TO WATCH OUR
-- BE PART OF THE CENTER OF --
AT TRUAX FIELD THAT WE HAVE WITH
OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
SO THERE'S NOT THAT THERE'S NOT
COMMUNICATION GOING ON.
THEY HAVE A PLAN, I'LL BE GLAD
TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS, FREDERICA.
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
STAY WELL.
>> MEANWHILE, THE STATE SUPREME