Wisconsin Gov. Evers Plans Evening Address On COVID-19 As Cases Surge
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers plans to livestream an address on COVID-19 in Wisconsin Tuesday evening as the state set new daily records for infections and deaths.
The address, to be streamed on the governor's Facebook and YouTube pages at 6:05 p.m., comes as the disease continues to surge across the state with no end in sight. The state Department of Health Services reported a record 7,073 new confirmed infections Tuesday. That breaks the old record of 7,065 cases set Saturday. COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, was a factor in 66 deaths Tuesday, breaking the old record of 64 set on Oct. 27.
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The state has now seen 278,843 infections and 2,395 deaths since the pandemic began in March. Wisconsin was fourth in the nation in per capita infections over the last two weeks at 74,452 cases per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins University. North Dakota was first, followed by South Dakota and Iowa.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Evers planned to announce a new approach, demand GOP legislators pass a bill addressing the pandemic or simply remind state residents again to wear masks and socially distance.
GOP legislators passed a COVID-19 aid package in April, but Republicans and their allies haven't done anything to address the pandemic since except fight to block every plan Evers has implemented on his own. They persuaded the state Supreme Court in May to strike down the Democratic governor's stay-at-home order, persuaded a state appeals court last month to block his restrictions on indoor gatherings and are now fighting his statewide mask mandate before the Supreme Court.
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