COVID-19
Who will get a booster shot? A Q&A about what the feds are saying
WASHINGTON — Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels in […]
Health officials underscore need for masks, other measures as COVID-19 surges
The latest COVID-19 surge hasn’t peaked, and increased vaccination, masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowds remain essential if Wisconsin is to reduce the spread sooner rather than later, health officials said Wednesday. The burgeoning caseload and the strain that comes with it “are all due to the highly contagious delta variant [of the coronavirus] that […]
Some BadgerCare participants might need new insurance when health emergency ends
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues — and with it a federal health emergency — Wisconsin’s 1.5 million Medicaid recipients have guaranteed coverage. When the emergency expires, they and the people who run the program will confront a new challenge: making sure everyone stays covered. After the federal public health emergency was declared in early 2020, […]
‘The virus is not tired of us’ — COVID-19 surge continues in Wisconsin
New cases of COVID-19 took another jump over the weekend, according to data posted Monday by the state Department of Health Services (DHS), and public health officials acknowledged that the latest numbers might be undercounting cases. The lag in reporting some data is due to “a system performance issue” DHS states in a message posted […]
After family links child’s death to COVID-19, Fort Atkinson school board approves mask mandate
The Fort Atkinson school board has instituted a mask requirement for the school district after the reported death of a 13-year-old student from COVID-19. During public comments Thursday night, parents in the district pleaded with the board to start requiring masks, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Friday. The board subsequently approved a requirement by a […]
Arizona attorney general first to sue over Biden vaccine mandate on private businesses
WASHINGTON — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit against the Biden administration’s upcoming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private companies with at least 100 employees, arguing that the federal requirement violates the U.S. Constitution. In the legal complaint, Brnovich argues that the vaccine mandate President Joe Biden announced last week violates […]
Data show children are an increasing share of COVID-19 patients
In keeping with other parts of the country, COVID-19 is affecting a growing number of younger children in Wisconsin. “The proportion of total cases in Milwaukee County that are comprised of kids under the age of 18 has been increasing,” said Darren Rausch, the health director for the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield, at a Milwaukee […]
Local, tribal health agencies to get $58.4M for COVID-19 response efforts
Local and tribal health departments will share in $58.4 million awarded from Wisconsin’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act to help them absorb the added costs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Tony Evers announced the public health funding program Monday morning. Each department’s share will include a base amount and an […]
No masks may mean fines, lawsuits and lost school insurance
The television cameras were rolling as students boarded the yellow buses at Germantown’s Kennedy Middle School without face masks. Nor was a bus driver wearing his mask as he pulled away. Milwaukee WTMJ 4 interviewed Germantown Superintendent Brett Stousland who only said that the district “recommended” masks. Stousland stated to the camera that he was […]
Deaths increase, hospitals fill up as new COVID-19 surge continues across Wisconsin
A week into September and a new school year, the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin is continuing to dig in. Every indicator of the spread of the coronavirus, still driven by the more virulent delta variant, is up, according to state and local public health agencies, continuing a new surge of infections that began in July […]
COVID-19 vaccines or weekly tests to be mandated for millions of U.S. workers
WASHINGTON — More than 80 million employees of private businesses in the U.S. will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing as part of the Biden administration’s latest strategy for combating the still-surging coronavirus pandemic. The upcoming vaccine rule for companies with at least 100 employees is one plank of an increasingly […]
Nass asks Republican leadership to sue UW System over COVID mask mandates
Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) wants to pick a fight with Tommy Thompson. Last month, Nass and his fellow Republicans on the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules passed a motion attempting to force all UW System COVID-19 policies to first be approved by the committee. Thompson, the interim president of the UW System and […]