COVID-19 Wisconsin
Landlords, tenant advocates team up for housing relief request
Groups representing landlords and tenants have teamed up to ask state officials for emergency relief measures aimed at preventing the loss of housing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are seeking state legislation that would provide temporary rent assistance, financial aid for landlords, as well as other services to help reduce not just homelessness but […]
Healthcare workers want better working conditions, more PPE
While the state Legislature has passed one COVID-19 relief bill and Gov. Tony Evers signed it Wednesday, health care workers and state Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) are calling for follow-up legislation that would do more for some of the people on the front lines of the illness. Earlier this week, Vining circulated a letter to […]
COVID-19 bill revives cut in nursing aide training
A reduction in training requirements for certified nursing assistants (CNA) that Gov. Tony Evers vetoed last year, and that was blocked a second time when Republicans failed in their attempt to override that veto, has returned in the Legislature’s massive COVID-19 bill that passed the Assembly on Tuesday. Language in AB-1038 reduces the minimum number […]
Union seeks ‘first-responder’ status for grocery workers
Think “first responder” and the people that come to mind include firefighters and police officers, emergency medical technicians and nurses, along with other kinds of healthcare workers. But there’s another group of people who believe during the COVID-19 pandemic they should be included: grocery store employees. It’s not a frivolous request, says Melanie Bartholf. She […]
Business groups want state to re-open, but scientists say it’s too soon
The state’s largest business group and more than four dozen trade groups and local chambers of commerce are urging Gov. Tony Evers to lift his COVID-19 pandemic-related Safer-at-Home order and begin to reopen the state within two weeks. But researchers who are studying the spread of COVID-19 warn that following such a calendar could have […]
New guide offers tips to deal with medical debt
Just as the pandemic novel coronavirus is making thousands of Wisconsin residents sick, a new guide on how to deal with medical debt has been published online. Fighting Forward: Challenging Medical Debt was unveiled Tuesday by HealthWatch Wisconsin, part of ABC for Health, based in Madison. ABC for Health is a nonprofit public interest law […]
Activists showed up; lawmakers did not
For several weeks, Laura Valderrama has been watching the growing alarm over whether Wisconsin lawmakers would really try to force state residents to vote on April 7, exposing themselves to the spreading novel coronavirus. A week ago, she and friends decided to try to do something about it. On Saturday, five of them traveled to […]
Health care workers scrap old routines, confront new risks
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the country, health care workers find themselves on the front lines. The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has led hospitals and clinics to upend their routines and made the people who work in them risk their health and their lives. Shifts have been extended and staffers have been […]
Evers urges lawmakers to convene as state readies for surge in patients
As the state braces for an expected surge in COVID-19 patients, Gov. Tony Evers reiterated his call Monday for the state Legislature to return to session, but stopped short of pinning down a date. The state is still preparing for a sharp influx of patients, both those who need acute care and those who have […]
Milwaukee-Area police and DOC brace and adjust for COVID-19
The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), and other local law enforcement agencies have issued new guidelines on operations going forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. These new measures are aimed at preserving law enforcement capacity, as the situation surrounding the virus develops. MPD stated in a press release that it is, “actively working with our system partners, […]
New order bans mass gatherings; COVID-19 testing limited
Bars must close, restaurants can only serve take-out meals, and with exceptions, gatherings of 10 or more people are banned under a new statewide public health order issued Tuesday as the number of active cases of COVID-19 continued to mount. Wisconsin public health officials also are limiting tests for the illness caused by the novel […]