Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced Wednesday that he will sign an executive order extending the state’s mask mandate into 2021 to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
“I learned last week that the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that if we continue on the path we are on, Wisconsin could see 5,000 deaths by the end of this calendar year,” said Evers in a press conference. “This is not something happening someplace else, to somebody else.”
The current mask mandate was scheduled to expire Saturday.
“As many of you also know, our current public health emergency and our face coverings order are being challenged in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Republicans in the legislature support this effort,” Evers stated.
WISN reports: “State health officials said there was a record 7,989 new positive cases on Wednesday, bringing the Wisconsin total to at least 331,837 positive cases. Additionally, there were 52 new deaths reported, bringing the state death toll to at least 2,793.”
Wisconsin’s billion-dollar CARES Act funding will expire at the end of the year.
Evers urged Wisconsin Republicans to support the mandate while the Wisconsin Supreme Court considers a lawsuit opposing the measure.
“That’s why today I am also once again calling on Republicans to withdraw their support for this lawsuit and to publicly support our new public health emergency and face coverings order,” the governor said. “It is time, folks. We do not get any do overs, here. Enough games. We need you to join the cause and we need you to start today.”