TOPLINE
Wisconsin bars welcomed patrons without masks, social distancing or capacity restrictions on Thursday night immediately after the state Supreme Court overturned the governor’s latest stay-at-home order, leading to busy crowds and warnings from the governor that lack of restrictions could lead to more deaths.
People protest against the coronavirus shutdown in front of the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, … [+] on April 24, 2020.
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
KEY FACTS
Wisconsin is the first state to reopen bars without any sort of coronavirus preventative measures.
Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ stay-home mandate was to last until May 26, 2020, but Republican legislators challenged the order in the state Supreme Court—saying that health officials had not followed the correct implementation process—and the conservative-leaning court overturned the order, allowing businesses to open immediately after its decision on Wednesday night.
Without any state mandate on gradual reopening for bars using masks, social distancing or capacity limits that have characterized all other states’ reopening, Wisconsinites quickly crammed in wall-to-wall and unmasked at Nick’s Bar in Platteville, as seen by the bar’s tweet. Similar scenes unfolded across the state: Patrons sipped well drinks under old St. Patrick’s Day decor at State Street Pub in Green Bay, took shots with the bar owner at Friends and Neighbors in Appleton, the moment captured via shoulder-to-shoulder selfie at Club Ritz in Kaukauna—all documented in photos by USA Today.
Wisconsin’s daily case curve appears to have peaked on May 6, when there were 335 new cases, though cases appear to be rising again: with an approximately 66% increase from Tuesday to Wednesday, by New York Times’ modeling.
“We’re the Wild West,” Evers said on MSNBC after the Supreme Court overturned stay-at-home orders. “There are no restrictions at all across the state of Wisconsin. So there is nothing that’s compelling people to do anything other than [have] chaos here.”
Chief Critic
“When you have no requirements anymore, that’s a problem,” said Evers on MSNBC, who has been at odds with Republican state leaders since his election in 2018. “We’re going to have more cases. We’re going to have more deaths. And it’s a sad occasion for the state. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.”
Key Background
Like many other governors, Evers mandated a stay-at-home order from March and planned for it to last until May 26, 2020, to curb coronavirus. Wisconsin, a state of only 5.82 million, has had a relatively small outbreak of coronavirus with just over 10,900 cases and 421 deaths, per the New York Times. Yet, this is the first instance of a state Supreme Court overturning a governor’s stay-home order, leaving the state in limbo as lawmakers scramble to put together a plan for safe reopening.For now, it’s entirely up to individual citizens to decide how to navigate the public sphere.
Further Reading
‘OPEN IMMEDIATELY!’: Wisconsinites head out to bars after state stay-at-home orders lifted (USA Today)
Wisconsin governor: Four judges have thrown our state into chaos (MSNBC)
After Wisconsin court ruling, crowds liberated and thirsty descend on bars. ‘We’re the Wild West,’ Gov. Tony Evers says (Washington Post)
Fauci Loses Support From Republicans After Trump Criticism, Poll Shows (Forbes)
