Certain ‘Nonessential’ Businesses Allowed To Open But With Precautions

Some Wisconsin businesses prohibited from operating during the coronavirus pandemic will be allowed to open as long as they take certain precautions.

On Monday, Gov. Tony Evers issued an emergency order that allows certain “nonessential businesses” to do curbside drop-off of goods and animals. This will allow businesses like dog groomers, small engine repair shops, upholstery businesses and others to safely reopen.

“No one wants to reopen our economy as much as I do, and we’re working to do everything we can to make sure we can do so as soon as we safely and responsibly can,” Evers said during a media briefing Monday.

The order follows a Friday protest at the state Capitol where people demanded restrictions to contain the virus’ spread be eased.

The order, signed by Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm, comes as the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin continues to increase. On Saturday, the state had its largest single-day increase since the outbreak started. There has been a concentration of cases in Brown County linked to meat processing plants there, including a Green Bay facility that has temporarily closed.

State officials have a plan to gradually reopen. Some benchmarks of what the Evers administration calls the Badger Bounce Back plan include 12,000 COVID-19 tests a day with two weeks of declining positive results as a percent of total tests.

The changes under the most recent emergency order allowing certain nonessential businesses to open goes into effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Recently, the state allowed golf courses to open and permitted public libraries to do curbside pickup.