Evers Issues New COVID-19 Order
This order re-ups the statewide mask-mandate.

Governor Tony Evers addresses the media on April 16th. File photo from the Department of Health Services.
Governor Tony Evers declared a new public health emergency Friday as the state’s healthcare systems are facing multiple crises as they reach peak capacity and face staff shortages.
“We continue to see record-setting days of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. We need everyone to stay home and wear a mask if you have to go out. We need your help to stop the spread of this virus, and we all have to do this together,” said Evers in a statement.
Upon declaring the public health emergency, Evers issued a new executive order extending the mask mandate statewide for the next 60 days. The order essentially pertains to all public spaces, including outdoor spaces. The order specifically notes that outdoor bars and restaurants would be covered by the order.
Andrea Palm, Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee said that hospitals are already being overwhelmed. “We know hospitalizations are a lagging indicator, which means we will need even more capacity for our hospitals in the coming weeks with our current cases,” she said.
The state is divided into seven Healthcare Emergency Readiness Regions, and currently there are hospitals in every region reporting that Intensive Care Units (ICU) are filling up and may soon not be able to accept new patients, according to Evers’ emergency declaration.
71 of the state’s 72 counties have a “Critically High” level of disease, according to the DHS Activity Level Report. The state had to make the new ranking last week after the spread of cases exceeded two prior “high” levels.
More than one-third of all the state’s hospitals are at capacity and unable to admit new patients, the declaration said.
On top of the capacity issues, hospitals and healthcare systems are reporting a worker shortage. In fact, one-third of hospitals are reporting a critical staffing shortage, the declaration states. Hospitals are requesting and receiving emergency staffing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But 42% of the state’s hospitals expect to be critically short on staff within a week.
Every one of Evers’ health orders since the beginning of the pandemic have been targeted by Republican-backed lawsuits, a number of them leading to state Supreme Court decisions curtailing the mechanisms the governor can use to address the pandemic. Palm’s authority to issue orders was largely stripped by a May Supreme Court ruling.
Read the emergency declaration here. Read the executive order here.
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More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
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- Statement From the Office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley - County Executive David Crowley - Jun 29th, 2022
- State Begins Vaccines For Youngest People - Erik Gunn - Jun 22nd, 2022
- DHS Recommends COVID-19 Vaccines for Everyone Age 6 Months and Older - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Jun 21st, 2022
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake’s Statement on CDC’s COVID-19 Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations and Expansion to Children Under Age 5 - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Jun 18th, 2022
- MKE County: New COVID-19 Cases Down Slightly This Past Week - Graham Kilmer - Jun 17th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jun 17th, 2022
- MKE County: County Sees “Plateau” In New COVID-19 Cases - Graham Kilmer - Jun 10th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jun 10th, 2022
- High Court Okays Release of COVID-19 Workplace Data - Erik Gunn - Jun 8th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
More about the Statewide Mask Mandate
- Court Watch: Why Court Voided Evers Emergency Order - Gretchen Schuldt - Apr 5th, 2021
- Statement by Heartland Institute Director Jeré Fabick on WI Supreme Court Victory Against Gov. Tony Evers - Heartland Institute - Mar 31st, 2021
- Senator Agard: Statement on Supreme Court Decision - State Sen. Melissa Agard - Mar 31st, 2021
- Wisconsin’s Hyperpartisan Supreme Court is Endangering the Public - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Mar 31st, 2021
- Wisconsin Supreme Court: Gov. Evers’ Multiple Emergency Declarations Violate Law - Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty - Mar 31st, 2021
- Rep. Hesselbein Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Emergency Orders - State Rep. Dianne Hesselbein - Mar 31st, 2021
- Statement on Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision - State Sen. Jon Erpenbach - Mar 31st, 2021
- Gov. Evers Releases Statement Regarding Supreme Court Decision - Gov. Tony Evers - Mar 31st, 2021
- Rep. Hintz: Statement on Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling - State Rep. Gordon Hintz - Mar 31st, 2021
- State Supreme Court Overrules Evers’ Emergency Powers - Laurel White - Mar 31st, 2021
Read more about Statewide Mask Mandate here