(Madison) Governor Tony Evers unveiled a plan today that lays out the steps to reopen the economy. The “Badger Bounce Back” plan outlines criteria to address economic concerns in phases and includes steps to make sure workers and businesses are prepared to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. In coordination with the announcement, state Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm issued an Emergency Order establishing the process and outlining the phases of the plan.
Normal activities in Wisconsin would resume only after cases of coronavirus and flu-like symptoms declined for two weeks in a row. Such restrictions would be lifted in three phases, while increasing testing and leaving the decision on allowing businesses to re-open with state health officials.
The governor’s office says the Bounce Back plan uses the President’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again that was issued by the White House last week. Currently, Wisconsin does not meet the criteria the White House established to start reopening our state but the plan details important steps to get the state there.
Under the Badger Bounce Back plan, everyone who needs a test should get a test. The state is setting a goal of 85,000 tests per week, averaging about 12,000 tests per day. Next, the state will be expanding contact tracing and more aggressively tracking the spread with the goal of every Wisconsinite who tests positive being interviewed within 24 hours of receiving their test results and their contacts being interviewed within 48 hours of test results.
Additionally, the state will continue to pursue every avenue to grow Wisconsin’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare and public safety entities to conduct COVID-19 testing, patient care, and public safety work.
Finally, the plan works to bolster healthcare system capacity where patients can be treated without crisis care and there are more robust testing programs in place for at-risk healthcare workers.
While there is no word yet on the lawsuits threatened to be filed against the governor’s latest Safer At Home extension, State Representative Mark Born of Beaver Dam called the plan a “great start” that will “need more work.”
The Badger Bounce Back plan is available here. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s portion of the Badger Bounce Back plan aimed at helping to ensure workers and businesses are prepared and ready to bounce back is available here. The Badger Bounce Back plan in brief is also available here.
