Blog Recap: Coronavirus updates from around Wisconsin on Thursday, March 26, 2020

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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9:40 p.m. Iron County reports first death, bringing state total to 12

Iron County recorded its first death due to coronavirus, which was also the northern Wisconsin county's first case.

The county health department, based in Hurley near the border with Michigan, did not immediately release any further information about the person who died.

The death is the 12th in the state, and the fourth outside Milwaukee County.

Read about how coronavirus is affecting northern Wisconsin communities here.

— Sophie Carson

9 p.m. Two Dane County inmates test positive, 6 more in quarantine

Two Dane County Jail prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced Thursday.

The two men were part of a group of eight male prisoners who were quarantined in segregation cells in the Public Safety Building in Madison because they had fevers. Sheriff David Mahoney is waiting for more test results of other inmates, further testing for coronavirus may be done.

An additional nine inmates, who at some point had contact with some who are in quarantine, have been removed from the general population and are being housed in a dormitory in the Public Safety Building. None are exhibiting symptoms.

As of Thursday the Dane County Jail population was 549 spread among three facilities.

Several areas of the jail, including the laundry, recreational area and kitchen, have been sanitized. And deputies are identifying anyone displaying symptoms of coronavirus and alerting medical staff.

The sheriff is working quickly to identify any inmates who can be safely released or placed on GPS monitoring with priority given to older inmates or those with underlying medical conditions.

- Meg Jones

8:45 p.m.: Milwaukee County reports its 8th death, the 11th in Wisconsin

Milwaukee County reported its eighth death due to coronavirus: a 69-year-old man.

The man died Thursday evening, according to an online dashboard from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.

In total, 11 people have died due to coronavirus in Wisconsin. As of Thursday evening, the victims included four women and seven men, the youngest 54 years old.

Every Milwaukee County victim was African American, according to the medical examiner. As of Thursday afternoon, the city had 304 confirmed coronavirus cases with the largest concentrations in parts of the city with the most African American residents.

7:45 p.m. MCTS suspends bus fares to limit interaction with drivers

The Milwaukee County Transit System will not collect bus fares starting Saturday and ask riders to enter through the rear doors in an effort to limit interaction with bus drivers.

MCTS is also asking riders to limit non-essential travel. Those who do travel should stay six feet away from other passengers, wash their hands and cover coughs and sneezes.

“Bus drivers are committed to keeping the system running, and the community needs to commit to keeping bus drivers safe and healthy so that they can do this important job,” an MCTS news release reads.

On Friday officials confirmed a bus driver tested positive for the coronavirus. MCTS has cut back on routes as ridership has decreased.

— Sophie Carson

7:35 p.m.: UW-Madison to offer pass/fail grading

University of Wisconsin-Madison will offer a pass/fail grading system to students as classes move entirely online for the remainder of the semester.

Provost Karl Scholz announced the decision Thursday in a letter to students, acknowledging the challenges of virtual education amid the mid-semester upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Students are scattered around the nation and world, across time zones and with disparate access to high speed internet and other learning resources,” Scholz wrote.

“To students, who are being asked to learn in new ways, and to all our students, staff, and faculty, we recognize the challenges the curtailment of economic activity and the variability of technology has on our lives,” he added.

In most cases, students will receive a letter grade and can choose to replace it with a pass/fail designation.

The deadline for choosing to designate a class as pass/fail is May 22 -- eight days after final grades land. The typical deadline is four weeks into the semester.

UW-Madison normally has strict rules on pass/fail courses: they cannot be classes that count for a student's major; they must be elective courses; students may only take one pass/fail class per semester.

The new rules have not been drawn up yet, Scholz said. But they will be more relaxed than the existing ones.

— Sophie Carson

7:25 p.m. Voter registration and absentee ballot drop-off sites open in Milwaukee

City of Milwaukee residents can drop off their absentee ballots at four Milwaukee Public Library branches and the Zeidler Municipal Building starting Friday.

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads uncertainty about Wisconsin’s April 7 presidential primary and spring election, a growing number of people are deciding to vote by absentee ballot.

The City of Milwaukee Election Commission has sent nearly 56,000 absentee ballots to voters and is responding to requests averaging 5,000 per day. Executive Director Neil Albrecht anticipates the number of absentee voters will reach 95,000 to 105,000 by election day.

Though libraries have closed because of the COVID-19 outbreak, absentee ballots can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at:

Zablocki Library, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Washington Park Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.
Mill Road Library, 6431 N. 76th St.
Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, 814 N. Broadway

Even though the deadline for voter registration was extended until March 30, some people don’t have access to the Internet. At each site residents can get help with voter registration if they can’t complete the process online – myvote.wi.gov – and election workers will help people to register at each site. Ballots can also be requested by calling (414) 286-VOTE.

The city opened three early voting polling places but closed them after a week because of difficulties with sufficient staffing.

Any voter in Wisconsin can request an absentee ballot through their clerk’s office until April 2. Residents who identify themselves as being unable to leave their home because of their age or illness have until April 3 to complete their vote. Ballots can be returned using the postage-paid return envelope included with each ballot.

All absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on April 7 to be counted.

- Meg Jones

6:30 p.m.: VA hospital pharmacies restrict walk-ins

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, pharmacies at the Milwaukee and Madison VA hospitals and clinics will only fill prescriptions for hospital discharge and emergency requests.

The move will lessen the number of people coming to the hospitals and clinics and possibly spreading infection of the deadly virus.

Veterans who get their medications through the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison are being encouraged to get their refills by mail.

At the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, all patients walking in for a refill must go through the prescreen process before coming into the hospital. Then they will have to wait in the indoor screening area while a medical support assistant sends an electronic request to the pharmacy.

If the pharmacist determines it’s an emergency, a refill will be brought to the veteran. Refills will only be made Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

All veterans should call the pharmacy at 414-384-2000, then press 1, before coming to the Milwaukee hospital, since only emergency refills will be given. If the refill is not an emergency, the prescription will be mailed, even if the veteran comes in person for the request.

Veterans are asked to fill prescriptions online at myhealth.va.gov.

They can also get their refill prescriptions by phone at 414-384- 2000, then press 1 for those who go to the Milwaukee VA; or calling 888-856-9039 or 608-280-7134 for those who use the Madison VA.

They can also send refill slips by mail.

— Meg Jones

5:15 p.m. Milwaukee County nears 400 cases

Milwaukee County was nearing 400 confirmed coronavirus cases Thursday afternoon with six reported deaths related to the virus.

The numbers constitute a jump since Wednesday morning, when just under 300 cases and three deaths were confirmed in the county.

Of the 393 cases, 304 were in the city of Milwaukee, according to an online dashboard. Three other municipalities reached double-digit cases: West Allis with 15, Wauwatosa with 13, and Oak Creek with 11.

Women accounted for 201 cases and men 191 cases.

The countywide age-range breakdown was:

0-9 years old: 1 case
10-19 years old: 6 cases
20-29 years old: 50 cases
30-39 years old: 64 cases
40-49 years old: 77 cases
50-59 years old: 73 cases
60-69 years old: 75 cases
70-79 years old: 36 cases
80+ years old: 10 cases

See the updating data and an interactive map here.

— Sophie Carson

5:10 p.m. Glorioso's Italian Market closes

Glorioso’s Italian Market, a landmark on Milwaukee’s east side, says on its website that it has temporarily closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will reopen when it is safe to do so,” the market says in a notice at the top of its website.

Glorioso’s, 1011 E. Brady St., has been a family-owned fixture in Milwaukee for more than 70 years.

The business includes a grocery market, deli, bakery and café.

— Joe Taschler

4:45 p.m.: Evers launches equipment donation program

Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday launched an initiative aimed at getting more personal protective equipment, including gowns, gloves and masks, to healthcare workers and first responders as they work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is absolutely imperative that our healthcare workers and first responders have the equipment they need to stay safe and healthy as they care for our communities," Evers said in a statement. "As we face a global shortage of PPE, and are competing with other states to acquire limited resources, I am calling on companies, schools, and other organizations that may have unused protective equipment sitting in their facilities to make those materials available to those who need it most."

He added that the state appreciates donations, but is also prepared to pay fair market value for large quantities of equipment.

Wisconsinites can now go to covid19supplies.wi.gov/Donations to either donate or sell large quantities of personal protective equipment to the State of Wisconsin. The State Emergency Operations Center will then work with distribute the equipment to communities that need it the most.

— Mary Spicuzza

4:30 p.m.: Wisconsin Conservatory of Music organizes #MKEsingalong

Last Saturday over 8,000 people around Chicago belted out Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" from their balconies, porches and front windows all at once — with Jon Bon Jovi himself joining in the shuttered singalong.

Now the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is trying to get Milwaukee in on the action.

They're launching an #MKEsingalong movement to coincide with the Saturday night singalongs in Chicago.

"The Conservatory hopes Milwaukee and Chicago can set aside our fierce rivalry over baseball, football, and most everything else for a few minutes each Saturday night during Covid-19 social distancing," reads a press release issued Thursday. "If we can't cheer on our teams, we can cheer each other up by singing some great tunes together."

The song of choice this Saturday is "ABC" by the Jackson 5. The singalong starts at 7 p.m., and participants are encouraged to make a video and tag it "#mkesingalong" on social media.

More tips and information can be found on the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music's Facebook page.

— Piet Levy

3:15 p.m.: Two Milwaukee women die Thursday

Two additional Milwaukee County residents died from the coronavirus Thursday, bringing Wisconsin’s pandemic death total to 10.

A 79-year-old Milwaukee woman had been hospitalized since March 16, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The woman had underlying health conditions and died Thursday morning from complications of the coronavirus, according to the medical examiner. Her cause of death was listed as congestive heart failure and a stroke.

And a 65-year-old woman from Milwaukee died Thursday afternoon, the medical examiner tweeted. She had been hospitalized since March 21.

The two deaths follow two other Milwaukee County deaths on Wednesday: a 57-year-old woman from West Allis and a 60-year-old man from Milwaukee.

The 57-year-old woman had been ill for two weeks, according to a medical examiner report. She had traveled to Texas and Arkansas three weeks ago.

The 60-year-old man died in his home, a medical examiner report said. He had been tested for COVID-19 but had not received his test results by the time he died five days later.

— Sophie Carson

2:25 p.m.: Wisconsin up to more than 700 positive tests

Wisconsin saw a large increase in confirmed cases of coronavirus for a second consecutive day Thursday, with the state's total increasing by 122 to 707.

Over two days, confirmed cases increased by 250, a 55% jump in overall cases.

But tests for coronavirus have also increased. Statewide, the state had conducted 6,611 tests Monday. By Thursday, there had been 12,290.

1:41 p.m.: State Republicans look to block lawsuit seeking to delay election

State Republicans will try to block a lawsuit brought by the City of Green Bay that seeks to delay the election and move it to mail in an effort to protect poll workers and residents from the coronavirus.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court Tuesday, asks a judge to order the state to cancel the April 7 election and mail ballots to all registered voters. The city also wants state officials to extend the deadline for voter registration to May 1 and give municipal clerks until June 2 to count ballots.

The lawsuit names all members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, along with Gov. Tony Evers and Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm.

In letters to U.S. District Judge William Griesbach, attorneys for the state Republican Party and GOP-controlled Legislature said their clients intend to try to intervene in the lawsuit and push to dismiss the case. Washington County also aims to join the case in an effort to keep the election on track under a policy county leaders adopted Thursday.

A telephone conference in the Green Bay case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday before Greisbach, who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush.

It could have implications for the election statewide, and it's not the only lawsuit aiming to delay the April 7 vote.

Read the full story.

— Haley BeMiller and Patrick Marley

12:36 p.m.: Milwaukee City Development offers resource for small businesses

The Milwaukee Department of City Development is maintaining an online resource directory to assist small businesses dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The website is a compilation of local, state and federal programs, and also provides information on financial support, operational support, and a link to the city's public health rules and recommendations.

Access the resource directory here.

“Small local businesses are extremely important to the Milwaukee economy, and, for many, the challenges presented by the spread of COVID-19 can threaten their existence,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “I want every available tool to be used to support our small businesses, and that’s why we are compiling and publicizing this city resource page.”

— Tom Daykin

12:11 p.m.: Check out these graphics that show how it's affecting us

Check out the Journal Sentinel's extensive data project showing how coronavirus is impacting our community, including traffic, absentee ballots, dining, unemployment, handgun sales and police calls.

Speaking of traffic, here's what the Milwaukee commute looks like.

10:20 a.m.: Sam Dekker posts that he had to leave Russia in a hurry

Former Wisconsin Badgers standout Sam Dekker, who signed a one-year deal with Russian team Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League and the EuroCup this offseason, tweeted Thursday that he learned he had to act quickly to get home.

The Sheboygan Lutheran graduate had been in quarantine for the past 14 days after his team played another team that had players test positive for COVID-19. He said he received a call Thursday alerting him international flights would be shutting down, so if he wanted to come home to Sheboygan he'd have to hurry.

He tweeted a picture from his flight.

— Tom Dombeck

10:03 a.m.: Port Milwaukee still operational

Port Milwaukee's transportation operations, including rail, trucking, and shipping, and its terminal facilities continue to operate on Jones Island, port officials said Thursday.

Port Milwaukee’s primary cargoes, including salt, cement, agricultural products and other dry bulk, continue to arrive by ship and barge; daily rail service from both Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific is maintained, and trucks continue to arrive and depart. The first Milwaukee arrival of an international ship through the St. Lawrence Seaway is scheduled for mid-April.

Port Milwaukee is complying with required safety and security policies, including COVID-19 related guidance from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and other regulators. To comply with Milwaukee Health Department orders, Port Milwaukee’s administrative offices are closed, with staff members working remotely. Essential operations crews and other maritime employees are working on site, and are following recommended precautions.

Public port facilities also remain open, including community fishing locations on Jones Island. Under existing city orders, recreational visitors must comply with social distancing practices.

Changes in the 2020 shipping schedule for Port Milwaukee remain possible because of the response to COVID-19.

Port Milwaukee is an economic entity of city government governed by the seven-member Board of Harbor Commissioners, a panel appointed by Mayor Tom Barrett and confirmed by the Common Council. It administers operations on the 467-acre site.

— Tom Daykin

9:52 a.m.: WCTC donates nearly $100K of medical supplies

The Waukesha County Technical College will donate nearly $100,000 worth of medical supplies to state and local organizations to help healthcare workers during the coronavirus outbreak.

The donation includes 956 face masks, 3,527 exam gloves, 97 gowns, 40 cover gowns, 10 mask filters, 90 surgical masks and 100 face masks with shields normally used in lab courses for several of the college's healthcare programs. The equipment will go to the state Department of Administration.

The college is also donating to first responders 14 cases of medical gloves – thousands of pairs – in varying sizes and 13 canisters of disinfecting and sanitizing wipes that would have been used in its programs. Those donations will be coordinated through the Waukesha County Fire Chiefs Association.

— Devi Shastri

9:26 a.m.: Brewers Community Foundation donates to urgent-needs fund

The Brewers Community Foundation announced it's making $200,000 available for the COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund at the United Way of Milwaukee and Waukesha County and the MKE Responds Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

It's part of a partnership with other local charities, including Herb Kohl Philanthropies, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation and the Zilber Family Foundation. The partners have raised $1.2 million so far, per the Brewers' press release.

“The Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation are proud to join this coalition to support the many nonprofits experiencing an increased need for food, shelter and medical supplies,” said Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers' president of business operations, in the release.

7:36 a.m.: Milwaukee County reports 18 cases of coronavirus Thursday

Milwaukee County reported 18 additional cases of coronavirus Thursday morning, bringing the area total to 343.

Countywide deaths also increased to five after the a 57-year-old woman in West Allis died from the virus, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office announced Thursday morning.

The city of Milwaukee also reported 13 new cases, totaling 267. Wauwatosa and West Allis have 11 confirmed cases, the most out of the county’s suburban communities.

— Elliot Hughes

7:31 a.m.: Both Wisconsin senators praise stimulus package

Wisconsin’s U.S. senators both praised the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that passed the Senate, 96-0, late Wednesday night, though Republican Ron Johnson called the measure “far from perfect.”

Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin issued this statement:

“We face a public health crisis that threatens our economy and this bipartisan response from the Senate supports families, workers, small businesses, hospitals, and our public health care system. This is another strong step forward by Congress responding to the challenges we face in Wisconsin. We are all in this together, so we need to continue working together across party lines to take additional steps to get through this public health crisis, stabilize our economy, and help it move forward.”

Johnson said in a statement:

“Across the board, elected and non-elected federal, state and local officials are making tough decisions and taking decisive action to limit the spread of the coronavirus. These decisions are being made with limited information, so the results will be far from perfect. We must accept the fact that there will be negative unintended consequences.”

The Wisconsin Republican said he voted for the bill because it was essential that Congress give financial support to workers who’ve lost their jobs, to employers who’ve been shut down or badly damaged, to the financial markets and to the health care system.

“But the $2 trillion price was pretty hard to swallow,” said Johnson, who said the measure was inflated by spending provisions “not essential to address the current crisis.”

Johnson said the bill included an oversight structure he had developed with Michigan Democrat Gary Peters and the inspector general of the Justice Department, saying the level of spending in the bill will require “robust oversight and auditing authorities.”

Johnson said the country needs to “limit the spread of coronavirus and ... keep the elderly and vulnerable safe through effective social distancing strategies,” and at the same time “keep as much of our economy up and operating as possible.”

Before final passage, Republicans tried and failed to scale back the measure’s provisions on unemployment benefits, arguing they would create an incentive for some people to leave the workforce because they might make more money on unemployment than working. The Trump administration said the provisions were written the way they were to make the benefits easier to administer and pay out quickly. The vote was 48-48 along mostly party lines. Johnson voted for the amendment, Baldwin voted against it.

The House is expected to pass the stimulus plan Friday.

— Craig Gilbert

7 a.m.: Gas prices fall below $1 a gallon in Wisconsin

Gas prices in Wisconsin fell below $1 per gallon Thursday, perhaps for the first time since the 1980s, as demand for fuel plummets during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Love’s station in Elkhorn was selling regular unleaded for 99 cents a gallon, cash price, while gas stations in Delavan, Wautoma, Appleton and other places posted prices ranging from 99 cents to $1.25.

In the Milwaukee area, the average price for regular unleaded remained at $1.49, according to Gasbuddy.com.

— Rick Barrett

6:30 a.m.: 57-year old woman from West Allis dies from virus

A 57-year-old West Allis woman has died from the coronavirus, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The office Tweeted early Thursday that the woman had been hospitalized since March 19.

The woman was one of 10 confirmed cases in West Allis and one of five deaths in the county as of Thursday morning, according to Milwaukee County’s online coronavirus dashboard.

— Elliott Hughes

6:20 a.m.: Ascension Wisconsin's drive-through testing is for pre-screened patients

Ascension Wisconsin reminded people on Wedensday night that its drive-through testing sites are by appointment only and are for people who have been pre-screened and approved to be tested for COVID-19.

The health system said that it has been getting calls from people asking about free COVID-19 testing after it announced that it would not bill people who do not have health insurance for testing or treatment of COVID-19.

People who want to be tested must be pre-screened by a physician or other clinician with Ascension Medical Group, part of Ascension Wisconsin, by phone or virtually.

Virtual visits are available through Ascension Online Care.

Patients who meet the criteria based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be given an appointment for drive-through testing.

Ascension Wisconsin, the second-largest health system in Wisconsin, also has set up a hotline for people who have questions about COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms or want to receive a text message to schedule an Ascension Online Care appointment with a provider. The phone number is 1 (833) 981-0711.

The health system asked that people not call its Wisconsin hospitals to schedule an appointment to be tested. It also asked that people not come to its mobile testing sites without an appointment.

— Guy Boulton