Wisconsin needs to engage in a “smart restart of its economy,” which has been largely shut down since late March by social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic, involving a phased re-opening of businesses based on regional and statewide health data and trends, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy said today.
“We will continue to urge flexibility in setting any date, based on the trend lines from the health and safety data,” Sheehy said.
“Employers need to lead in this next phase of a smart restart,” he said. “By collaborating on best practices that continue to ensure the health and safety of their employees and customers, we can bring our economy back on line. Until there is a widely available vaccine, we are all going to need to operate in a manner that keeps the spread of COVID-19 from impacting our health care systems. We believe our members are up to that task.”
Sheehy’s statements came shortly after Gov. Tony Evers today announced that he is extending his “Safer at Home” order to May 26.
Evers’ original order was set to expire on April 24 and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and several other business groups in the state had asked him to come up with a plan to reopen the economy, starting on that date. The MMAC was not part of the WMC-led group making that request.
MMAC will be releasing a dashboard of metrics that reflect the health and safety indicators important to managing COVID-19, as well as a best practice guide for employers, Sheehy said today.
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