Waukesha County executive Paul Farrow encouraged businesses to follow CDC and Wisconsin Economic Corp. guidelines after a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling striking down Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order.
“While there is no longer a ‘Safer at Home’ order, there is still COVID-19 in our community. Be smart, be vigilant, and stay safe,” Farrow said in a statement.
Farrow said he expects many businesses previously closed by the order would choose to open on Thursday.
“We trust our businesses will do so responsibly,” Farrow said. “All Waukesha County businesses should continue to follow CDC guidelines for social distancing and cleaning and disinfecting whenever possible. They should also consider the guidelines provided by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and consult with their respective trade or business organizations to identify industry best practices to safely welcome back employees and customers.”
The state Supreme Court ruling found that Evers’ orders requiring many businesses to close was unlawful and unenforceable because it did not follow the process for promulgating rules. The court, however, stopped short of granting a stay in its order that Republican lawmakers challenging the order had sought.
With no statewide order, many municipalities and counties put their own stay at home orders in place. Milwaukee and Racine were among those to take such action.
Waukesha County is not issuing an order, but Farrow said the county is still taking the health of the community seriously.
“Waukesha County continues to have an active and aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said, noting the county is increasing the number of contact tracers and working with hospital executives and the state to ensure adequate testing capacity.
As of Wednesday, Waukesha County had seen 421 positive COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths. On May 6, the county had 374 cases and 22 deaths. The county’s current case total is the sixth highest in the state.
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