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Wisconsin has eclipsed a grim pandemic milestone: 1,000 known COVID-19 deaths.
The state Department of Health Services on Tuesday reported eight new deaths of people infected with the coronavirus, pushing Wisconsin’s total to 1,006 since mid-March. Fifty-two of the state’s 72 counties have reported at least one death.
The state’s seven-day average of reported deaths has increased since July 9 — from two to six per day on Tuesday, according to DHS data.
“Even one death from COVID-19 is one too many,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a news release. “To all the Wisconsinites dealing with the loss of a family member, a friend, a coworker, or a neighbor, I express my deepest condolences…. and we are going to continue doing everything we can to fight this virus that has already taken the lives of so many across our state.”
More than 162,400 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
We also highlight a story by Edgar Mendez of Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. He reports on laid-off Wisconsinites who wonder how they will survive without an extra $600 in federal dollars added to their unemployment insurance checks during the pandemic.
Top Stories
Families face peril as unemployment benefit expires — Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Workplaces make up nearly 40% of COVID-19 facility probes in state — Wisconsin State Journal
Evers denies clemency to inmates as high heat, COVID risks raise health concerns — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Gaps between black, white students at Unified likely widened by pandemic — Journal Times
Some Wisconsin universities require students, staff to sign COVID-19 pledges — WPR
States strain to carry out Trump order on unemployment aid — Associated Press
Reported Big Ten football cancellation deals economic blow — Wisconsin State Journal
What are we missing? And how are you coping? Help us provide critical information and accountability by filling out this form or emailing us at tips@wisconsinwatch.org.
Quotable
“The irony is that the person who will defund the police is Donald Trump.”
Dayton, Ohio Mayor Nan Whaley, speaking to the Associated Press about how a lack of federal relief to state and local governments during the pandemic will force major cuts to police and other services nationwide
“We must resist the desire to rush out a product. Creating vaccines is hard, and we should be prepared for the reality that some promising ones will not meet the FDA’s criteria. Researchers and the government should also commit to transparency so that people can see the results for themselves to understand the regulatory decisions.”
Natalie Dean, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida, writing for The New York Times
Data to note
A Marquette University Law School Poll found 69% of Wisconsin residents favor Gov. Tony Evers’ mandate that people wear masks when out in public. But there were sharp partisan and regional differences. Among Republicans, just 43% favored the mask requirement. Among independents, the percentage was 71%, and Democrats widely endorsed the requirement, with 93% in favor. Among Milwaukee residents, support for a mask requirement was 83%, the poll found, but elsewhere in the state, support dropped to 60%.
Here are the latest visualizations of COVID-19 cases and deaths from our partners at WisContext.
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People helping others and showing resilience during this time of anxiety. Send suggestions by tagging us on social media — @wisconsinwatch — or emailing us: tips@wisconsinwatch.org.
The pandemic sidelined this woman’s annual State Fair birthday celebration. Here’s what her family did instead. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
‘People are looking toward home:’ COVID-19 placing more importance on shopping and local businesses — The Chippewa Herald
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The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (wisconsinwatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
