Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on government integrity and quality of life issues, and we always provide our news for free.
You can read all of our coronavirus/COVID-19 coverage by signing up for our Wisconsin COVID-19 Update newsletter, and please consider becoming a member to support our nonprofit journalism.
Today we highlight our story about Wisconsin’s gains in coronavirus testing — and ongoing challenges in efforts to identify and isolate infected residents.
Bram Sable-Smith, a WPR fellow embedded in the Wisconsin Watch newsroom, reports that Wisconsin dramatically expanded its testing capacity since the pandemic began in March. But experts say too few Wisconsinites who should get tested are showing up — potentially thwarting efforts to neutralize a virus that continues to spread across Wisconsin and the United States.
Top Stories
Calls for more coronavirus testing as Wisconsin sees ‘significant community spread’ — Wisconsin Watch/WPR
Milwaukee schools barred from reopening under city order, though some private and charter schools and universities were planning to — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Democratic lawmakers propose overhaul of unemployment laws but face GOP opposition — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Uncounted millions had COVID-19 symptoms, but no positive test — USA Today
Contact tracers work to curb, keep up with growing COVID-19 outbreak — Wisconsin State Journal
Get ready for a bumpy ride with new mask requirements — Appleton Post-Crescent
Child care providers question mandatory masks for young children — WPR
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.
Government updates
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
U.S. Centers and Disease Control and Prevention
Quotable
“We are in the middle — not at the end — of a public health and economic crisis. It is not the time to end the programs and policies established to help people weather this storm. For those who have lost their jobs in this crisis, losing their utilities only compounds the difficulties of an incredibly challenging time. It further marginalizes those who are already struggling by making job hunting or online school work difficult. It also increases personal and public health risks during this hot summer.”
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, in a request that the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin extend its moratorium on utility shut-offs past July 25
Data to note
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Friday reported 880 new cases of COVID-19, with 7.2% of tests returning positive. The department reported two new deaths in a pandemic that has reportedly killed 833.
Here are the latest visualizations of COVID-19 cases and deaths from our partners at WisContext.
!function(e,i,n,s){var t=”InfogramEmbeds”,d=e.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(“script”);o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=”https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js”,d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,”infogram-async”); !function(e,i,n,s){var t=”InfogramEmbeds”,d=e.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(“script”);o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=”https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js”,d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,”infogram-async”); !function(e,i,n,s){var t=”InfogramEmbeds”,d=e.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(“script”);o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=”https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js”,d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,”infogram-async”);Resilient Wisconsin
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.
Mask up, Milwaukee: Where to find free and locally made face coverings — Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UW-Madison to offer free COVID-19 testing to students, employees — Wisconsin State Journal
Access to some stories listed in the Wisconsin COVID-19 Update may be limited to subscribers of the news organizations that produced them. We urge our readers to consider supporting these important news outlets by subscribing.
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.
