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Today we highlight a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story detailing threats to Milwaukee Health Department inspectors during the pandemic.
The department halted evening and weekend inspections for COVID-19 violations for weeks after supporters of President Donald Trump pushed and harassed inspectors at a mid-November rally, Alison Dirr reports.
“The inspectors came to the event at Serb Hall to enforce the city’s COVID-19 health order aimed at stemming the spread of the virus,” Dirr reports. “About 500 Trump supporters were present, surpassing the 100-person maximum allowed under the city’s order, and they were not wearing masks, social distancing or staying in their seats, the city said previously. Health Department staffers later received a death threat and faced online ‘doxxing’ over enforcement of the orders.”
Top Stories
A shove and a death threat. How the Serb Hall incident set back COVID-19 inspections in Milwaukee — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin Republicans break with Trump on $2,000 stimulus checks — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Amid the pandemic, Wisconsin port adapted as tonnage dropped in some places, others saw positives — WPR
Should pregnant and breastfeeding women get vaccinated? When will we know more about children? — WPR
Milwaukee homeowners ‘astounded’ by property tax increases amid COVID — Fox6
Wisconsin COVID-19 vaccination begins in high-risk setting: nursing homes — Wisconsin State Journal
Evers administration plans to simplify unemployment claims — Associated Press
State capitols face showdown over COVID powers and spending — Associated Press
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Quotable
“It’s the perfect storm. …We’re seeing isolation, loneliness, depression. Combine that with an underlying substance abuse problem, and now you have all the right combinations for death.”
Dr. Selahattin Kurter, executive director of West Grove Clinic, speaking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about record-breaking numbers of overdose deaths in the Milwaukee area
Data to note
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has unveiled a new dashboard showing the state’s progress in distributing vaccines.
Here is a snapshot of Tuesday’s data.
Additionally, WisContext offers these visualizations of Wisconsin COVID-19 statistics. New documented COVID-19 infections and test-positivity rates have continued to decline from a pre-Thanksgiving peak. The state is also seeing fewer COVID-19 patients hospitalized since mid-November, now hovering at mid-October levels.
DHS on Tuesday reported a seven-day average of 34 new COVID-19 deaths each day. Wisconsin’s total pandemic death toll is 4,783, according to DHS data.
Calculate your exposure risk
In Wisconsin, even small gatherings can carry a big risk of exposure to the coronavirus, according to a nationwide tool that estimates the danger by the size of gathering and county in which it is held. Data scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Stanford University developed the tool, which you can find here.
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.
‘Stronger together’: Douglas County partners seek to transform mental health crisis response — WPR
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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.
