Apr. 17, 2020 4:20p; Updated at 5:05p with new information: Updated at 5:55p with Bowersox reaction
(WGTD)---Racine Public Health Director Dottie-Kay Bowersox is slamming Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling's decision to stop enforcing 'Safer at Home.'
Schmaling announced Friday that he has directed his deputies to stop enforcing Gov. Evers' extension of his stay-at-home order because of it's "overreaching measures."
"I took an oath to uphold the constitutional rights of our citizens and I can not in good faith participate in the destruction of Racine County businesses or interfere in the freedoms granted to all of us by our Constitution," Schmaling said. The Republican sheriff urges the Department of Health Services to develop a "workable" plan that balances safety concerns with ways for businesses to operate even during the current "health situation."
Said Bowersox: "It is concerning and alarming that Sheriff Schmaling would be unsupportive and defiant of the extended 'Safer at Home' order. The actions come in response to the best available science and data from the CDC and local public health officials. The fight against COVID-19 is not over and how we respond in the coming days, weeks, and months will determine whether or not we will be successful. Undermining this effort adds confusion to the public which imposes unnecessary risk to many residents."
Bowersox said she understands the economic hardships that are the result of the order. "However, ensuring the health and welfare of all community members is an essential duty of all public servants which honors those we have lost or who are struggling at this time."
In his release, Schmaling suggests that businesses should be allowed to reopen after implementing their own customer and employee safeguards. He does urge citizens to continue to be "responsible" by following the social distancing, mask and hygiene recommendations of the CDC and the Wisconsin DHS.
Schmaling said he'll leave "the enforcement of public health orders to the health department experts."
State Rep. Greta Neubauer, a Democrat, said she too was disappointed with Schmaling's statement. "Wisconsin is still seeing daily increases in COVID-19 cases, and we must continue to follow the advice of public health experts as we assess how to respond to this pandemic," she said in a news release.
"The evidence shows that Safer at Home is working, and while this is incredibly difficult for our community, we must not rush this process. We must continue to ramp up our testing and our PPE production, so that we can trace new infections and protect our essential workers before ending Safer at Home in May," Neubauer said.
State Senator Bob Wirch, a Democrat who represents parts of Kenosha and Racine counties, without mentioning Schmaling's announcement issued his own release affirming support for the extended 'Safer at Home' order which was revised by Gov. Evers Thursday to include greater flexibilities for businesses.
The Schmaling release comes as the death of a City of Racine resident boosted the overall total for the county to 8. It also comes as Schmaling's Kenosha counterpart, Dave Beth, is scrambling to fill shifts because so many of his deputies are quarantined.
Racine Mayor Cory Mason also urged residents to continue to abide by the restrictions. "We stll have some work to do to flatten the curve of this pandemic," he said in a release. "And the only way we can do that is to do it together. If we stay home we will save lives."
Mason indicated that new support for small businesses is coming. Mason plans to announce at least $650,000 in additional assistance for the city's small businesses next week.
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