Mar. 13, 2020 12:30a (Recasts numerous previous updates)
(WGTD, WPR)---A disappointing end to the season Thursday night for the boys basketball teams from Kenosha Tremper, Racine Case, Racine St. Catherine's and others around the state. And it's not because they lost in the first leg of sectional play. It's because the rest of the tournament has been cancelled out of concern over the spread of the coronavirus. The word came late Thursday night in a tweet from the WIAA. Tremper and Racine Case were to have faced off Saturday night in Burlington for a chance to go to state.
It's just one of many impacts as state and local officials ramp up efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. They began in earnest Thursday morning when Gov. Evers declared a statewide public health emergency that could impact, one way or another, virtually everyone in the state. "The risk to the majority of Wisconsinites is low. That being said we can all do our part to help prevent the spread to others," Evers said.
High-risk individuals include people who are 60 and over and people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease or diabetes.
Wisconsin has 8 confirmed cases of the disease. One person has fully recovered. One person is hospitalized; the others are isolating themselves.
In Kenosha County, test results are pending in two suspected cases. No confirmed cases have been reported in either Racine or Walworth counties. But with coronavirus testing increasing, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, citing public health officials, predicted that it’s just a matter of time before cases pop up in his county.
Both Delagrave and Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser followed the governor’s lead and declared their own public health emergencies yesterday. The pronouncements are putting in motion a series of steps designed to ultimately reduce face-to-face contact, such as restricting jail visits and exploring alternate ways of doing business. Krueser has eliminated, for now, visits to the county-owned Brookside Care Center. The City of Kenosha issued a press release avaliable here.
The area’s colleges are being impacted. Both Carthage and Parkside are adjusting their spring break schedules and preparing to convert to online teaching. Gateway is releasing a series of emails that began last night with restrictions on travel and purchasing.
In K-12 schools, classes are continuing, but Kenosha Unified has already said it plans to cancel all non-essential student/staff gatherings, including assemblies.
The impact of the mitigation effort is being felt beyond local government and schools. Kenosha Harbor Market canceled Saturday’s market. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Racine is off. Large competitions and gatherings in Pleasant Prairie’s RecPlex have been canceled, although the facility itself will remain open with enhanced cleaning and sanitation efforts.
In grocery stores, such things as toilet paper, cleaning supplies and bottled water are flying off the shelves as people prepare for possible extended home stays. Woodman's, the large, 24-hour grocery store at I-94 and Highway 50, closed Thursday night to give workers a chance to restock the shelves. All available stockers were called in. Woodman's planned to reopen Friday at 5 a.m.
-0-