Every Friday, Stuff We Missed looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for, well, stuff we missed throughout the week.
• Wisconsin reported a record 7,777 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Friday. There were 58 new deaths.
As of Thursday, 14 patients were being treated at the “alternate care facility” at State Fair Park. Throughout the entire state, as of Thursday, only 8% of ICU beds were currently available.
Let’s look at weekly totals. When you add the reported numbers from Monday-Friday, there were 33,755 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin this week. There were 261 new deaths.
Let’s look at yearly totals. So far, there have been 301,165 positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin. A total of 2,573 people are dead. [Wisconsin Department of Health Services]
Your #COVID19_WI update w/another record; 7,777 cases reported since yesterday, bringing our total to more than 300,000. It took 7 months to get to 100,000 cases, 36 days to hit 200,000, and only 18 days to get to 300,000. Please, help #StopTheSpread: https://t.co/4JQGip7yuw pic.twitter.com/zW7D4Kl6vD
— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) November 13, 2020
• Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, businesses may be more severely fined for violating the city’s health order. The Public Safety and Health Committee approved a penalty increase from $500 to $5,000, with a maximum accumulated fine of $20,000. “There’s no question that we have to raise the fine,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “We have heard reports of operators or venue operators who have said, ‘Well, I’ve got a $5,000, $6,000 event coming up and the fine is $500, I’ll just tack that on to the cost.'” The proposed fine increase still needs final approval from the full Common Council and Barrett. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• A recent report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force says: “We share the strong concern of Wisconsin leaders that the current situation is worsening dramatically and that additional measures are needed to limit further cases and avoid increases in hospitalizations and deaths. The Governor’s continued personal guidance on these measures is critical and is commended.” [TMJ 4]
• Speaking of the governor, Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order this week that strongly recommends staying at home. [Milwaukee Record]
• Speaking of fairly useless recommendations that should be fairly useful mandates, Wisconsin Republican lawmakers who continue to hold the governor the entire state of Wisconsin hostage have done nothing about COVID-19—absolutely nothing—for 211 days. [WISN]
• Because they’re not being held hostage by Wisconsin Republican lawmakers, other Midwest governors have been able to do something about the ever-worsening COVID-19 crisis. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Advocate Aurora Health hospitals may put elective surgeries on hold because of the ever-worsening COVID-19 crisis. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Hey! Some music news! Enjoy some new WebsterX music in this new WebsterX documentary! [YouTube]
• Hey! Some election news! Dan Shafer has a detailed breakdown of how Wisconsin dealt the “deciding blow to defeat Donald Trump.” [The Recombobulation Area]
• Hey! Some “Vince Vaughn wearing a creepy Aaron Rodgers mask in the new horror-comedy film Freaky” news! [Screen Rant]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee. Stay safe. Here’s the latest from the incomparable Mike Schneider.