County issues first ’emergency order’ of COVID crisis
By Brandi Makuski
Portage Co. has issued its first Emergency Order of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More a set of guidelines than an enforceable directive, county leaders on Friday issued some guidance for residents to help slow the spread of the coronavirus after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down an extension of Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order. The Court issued a May 13 ruling that Dept. of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm exceeded her authority in extending the order for an additional month, rendering the entire order moot effective two weeks shy of the extension.
Portage County Executive Chris Holman said residents shouldn’t be worried over the use of the word “order” in the county’s document, saying it’s simply “the medium for Public Health [Department] to put information out to the public.”
“In this case, the order includes guidelines and recommendations,” Holman said by email on Friday night. Under state law, the county health dept. still has the authority to enforce isolation regardless of the Court’s ruling, Holman said.
Through the office of Portage Co. Health Officer Gary Garske, the county issued a series of guidelines within the order, all similar to those published under Safer at Home: encouraging the use of face masks, limiting travel, asking the elderly, and those at high-risk for severe illness, to stay home as much as possible, continue social distancing and handwashing, and covering coughs and sneeze with a sleeve or elbow.
Residents are also asked to follow all public health recommendations issued by DHS and the county’s public health office.
Business owners, along with nonprofit and other organizations that work with the public, should also continue following guidelines for sanitation and public health. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has released industry-specific guidelines for businesses to reopen safely.
Individuals are asked to avoid mass gatherings of more than 50 people and to wear a face mask, and continue social distancing when such a mass gathering is unavoidable.
The order remains in effect until further notice, Holman said, although the county is not issuing “recommendations and does not provide for enforcement via civil or criminal penalty.”
“We’ll continue to monitor the legal situation, and it will likely change again,” he said. “If the governor and the Legislature can sit down together to hammer out a statewide plan, that would be ideal and it would provide counties and the public with a lot more certainty in uncertain times.”
Anyone with concerns about a violation of the guidelines can file a complaint with the county’s Division of Health by calling 715-345-5350, option 8.
The order was crafted with input from Holman, Portage Co. Chairman Al Haga, Ray Przybelski, director of Portage Co. Health and Human Services, Sheriff Mike Lukas, Mayor Mike Wiza, City Council President Meleesa Johnson, Plover Village President Tom Davies, and Administrator Dan Mahony, and police chiefs Tom Zenner (acting chief, Stevens Point), Dan Ault (Plover), and Tony Babl (UWSP).