Wisconsin

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Sorta makes you wonder what the point of permits are if they're not enforced.  I'm curious as to where all these folks think they're going to go to the bathroom. 

Probably the same place you did during the occupation...anywhere.   

[Hards Alumni]

Probably the same place you did during the occupation...anywhere.   

Lots of open businesses on the square and state street were open back in the good ol' days.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Sorta makes you wonder what the point of permits are if they're not enforced.  I'm curious as to where all these folks think they're going to go to the bathroom. 

[Mutaman]

Brian Westrate, the treasurer of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, posted to a private Facebook group for organizers and some attendees of the Madison rally, asking people not to bring emblems of causes other than resisting the stay-at-home order.

"Ok folks, I implore you, please leave Confederate flags and/or AR15s, AK47s, or any other long guns at home," Mr. Westrate wrote. "I well understand that the Confederacy was more about states rights than slavery. But that does not change the truth of how we should try to control the optics during the event."

(Emphasis added)

[🏀]

Brian Westrate, the treasurer of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, posted to a private Facebook group for organizers and some attendees of the Madison rally, asking people not to bring emblems of causes other than resisting the stay-at-home order.

"Ok folks, I implore you, please leave Confederate flags and/or AR15s, AK47s, or any other long guns at home," Mr. Westrate wrote. "I well understand that the Confederacy was more about states rights than slavery. But that does not change the truth of how we should try to control the optics during the event."

(Emphasis added)

There was an attempt

[Hards Alumni]

There was an attempt

[Mutaman]

Brian Westrate
@BrianWestrate
·
3h
"I was attempting to acknowledge the arguments that would be used to disagree with my suggestion. Of course slavery was at the core of the confederacy and the civil war. To say otherwise would be absurd. I was just trying to help the folks stay on message.Apparently it was a #Fail"

[Hards Alumni]

Brian Westrate
@BrianWestrate
·
3h
"I was attempting to acknowledge the arguments that would be used to disagree with my suggestion. Of course slavery was at the core of the confederacy and the civil war. To say otherwise would be absurd. I was just trying to help the folks stay on message.Apparently it was a #Fail"

"Shoot, I got caught, sorry!  Well anyway, here's Wonderwall!"

[injuryBug]

So who went out and golfed today?  I went out with my 2 sons and had a great time.  It was great to be doing something for almost 5 hours without hearing about the virus or thinking about it.
The tee times at the course were booked solid but with the 20 minute gaps it was nice to not have a group on your tail.

[tower912]

I did on the other side of the lake.   Reminded me that I am a golf snob.    Too slow, too many 6 packs in golf bags with empties all over the place.    One of the reasons I have avoided leagues for the last 20 years.    The absence of golf carts was refreshing.    And I was amused watching guys have to carry their immense leather cart bag. 

[injuryBug]

I did on the other side of the lake.   Reminded me that I am a golf snob.    Too slow, too many 6 packs in golf bags with empties all over the place.    One of the reasons I have avoided leagues for the last 20 years.    The absence of golf carts was refreshing.    And I was amused watching guys have to carry their immense leather cart bag.

completely different where i went.  I think most of the guys out today at this course were members and older with their push carts.  So they cleaned up after themselves

[tower912]

Saw a 7-some on a green, all holding beers while the others putted.    On a course with a closed clubhouse, no carts, first come-first serve.

[🏀]

Saw a 7-some on a green, all holding beers while the others putted.    On a course with a closed clubhouse, no carts, first come-first serve.

This is why I didn't go out today or this weekend.

[mu_hilltopper]

34 parks to re-open:

https://www.wuwm.com/post/evers-reopens-34-wisconsin-state-parks-closed-april-10

The past week, Evers has loosened many restrictions, which I think is good -- but he's completely whiffing on the political opportunity to get people on the same page and tamp down the left vs. right divisions.

[The Sultan]

34 parks to re-open:

https://www.wuwm.com/post/evers-reopens-34-wisconsin-state-parks-closed-april-10

The past week, Evers has loosened many restrictions, which I think is good -- but he's completely whiffing on the political opportunity to get people on the same page and tamp down the left vs. right divisions.

I mean...Vos and Fitzgerald sued him so....

And the polls agree with him.  We will see if they continue to do so in a week or two.

[#UnleashSean]

34 parks to re-open:

https://www.wuwm.com/post/evers-reopens-34-wisconsin-state-parks-closed-april-10

The past week, Evers has loosened many restrictions, which I think is good -- but he's completely whiffing on the political opportunity to get people on the same page and tamp down the left vs. right divisions.

It was pretty asinine for them to be closed in the first place.

[mu_hilltopper]

I don't disagree that .. they shouldn't have been closed, but I wouldn't call it "asinine" though .. it is an extreme measure where all non-zero risk activities are closed.

As for the politics .. look, we're dysfunctional and divided .. that will be the status quo until it's not, and that takes effort.   Evers needs to increase (at least) the perception that he's listening and flexible, and every "loosening" of the rules is an opportunity. 

[🏀]

It was pretty asinine for them to be closed in the first place.

Have you been past a county park or city park that is open? Parking lots are cesspools.

[MUDPT]

Our hospital is the busiest it's been since before the lockdown, this week.

[Hards Alumni]

It was pretty asinine for them to be closed in the first place.

They were overcrowded and people were trashing them.  They should have been closed.

[Hards Alumni]

https://www.wpr.org/52-who-worked-or-voted-wisconsin-election-have-covid-19

My advice to anyone who wants to open everything back up is to play it safe, and wait two weeks longer for that haircut or night out and see what kind of increase in numbers we have.

[4everwarriors]

Man, eye'm lookin' like da shaggy dawg, hey?

[Sir Lawrence]

https://www.wpr.org/52-who-worked-or-voted-wisconsin-election-have-covid-19

My advice to anyone who wants to open everything back up is to play it safe, and wait two weeks longer for that haircut or night out and see what kind of increase in numbers we have.

I agree with your advice, depending on location.  Yet this morning's Milwaukee J/S had a different take (Behind a paywall, I think)  :

"Given the incubation period of the coronavirus, epidemiologists said a surge in new cases would have appeared statewide last week. Except for a slight increase that could have been explained by other reasons, no surge appeared.

"I don't think that the in-person election led to a major effect, to my surprise. I expected it," Alagoz said, adding they don't expect to see a spike in the future.

Mustafa Hussein, an epidemiologist with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, agreed there did not appear to be evidence of a surge of cases in the raw numbers. But he noted researchers lack crucial data regarding COVID-19."

And later in the same article:

"One theory is that without the in-person election, the numbers of cases in Wisconsin would have dropped even lower.

"A lot of this is speculative and difficult to pinpoint and say, 'The election caused this,'" Hussein said. "All of these factors completely muddy the waters and make this very difficult. It feels like a wild goose chase to go after. It is a valid question, an important one, but very difficult to answer."

Officials at the Department of Health Services said they also did not see a spike.

"We didn't observe any overall significant surge in infections associated with that," Westergaard said. "There is reason to think some people may have been exposed based on interviews done locally but not enough to create a trend or signal that we can detect on a statewide basis."

City of Milwaukee Health Director Jeanette Kowalik said seven people may have contracted the virus through voting. She later raised it to 40, but she said more research is needed, which should be done later this week.

The state said about two dozen people may have been infected on election day."

It's so very frustrating to not get clear data, or even some agreement on the data that should be available. 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-wisconsin-no-bump-election-but-concerns-remain/3039357001/

[The Sultan]

Which is great news.  First, because you shouldn't want people to be sick.  Second, because it shows the power of mitigation and what it might mean when we "open up."

[Hards Alumni]

I agree with your advice, depending on location.  Yet this morning's Milwaukee J/S had a different take (Behind a paywall, I think)  :

"Given the incubation period of the coronavirus, epidemiologists said a surge in new cases would have appeared statewide last week. Except for a slight increase that could have been explained by other reasons, no surge appeared.

"I don't think that the in-person election led to a major effect, to my surprise. I expected it," Alagoz said, adding they don't expect to see a spike in the future.

Mustafa Hussein, an epidemiologist with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, agreed there did not appear to be evidence of a surge of cases in the raw numbers. But he noted researchers lack crucial data regarding COVID-19."

And later in the same article:

"One theory is that without the in-person election, the numbers of cases in Wisconsin would have dropped even lower.

"A lot of this is speculative and difficult to pinpoint and say, 'The election caused this,'" Hussein said. "All of these factors completely muddy the waters and make this very difficult. It feels like a wild goose chase to go after. It is a valid question, an important one, but very difficult to answer."

Officials at the Department of Health Services said they also did not see a spike.

"We didn't observe any overall significant surge in infections associated with that," Westergaard said. "There is reason to think some people may have been exposed based on interviews done locally but not enough to create a trend or signal that we can detect on a statewide basis."

City of Milwaukee Health Director Jeanette Kowalik said seven people may have contracted the virus through voting. She later raised it to 40, but she said more research is needed, which should be done later this week.

The state said about two dozen people may have been infected on election day."

It's so very frustrating to not get clear data, or even some agreement on the data that should be available. 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-wisconsin-no-bump-election-but-concerns-remain/3039357001/

And I don't disagree.  We can't prove or disprove where the people were infected.  Having said that, I disagree with the bolded claim.  Incubation time, plus onset of symptoms, plus time for a test to come back... and we are easily within that time frame.

It's going to be difficult to pin down exactly where people contracted the disease without adequate testing and contact tracing.