MILWAUKEE -- After the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers' coronavirus stay-at-home order Wednesday, May 13, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett issued a statement indicating the City of Milwaukee's public health order would remain in effect.
The 4-3 ruling essentially reopens the state, lifting caps on the size of gatherings, allowing people to travel as they please and allowing shuttered businesses to reopen, including bars and restaurants. The Tavern League of Wisconsin swiftly posted the news on its website, telling members, “You can OPEN IMMEDIATELY!”
The decision let stand language that had closed schools, however, and local governments can still impose their own health restrictions. In Dane County, home to the capital of Madison, officials quickly imposed a mandate incorporating most of the statewide order. City health officials in Milwaukee said a stay-at-home order they enacted in late March remains in effect.
“The City of Milwaukee Health Department issued a public health order on March 25, 2020 to protect public health and reduce the spread of COVID-19. That order remains in effect, including all provisions on public gatherings, restaurants and bar operations," Mayor Barrett said in a statement Wednesday.
The City of Milwaukee's order reads, in part:
Joint statement from Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, chairwoman of the Public Safety and Health Committee and Common Council President Cavalier Johnson