'Safer at Home is saving lives:' Gov. Evers says 1M+ Wisconsinites support extension

MADISON -- Gov. Tony Evers announced Wednesday, April 29 that dozens of organizations, which collectively represent more than one million Wisconsinites, voiced their support for the extension of Safer at Home in briefs filed with the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

A news release from Gov. Evers' office said on April 21, Legislative Republicans asked the court to block Safer at Home without offering any alternative plan to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has killed more than 55,000 Americans, and more than 200,000 people worldwide.

“From nurses and doctors to pastors and community leaders, the message to state lawmakers and the Court is loud and clear: Safer at Home is saving lives,” said Gov. Evers in the release. “This is an unprecedented outpouring of support, and I hope people in the state Capitol listen.”

Organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites filed amicus briefs asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to uphold the Evers Administration’s Safer at Home Order, the release said.

Gov. Evers said before the Safer at Home order, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was doubling every 3.4 days, a rate similar to Italy and Spain, which have been devastated by COVID-19. With Safer at Home in place, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has doubled every 12.4 days, the release said. This “bending of the curve” has prevented Wisconsin hospitals from becoming overrun, and the first three weeks of Safer at Home is estimated to have saved at least 300 lives and perhaps as many as 1,400 lives in the fight against COVID-19, according to the release. Gov. Evers noted continued adherence to science and advice of health professionals has the potential to save thousands more in Wisconsin alone.

The following organizations and individuals filed briefs asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to uphold Safer at Home:

Earlier this month, the release said more than 200 businesses, city, county, and tribal government officials, medical professionals and organizations representing everything from labor and educators to religious entities, to civil rights, to veterans affairs, signed a letter of support for Wisconsin's Safer at Home efforts, which can be found here.

In addition, Wisconsin healthcare organizations representing health care providers and professionals throughout the state wrote in strong support of extending Safer at Home. The organizations included: Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Nurses Association, Wisconsin Psychiatric Association, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Wisconsin Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Wisconsin Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians, Wisconsin Radiological Society, and Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. That letter is available here.