Local Covid-19

Businesses, schools and other organizations are all feeling the impact of the COVID-19 impact one way or another.

For non-profits, the pandemic has made it difficult to hold fundraisers.

The annual budget for the Northwoods Alliance for Temporary Housing is around $280,000.

That money helps NATH provide safe housing and basics needs to people and families experiencing homelessness.

About $20,000 to $30,000 its budget comes from state and federal governments.

Wisconsin health officials reported a new daily high of more than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases — another new daily record. Saturday’s total of 7,065 confirmed infections is more than 900 cases higher than the previous record, set Friday with 6,141 cases.

The state first passed 6,000 daily cases on Friday, and Tuesday and Wednesday of this week also saw record-setting numbers of new cases.

U.S. voters went to the polls starkly divided on how they see President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, with a surprising twist.

In places where the virus is most rampant now, Trump enjoyed enormous support.

An Associated Press analysis reveals that in 376 counties with the highest number of new cases per capita, the overwhelming majority went for Trump, a rate above other less severely hit areas.

Wisconsin’s chief health officer quit Thursday as COVID-19 continues to run rampant across the state.

State Health Officer and DHS Interim Division of Public Health Administrator Stephanie Smiley announced her resignation effective Nov. 11 in a letter to local health departments.

She wrote that her work has been difficult and she has accepted a position outside state service so she can focus on her own health.

The DHS reported an additional 5,922 confirmed cases Thursday, just 17 cases shy of the daily case record of 5,935 set Wednesday.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is refusing to consider whether to reinstate Gov. Tony Evers' order limiting the size of public indoor gatherings. Evers' administration issued the order in early October, sparking a lawsuit from the Tavern League of Wisconsin. 

A Barron County judge upheld the mandate, spurring an appeal from Pro-Life Wisconsin and a bar in Amery.

The 3rd District Court of Appeals blocked the order on Oct. 23 while it considers the case.

Meals at Michigan restaurants came with a new side dish Monday: What’s your name and phone number? The latest order kicked in from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s health department.

Restaurants must be able to contact customers if there’s a virus case linked to the business.

The Michigan Restaurants & Lodging Association insists COVID-19 transmission doesn’t occur much at restaurants.

The group predicts job losses and more financial strife. Michigan’s coronavirus cases have risen significantly, setting a new daily high Saturday at nearly 3,800.

The School District of Rhinelander said some student will have to find alternative ways to get to school Tuesday other than a bus.

In a letter to families, it said Bowen’s Bus Service has some of their staff that’s tested positive for COVID-19.

The district said no students have been identified as close contacts because Bowen’s has adhered to social distancing recommendations.

More than 220,000 Wisconsinites have tested positive for COVID-19. 1,972 have died because of the virus.

On average, 27 percent of tests in the state are coming back positive.

In an update Friday morning, state health officials expressed their most frustration yet over the rising numbers of cases.

For more than a month, Governor Tony Evers and state health officials have been issuing warnings about the rising numbers of cases.

They’ve been pleading with people to following health guidelines.

Local County Health Departments are coordinating with the Wisconsin National Guard to increase COVID-19 testing throughout our region and the state.

There's now 71 new free community testing sites that will now be available in 56 counties and 7 tribal nations. The Department of Health Services says these sites have the capacity to test approximately 48,000 people each week.

Several counties are now offering weekly coronavirus testing sites. The testing is meant for people who are symptomatic or close contacts of people who have tested positive. 

Of all the Halloween activities you can do, trick-or-treating is one of the lower risk ones, but it’s not completely risk free when it comes to COVID-19. 

There are somethings you can do help keep you and trick or treaters safe.

With a surge in COVID-19 cases across Wisconsin right now, there is a very real possibility you will be under quarantine or even hospitalized on Election Day.

The hospitalized elector process is something that’s been around for a long time.

It allows people who are hospitalized on Election Day or in the days leading up to it to cast their ballot.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted early this year to extend that qualification to voters that are also quarantined.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Wisconsin is reporting more than 5,000 COVID-19 cases in a single day.

The Department of Health Services is reporting 5,262 new cases of COVID-19. Another 64 people have died.

Those are both new daily records for Wisconsin.

“With this many new cases each day our contact tracers are overwhelmed. Hospitals across our state are strained and operating with critical and imminent staffing shortages. We continue accepting patients into our alternative care facility,” said DHS Secretary Designee Andrea Palm.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin have now topped 200,000.

The Department of Health Services reported another 2,883 cases Monday.

DHS said it took seven and half months to reach the first 100,000 cases and only 36 days to reach our second.

It said despite the daily numbers on Monday being down from last week, Wisconsin is nowhere close to being out of the woods.

Oneida County reported its highest single-day death totals on Friday. Five more people died bring the total to 13.