This week in coronavirus: Wisconsin starts to open, but rising hospitalizations and cancellations hint at an unusual summer
A sense of normalcy returns throughout Wisconsin: People sip drinks at bars again and, finally, we can get haircuts. But coronavirus hasn't gone anywhere.
Because of that, summertime won't be the same in many ways. Event organizers across the state have called off numerous beloved summer events, like the Wisconsin State Fair. This is the first time the fair has been canceled in 75 years.
Appleton announced municipal swimming pools won't open and canceled youth sporting events and programs due to safety concerns and social gathering limitations. However, nearby areas Kaukauna, Little Chute and Neenah will open their pools with restrictions in June.
In Green Bay, Bay Beach Amusement Park plans to hold a soft opening in late June, and officials hope to open Colburn Pool in early July. But Brown County health officials continue encouraging residents to "be mindful of the ongoing risks posed by the coronavirus." The county had the state's second-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases with 2,281 as of Thursday. Many other events in the Brown County area have been canceled or pushed to 2021.
The number of Wisconsinites hospitalized because of COVID-19 has steadily risen in recent weeks — 423 patients statewide were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday morning. Fewer than 300 COVID-19 patients filled hospital beds earlier in May.
The state also reported its largest single-day uptick in coronavirus-related deaths, cases and tests on Wednesday.
As of Friday afternoon, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 568 total deaths and 17,707 positive COVID-19 tests. About six in 10 people have recovered.
State health officials said they can't say whether new cases are connected to the state Supreme Court's May 13 decision to overturn the safer-at-home order.
Slowly opening, but cases keep coming
Retailers are cautiously reopening around the state. For some small businesses, that means requiring everyone who enters to wear a mask or allowing people in by appointment only. Stores are grappling with the financial hit taken after two or three months of forced shutdowns.
Some restaurants have reopened for dine-in, but it wasn't simple, and brunch looks different. Eateries must follow safety guidelines issued by state and federal governing bodies. For many, that means spacing tables at least 6 feet apart.
Recommendations include menus printed on paper for one-time use, as they are "high-touch" items. Salad bars may be closed, and hand sanitizers as well as Plexiglas barriers may appear at host stations.
Food distributors continue making headlines as three employees of Abbyland Food Inc. in Abbotsford tested positive for COVID-19 this week. This comes a couple weeks after nearly 300 employees became infected with the virus at JBS Packerland in Green Bay, on top of other outbreaks in Brown County and Milwaukee County meat-processing facilities.
Cases also appeared at Wisconsin's three state-run veterans homes this week. One resident and one staff member at Veterans Home at King in Waupaca County tested positive for COVID-19. The resident did not show symptoms, had not left the facility and did not have visitors. A second test came back negative, so a third test was submitted. Two staff members at Veterans Home at Union Grove tested positive, and both are isolated at home.
The state's creaking open, and with it comes more testing. Advocate Aurora Health will open six more COVID-19 testing sites in Wisconsin, with northeast locations set for Oshkosh and Two Rivers.
Duke Behnke, Haley BeMiller, Doug Schneider, Kendra Meinert, Maureen Wallenfang, Melissa Siegler, Benita Mathew, Nusaiba Mizan, Natalie Brophy and Matt Piper of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin; Mary Spicuzza, Devi Shastri, Alison Dirr, Bill Glauber, Carol Deptolla and Daniel Higgins of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.