Today, September 22, 2020, Gov. Tony Evers declared a new Public Health Emergency and issued a new face covering Emergency Order requiring individuals to wear face coverings when indoors, except in a private residence or when no one else is present. Both orders are effective immediately and will expire on November 21, 2020 or with a subsequent superseding order. According to Gov. Evers, the new Public Health Emergency is due to a recent surge over the last month in COVID-19 cases among young people, whereby 18 to 24 year olds have a case rate five times higher than any other age group.

This Emergency Order and Declaration comes on the heels of Executive Order #82, which Gov. Evers issued on July 30, 2020. The requirements governing the face coverings are still in effect and are described in detail here in our previous Client Alert on this matter. The new Emergency Order can be found here and the FAQ on face coverings can be found here.

Employers are not required, but, are highly encouraged to provide face coverings to individuals who enter the facility without a covering.  This includes not only employees, but, visitors or other individuals appearing at and seeking access to the facility.