A day after the state reported a record amount of new COVID-19 infections, a coalition of Wisconsin healthcare and business organizations teamed up Friday to limit the spread of the virus in a new campaign.
There are 23 organizations taking part in the coalition, including Wisconsin Hospital Association, Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Grocers Association, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. The University of Wisconsin System will also be involved in the campaign.
After the state reported a record 3,132 infections and a record of 907 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, triple the number of patients hospitalized a month ago, they announced the “Stop the COVID Spread!” campaign.
Plans for the campaign include public service announcements and a digital ad campaign with messages asking people to wear masks, wash their hands, social distance and follow all other recommendations from health officials, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
UW professor of chemistry Timothy Bertram said in an email to The Badger Herald there is a clear approach to help mitigate risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19.
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“Embracing preventative actions such as mask-wearing and limiting indoor occupancy are the easiest and most cost-effective pathways to restarting in-person K-12 education and many of our local businesses,” Bertram said.
Leaders of the new campaign said in a WSJ article that adding new voices could help spread the message on COVID-19 prevention, since Gov. Tony Evers and other state officials have addressed the same messages and recommendations since March.
According to The COVID Tracking Project, Wisconsin has a daily average of 2,416 cases and the fifth-highest COVID-19 rate in the country.
“Until society fully embraces the risk protection strategies noted above, we can expect COVID-19 to be prevalent in our communities,” Bertram said.
