On May 13, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (DHS) Safer at Home Order 28, ultimately declaring that DHS failed to follow proper rulemaking as required by Wis. Stat. 227.
“Based on the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office will not be enforcing any violations of Safer at Home Orders and will be dismissing any currently-filed Safer at Home violations,” Eric Toney, Fond du Lac District Attorney, said. “The court declined the Legislature’s request that the order be stayed to allow the Governor, DHS, and Legislature time to put in place new safety measures. Currently, there is no enforceable Safer at Home order in effect for Fond du Lac County to be enforced by the State, DHS, or local public health. It is possible that a future rule or order will be put in place through rulemaking which requires the Governor, DHS, and the Legislature to work together.”
With the Safer at Home Order 28 overturned, it allows all businesses to open immediately if they so choose. “Consumers should be aware that not all businesses will be able or willing to open immediately and that many business owners will need time to plan and prepare their stores and employees to return to work,” Sadie Parafiniuk, President/CEO of Envision Greater Fond du Lac said. “However, this is exactly why the Reopen Fond du Lac County Taskforce was assembled, to support our county businesses and organizations by sharing best practices and guidelines on how to reopen safely.”
“Although the Safer at Home Order is no longer in effect and businesses are allowed to reopen, Covid-19 virus is far from gone. Now more than ever we need to follow important steps to ensure we continue to slow the spread of this virus. We are strongly recommending all businesses and community members to practice preventative measures and use the County Health Department’s guidance for businesses reopening,” Kim Mueller, Fond du Lac County’s Public Health Officer, said. “Customers should also practice social distancing when they enter establishments, wash your hands frequently and wear a face covering when possible.”
For more guidance on how to safely open, as well as CDC guidelines and best practices, visit www.envisiongreaterfdl.com/reopen for an array of tools and resources, including posters to place in window fronts available in English, Spanish and graphic format. The website also provides workforce re-entry guidance for employers and employees.
To learn more about Envision Greater Fond du Lac, please visit envisiongreaterfdl.com. To learn more about Fond du Lac County Public Health, please visit https://www.fdlco.wi.gov/departments/departments-f-m/health-department