Earlier this summer, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced an initiative to distribute masks across the community.
Two days after Wisconsin saw a record number of new coronavirus cases in one day, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi urged businesses to continue remote working accommodations as much as possible.
Parisi’s announcement followed a decision by Epic Systems to delay timelines for in-person work after concerns from employees and questions from customers and Public Health Madison & Dane County.
At a Monday press conference, Parisi said the coronavirus pandemic is far from over and urged all residents to adhere to guidelines and rules from Public Health, which include prevention measures like maintaining social distance and limits on gatherings. The current public health order also mandates that companies limit employees present in the office “to the greatest extent possible.”
“Being tired of the pandemic is understandable, but it does not make the virus any less dangerous or any less present,” Parisi said. “We need to remain vigilant until the virus is under control, and we need our businesses who can function remotely to continue to do so.”
On Saturday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 1,165 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. This is the highest number of new infections in one day since the pandemic began.
To date, Public Health Madison & Dane County has reported a total of 4,546 COVID-19 cases, and 38 deaths from it. The number of in-hospital COVID-19 patients has risen over the past several days, with 36 people hospitalized as of Monday.
Data from the local public health agency continues to show that people who test positive have been gathering in groups of people who are not from their households. Through contact tracing, Public Health continues to find that positive infections can be associated with clusters in workplaces, childcare facilities, bars and restaurants.
Parisi also noted that the county is seeing nearly 40% of COVID-19 cases result from community spread, meaning individuals don't know where they came into contact with the virus.
“We know when people gather, it increases the likelihood of the spread even when people are in individual offices or in individual places,” Parisi said. “If folks have been able to work remotely, we urge them and hope they will continue to work remotely until we’re through the worst of it.”
Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement that businesses have spent "significant" time and resources balancing the complexity of returning to work. He also pointed to the second phase of the Forward Dane reopening plan, which allows most workplaces to operate at 50% capacity.
"Businesses trust that Public Health creates unambiguous rules based on data and devoid of politics," Brandon said. "In return, Public Health must trust businesses to decide how best to work within those orders to protect their employees and our economy. Businesses need clarity because clarity creates confidence for employees, customers and investment."
Ariana Vruwink, Parisi’s director of communications, said in an email that concerns over Epic, in part, spurred Monday’s press conference in addition to news of other people looking at returning to work and concerns over more people gathering in general.
At Epic, employees were told to return to work in person starting Aug. 10. That changed Saturday night when Epic told employees in an email that employees who feel they have personal circumstances or concerns about returning to campus would no longer be required to do so.
Epic had previously interpreted Public Health’s mandate to facilitate remote work to the “greatest extent possible” as having employees come to the campus and work by themselves in their offices. This is “incorrect,” according to an Aug. 6 letter from Public Health officials, who are seeking more information from Epic about the company’s plans.
In a CBS This Morning report broadcast Monday, Parisi said “Epic is going to have to adhere by the same rules as everyone else." In a statement provided to the Cap Times Monday, Parisi did not comment directly on Epic but asked employers to facilitate remote work wherever possible.
"Physical distancing, wearing a mask, and working remotely whenever feasible are steps our community can take to reduce our risk of contracting COVID-19 and furthering its spread," Parisi said. "These actions not only protect ourselves, but our friends, family, and coworkers.”
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August 11, 2020 at 06:00PM
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Dane County Executive Joe Parisi urges business to accommodate remote work - Madison.com
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