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Coronavirus In Wisconsin: Gov. Evers To Issue 'Safer At Home' Order Tuesday

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) --  The majority of Wisconsin's 5.8 million residents are being told to close up shop and stay home.

Today, Governor Tony Evers decided the drastic measure is the only way to contain the virus now sweeping the state.

As WCCO's Bill Hudson explains, it's designed to make person-to-person transmission much less likely.

Normally busy Wisconsin streets are about to get a whole lot quieter, as efforts to rein in a virus get extreme.

"It's kind of overwhelming, a lot of emotion to process all at once but the community is rallying around each other," Caroline Rea, said

With the number of COVID-19 infections nearly doubling over the weekend, Governor Tony Evers is ordering residents to curtail all non-essential activities.

"You can still go for a walk, take a bike ride or walk the dogs and that's good exercise and good for your mental health. But please, don't take other unnecessary trips," Gov. Evers said.

It means all non-essential workers and businesses must close up shop and remain home. Restaurants, like Agave Kitchen, will only be allowed curbside take out service.

"Just following the rules no more than 10 people, sanitizing our hands which are about to fall off. Anytime anyone touches a door handle we wipe it off and trying to work safe, stay safe and keep our community safe," Andrea Haffner explained.

The governor's order will allow travel to medical appointments, grocery stores -- beyond first responders, jobs connected to food, medical and critical supply chains will remain.

More details of the Safer-At-Home order will come Tuesday. There's presently no way to determine the order's end date.  It's also unclear how it will impact Wisconsin's April 7 presidential primary election.

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