Racine Bans Mass Gatherings Until August

RACINE, WI — Mass gatherings will not be allowed through the end of July in Racine, in the city's newest health order issued Tuesday, but it's not an extension of the local Safer At Home order, officials said.

On Tuesday, Racine Public Health Administrator Dottie-Kay Bowersox issued an order does the following:

Officials said they want to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Racine. The new order bans mass-gatherings through the end of July. That includes concerts, festivals, parades, block parties and sporting events. Health officials said gatherings on a residential property need to follow social distancing guidelines.

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Tuesday's order is different from the city's local Safer At Home order. That order runs through May 26, and limits what types of businesses can open, among other things.

"I know these are very difficult and highly unusual times, but Public Health's responsibility is to mediate and maintain the safety and welfare of our residents. I am therefore adopting the provisions of Safer At Home locally and ordering that it be extended until May 26," Racine Public Health Administrator Dottie-Kay Bowersox said.

The move means that residents in Racine, Wind Point and Elmwood Park will not see much of a difference in the way schools, businesses and social interactions are limited among the coronavirus pandemic.

"A full and immediate lifting of the Safer At Home order would put all of us in danger of contracting the virus. We have to be concerned about surges in cases overwhelming our local hospitals, as well as our first responders, public health professionals, and workers employed at our community's grocery stores, pharmacies, and other essential businesses at risk," she wrote.

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