Visitor spending in Wisconsin increased last year to $13.7 billion, capping off the state's best year for tourism in the last decade. But, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to vastly transform tourism this year.
Meatpacking plants have been forced to slow production as COVID-19 spreads among workers, leaving farmers caring for market-ready animals and low prices.
The toll on Wisconsin's economy from COVID-19 and the state's social distancing orders hasn't yet been reflected in monthly unemployment statistics. But state estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of residents are out of work and negotiating an overloaded unemployment system.
During the second round of the federal Paycheck Protection Program, nearly 30,000 Wisconsin business owners received $1.67 billion as of May 1, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
State parks are reopening after being closed due to overcrowding and vandalism. Additional businesses like dog groomers, car washes and small engine repair shops are also cleared to reopen under the new guidelines of Wisconsin's extended "Safer at Home" order.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to layoffs and furloughs as businesses close or see sales drop. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Caleb Frostman discusses what the state is doing as a record number of residents apply for unemployment.
The state Supreme Court announced that it will hear a Republican challenge to Wisconsin's "Safer at Home" order, scheduling oral arguments in the case for May fifth.
Three chefs in Wisconsin are worried the pandemic will hit small, independent restaurants the hardest, and that many won’t come back from it. But they also hope that this is an opportunity to address and fix inequalities in an industry that has been broken for years.
