Forward Fridays: August 20th, 2021

Welcome to my latest e-update. Here is a summary from the past week as your State Representative.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

After the release of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations, Wisconsin will offer additional COVID-19 vaccine doses (of Pfizer or Moderna) following a completed series to people who are immunocompromised. Read the full press release from the Department of Health Services on this issue HERE.

The Department of Health Services also released a new data webpage this week that shows the prevalence of COVID-19 illness after vaccination in Wisconsin. This includes a visualization of the rate of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths per 100,000 among individuals who are fully vaccinated versus those who are not. The data shows that the rate of infection is much higher amongst individuals who are not fully vaccinated.

As of August 20th, 5,990,301 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin and 53.7% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose, with 50.5% fully vaccinated.

If you have not yet been vaccinated, now is a critical time to get your vaccine. The vaccine protects individuals and communities from getting seriously ill or dying of COVID-19, including the variants. Currently, Wisconsin is seeing a rise in cases as the Delta variant spreads among the unvaccinated. The Delta variant spreads more easily and can cause more severe illness. Find more information of COVID-19 variants HERE.

En español, AQUI. ¿Tiene preguntas sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19? Llame al 844-684-1064 (llamada gratuita)

For more information about where you can get a vaccine, visit the DHS website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in Waukesha County, visit their website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Wauwatosa, visit their website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Milwaukee, visit their website HERE. En español AQUI.

Rebuilding Peer Connections for Children and Adolescents

The Office of Children’s Mental Health recently released a new fact sheet for schools, parents, policymakers, and other members of the community on the subject of Rebuilding Peer Connections.

This fact sheet is meant to help folks support children as they navigate reentering school and the erosion of relationships over the pandemic. The fact sheet also goes into the negative impacts isolation has on mental health and how rebuilding relationships can help. The fact sheet also makes recommendations about actions we can take as adults to help improve children’s mental health during this pandemic and beyond.

Read the complete fact sheet HERE.

Find more Office of Children’s Mental Health fact sheets HERE.

Funding to Fight the Pandemic

This week Governor Evers provided an update on how the federal COVID-19 relief funds are being used in our state. Planned allocations include:

$525 million for pandemic response and government operations;
$200 million for eligible infrastructure projects, including broadband;
$650 million for grants to small businesses;
$101 million for tourism sector recovery;
$130 million for workforce initiatives;
$510 million for economic wellbeing and healthy recovery programs; and
$417 million held in reserve for future response needs.

Throughout the pandemic, the state has expended $1.87 billion federal COVID-19 relief funds and is allocating the remaining $125.6 million as of July 31st, 2021.

Read Governor Evers’ full announcement HERE.

WEDC Mainstreet Bounceback Grant

The WEDC Main Street Bounceback Grants program provides $10,000 to new or existing businesses and non-profit organizations moving into vacant properties in Wisconsin’s downtowns and commercial corridors. Funds can be used to pay leases or mortgages, operational expenses, and other business costs related to the newly opened location. The program is open to new or existing businesses opening a new location or expanding operations in a vacant commercial space as of January 1, 2021. Grant funds are available as part of the American Recovery Plan Act and will be distributed by WEDC’s regional partners.

Businesses must apply through the partner organization for the region in which they are located. Applications opened on August 9 and the program runs through June 30, 2022.

Businesses and nonprofits interested in learning more about the grants should go to: wedc.org/mainstreet-bounceback.

Direct Payments for Farmers

This week Governor Evers announced that $50 million of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will be allocated to the Wisconsin Farm Support Program. This program provides farms up to $3,500 to make up for losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers have faced unprecedented challenges throughout the pandemic in addition to the already low commodity prices in recent years.

Read Governor Evers’ full statement on this announcement HERE.

Veterans Resources

State Representative Dianne Hesselbein's office put together information on resources available to veterans from the U.S. and Wisconsin Departments of Veterans Affairs in light of the news of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. This information can be found HERE.

Refugees - How Can I Help?

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families has information on their website with examples of how to offer help for refugees - visit their website HERE.

Wauwatosa Schools Superintendent Dr. Demond Means Community Listening Sessions

Welcome, Dr. Means!

New Wauwatosa Schools Superintendent Dr. Demond Means will be holding fifteen Community Listening Sessions in August and September to gain insight into the opinions and perspectives of community members, including staff, students, district- and non-district families.

Visit the Tosa Schools website here for more information HERE.