MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – Governor Tony Evers has sent a letter to FEMA, requesting President Donald Trump issue a major disaster declaration for the entire state of Wisconsin due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The response to this virus has required a tremendous response from the state and all of its communities that far exceeds the resources currently available to us,” Gov. Evers said. “By seeking this declaration, we are hopeful the state will be able to access critical programs that are needed to deal with the pandemic now, and with the recovery that will be taking place down the road.”
Gov. Evers says Wisconsin has been found to meet all of the criteria required to receive a major disaster declaration. He is now requesting the federal government provide the following programs to support Wisconsin’s response to the pandemic:
- Public Assistance
- Direct Assistance
- Hazard Mitigation (statewide)
- Individual Assistance programs including Crisis Counseling, Community Disaster Loans and the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program
Related: Sen Baldwin: NE Wisconsin communities to receive over $2.4 million in fed funding to respond to coronavirus
“The response to this outbreak has caused multiple deaths, exhausted many of our resources, resulted in record unemployment claims, and taken a toll on the community infrastructure that is in place to protect the public,” Gov. Evers said. “We need federal assistance to help rebuild those critical safety nets and ensure they remain strong.”
As of Monday, March 30, Wisconsin has seen 1,221 positive cases of coronavirus and 14 deaths.
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