Coronavirus: Crowds pack Wisconsin bars after judge lifts stay-at-home order

Beer distributors and popular venues race to reopen after Republicans successfully take down governor's stay-at-home extensions

Bars in Wisconsin were immediately filled after Republicans in the state successfully moved to reopen its economy.

After the Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with Republican leadership on Wednesday night, striking down an extension of Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ stay-at-home guidelines, local bars and restaurants were quick to open back up to the public despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Less than an hour after the Supreme Court decision was announced, photos showed a large crowd at Nick’s Bar in Platteville, Wisconsin, as patrons sat shoulder-to-shoulder without any form of masks or personal protective equipment (PPE).

The bar posted a photo of the crowded venue to its Twitter profile, writing in a caption: “45 minutes after the bars open in Wisconsin…”

Beer distributors seemingly began preparing to deliver shipments of alcohol within minutes of the decision. By 8:00pm, some bars had reportedly already received multiple shipments.

(Reuters (Reuters)

(Associated Press (Associated Press)

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"The people of Wisconsin are the ones that should be very upset," the governor declared on Wednesday in response to the Supreme Court decision. “Wisconsin Republican legislators and those four Supreme Court justices decided that facts don't matter, the statutes don't matter.”

Nearly 70 percent of residents in the state supported the governor’s attempts to keep schools and businesses closed as part of an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus infections and keep Wisconsin’s hospital system within capacity, according to a poll published by Marquette Law School.

Not all bars opened up to the public on Wednesday night, as city and local officials maintained the right to implement their own stay-at-home orders for certain regions.

In Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett announced stay-at-home orders that were already in effect would continue. The same went for Dane County and Brown County, according to USA Today.

Some venues that opened up this week have announced new measures in an effort to curb the spread of infections, like The Shop Bar & Grille in Appleton.

“We're going to be doing a few things to make sure that everyone is still safe”, Tyler Reilly, the owner of the restaurant, told the news outlet while adding that tables would be moved six feet apart and implement temperature checks.

He added: “Our team and our customers are our number one priority and their safety, but we also need to start paying our bills or we won't be able to open back up.”

Some bars and restaurants have also decided to ignore the ruling and continue adhering to stay-at-home orders, citing the health and safety of their employees and patrons.

More than 10,000 people in the state have contracted the novel virus, and 418 people have died due to complications resulting from Covid-19. Across the country, at least 1.42 million people have contracted coronavirus and nearly 85,000 have died.