WMC: businesses need to help slow COVID-19

The Brillion News

MADISON – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) – the state's comprehensive commercial and manufacturers’ association – called on its members and the broader business community to educate employees about best practices that can slow the spread of COVID-19.

This includes wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and observing proper hygiene like frequent hand washing.

In a WMC-member update on September 30, Wisconsin Hospital Association Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Kaufman emphasized that some hospitals in the state are reaching peak capacity due to increased COVID-19 patients. He called on individuals to take the virus seriously.

“Masking works. Physical distancing works. Good personal hygiene works,” said Kaufman during the WMC call. “This is basic science. It’s not a political issue. It should not be a political issue.”

WMC President & CEO Kurt Bauer echoed Dr. Kaufman’s remarks and praised businesses for taking steps to protect their employees on the job.

“But we’re not just business leaders, we’re community leaders,” he told WMC members on Wednesday. “And we need to use the influence we have over our employees to emphasize and reinforce that your employees take the same precautions at home and at play to protect themselves, their family, their friends, their coworkers and of course their community.”

WMC has worked closely with its members over the last six months to ensure they could safely reopen and restart the Wisconsin economy.

The Safety Council – a division of WMC – has provided COVID-19 training and consultations to a number of business around the state to help protect employees who returned to work.