How far is Dane County from Phase Two?

June 5, 2020 7:02 PM

Site staff,

Posted: June 5, 2020 7:02 PM

Updated: June 5, 2020 7:13 PM

by Site staff

MADISON, Wis. — There’s anticipation in the community that Dane County could be getting ready to move into Phase Two of the Forward Dane plan.

That would include changes such as increasing capacity for businesses and gyms to 50% as well as possible changes to contact and team sports, which right now are limited to playing with members of your household or while maintaining physical distancing.

At this point, officials with Public Health Madison and Dane County say we do not have the data to support moving into Phase Two. Public health officials need to have supporting metrics from two full weeks of data from Phase One. That two-week period ends on Tuesday, and officials expect to have data compiled and analyzed June 12 to inform any decisions about whether to move forward.

For local bars, bringing back volleyball leagues will help their business. The owner of Pooley’s Sports Bar and Event Center says they’re planning to start up the league again on June 24. They don’t plan to move that date any sooner, even if the county moves into Phase Two earlier than that.

“A lot of people are very anxious to get out and play,” said Peter Menihan, owner of Pooley’s. “There’s also a good percentage of people that are wondering what that looks like and how we’re going to be taking precautions. And we’re going to be doing our best to keep everything sanitized.”

He says from the beginning, Pooley’s has tried to be preemptive and proactive to keep volleyball players safe.

Basketball courts in City of Madison parks are also back open with new guidelines. The city asks people to only play with members of their own household, since it’s not possible to maintain a six foot distance. Players are asked to stay home if they’re ill, use hand sanitizer and consider wearing a face covering.