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Morning update: Monday, Aug. 30

Morning update: Monday, Aug. 30

How to prepare for move-in week

Good Morning, Madison.

It's Monday and the second day of UW-Madison's official move-in week. From Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, more than 8,000 Badgers will move their lives into university dorms and wreak havoc on the city's already-scary traffic system.

If you don't want to get caught going the wrong direction on a temporary one-way, I suggest you read on!

— Hayley

🧳 It's move-in week at UW-Madison.

  • Thousands of baby Badgers have already begun to descend on the isthmus, bringing with them luggage and traffic. Several campus-area streets will be closed or reduced to one-way traffic to accommodate the move. Here are the changes you should be aware of:
  • Observatory Drive from Charter Street to Babcock Drive will be restricted to primarily move-in traffic and will be one-way west.
  • Elm Drive north from Observatory Drive will be restricted to primarily move-in traffic and will be one-way north.
  • Dayton Street from Lake Street to Park Street will be restricted to primarily move-in traffic and will be one-way west.
  • Park Street from University Avenue to Langdon Street will be restricted to primarily move-in traffic and will be one-way north.
  • To address COVID-19 concerns, the university has laid out guidelines for students moving into the dorms:
  • Masks will be required at all times indoors and move-in times are staggered to limit the number of people coming in at once.
  • Unvaccinated students must get tested within 5 days of their scheduled move-in. They will also be subject to weekly testing with University health officials.

😷 COVID-19 hospitalizations are up across the state and health care workers are exhausted.

  • The Delta variant is continuing to drive new confirmed cases of COVID-19 up across Wisconsin. PBS Wisconsin reports that the 7-day average for new confirmed cases is at 1,584 as of Aug. 26 — the highest point in more than seven months and an increase of about 40% from two weeks earlier.
  • This rise in cases comes at a time when nurses are in short supply and burnout among health care workers is high. Vaccination remains the best defense against COVID-19 and the Delta variant.
  • Related: State Supreme Court refuses to take up mask challenge (via WPR)

💉 Madison Metropolitan School District will consider a vaccine mandate for staff.

  • MMSD superintendent Carlton Jenkins said he would recommend the mandate to the School Board for consideration.
  • Speaking at a press conference Friday, Jenkins said: "Yes I am recommending that we move forward with a mandate for vaccination. I don't do this lightly, because I'm not one that would just make mandates. We have, as a group ... studied this and we know the best path forward for our students, for our staff and for our community is to take the highest level of safety serious, and that's what we've done."
  • The School Board will discuss the issue at a special meeting tonight and vote on the matter if they chose, the Cap Times reports.

👕 After closing again, Le Tigre Lounge is looking to make ends meet through t-shirt sales.

  • The West side bar closed last year (pandemic, duh) but re-opened when community health conditions improved and mandates were lifted. Now that COVID-19 cases are once again trending upward and a mask mandate is in effect, Owner Paul Josheff chose to close the bar rather than potentially contribute to the spread of the virus.
  • Now, Josheff is selling t-shirts to help make up for missed funds. You can check them out here.

🏐 What's up in Wisconsin sports?

🥬 Your lunch time read: From hemp to high: Delta-8 THC brings marijuana-like product to unregulated Wisconsin

🚴‍♀️ ICYMI: The World Naked Bike Ride came through Madison over the weekend.

  • In this case, I think a picture can tell a better story that I can.

🗓️ Events, events, events: Monday, Aug. 30

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