As U.S. surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, Wisconsin sounds alarm over surges in cases

FILE PHOTO: Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers waits to speak on the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin August 19, 2020. Melina Mara/Pool via REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday declared a new public health emergency and extended a face mask mandate into November to fight a coronavirus flareup in his state, as the number of people who have died across the United States since the pandemic began passed 200,000.

In-person social gatherings have led to cases in Wisconsin skyrocketing among people aged 18 to 24, Evers said, as he pleaded with students who returned to colleges for the fall semester to stay out of bars and wear masks.