After the Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency in January 2020 in response to COVID-19 outbreak, the District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and this court issued a series of general orders limiting operations in response to the public health emergency. This court’s COVID-19 orders to date substantially limit in-person hearings and, following U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidance, implement telework procedures to limit the number of employees at the workplace, deliver services remotely, and adjust practices to reduce close contacts with persons from outside the workplace.

Conditions have improved with development and widespread distribution of vaccines, though a significant percentage of the District’s population remains not fully vaccinated. CDC guidance currently provides that fully vaccinated persons may “[r]esume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing” (Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, Ctrs. For Disease Control & Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinatedguidance.html (last updated June 17, 2021)), but businesses should continue to reduce the number of employees in common areas and otherwise implement measures to limit the possibility of virus spread. And the CDC advises that COVID-19 variants “seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19.” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant.html.

Considering these developments, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin hereby modifies its operations as follows until further notice:

1. The court will conduct most non-evidentiary hearings by telephone unless specifically ordered otherwise.
   1. All parties may appear at, participate in, and observe non-evidentiary hearings by telephone, unless ordered otherwise; call-in information is as follows:
      • For hearings before Chief Judge Halfenger call (888) 684-8852, access code: 7183566#.
      • For hearings before Judge Hanan call (888) 808-6929, access code: 9122579#.
      • For hearings before Judge Perhach call (888) 675-2535, access code: 9918878#.
      • For hearings before Judge Blise call (888) 808-6929, access code: 5457889#.
   2. Effective July 20, 2021, parties and their counsel who are fully vaccinated (as defined by the CDC) may appear in person at non-evidentiary hearings, unless the court orders otherwise.
       
   3. Effective July 20, 2021, all parties and counsel participating in evidentiary hearings must appear in person, unless the court orders otherwise.
2. All persons attending hearings in person must comply with the District Court’s operative COVID-19 general orders, see http://www.wied.uscourts.gov/covid19, unless otherwise ordered or directed by this court, and this order does not permit persons prohibited by District Court order from gaining admission to the courthouse.
    
3. The Clerk may continue until further notice minimal in-person staffing of the Clerk’s Office during its regular hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., except legal holidays.
    
4. This order supersedes all prior general orders of this court governing operations during the COVID-19 national emergency to the extent inconsistent with this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 12, 2021