Milwaukee could reinstate COVID restrictions if cases don’t ease
The City of Milwaukee could see restrictions reinstated in the next two weeks if the criteria it uses to gauge progress on fighting the pandemic don’t improve.
“This has implications for our entertainment, restaurants, museums and bars,” Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said Tuesday. “The only way for us to avoid new restrictions is for our case numbers to reverse and begin to decline again.”
The city just eased restrictions 11⁄2 weeks ago. It’s likely that the city would not immediately return to the restrictions that had been in place, however, because it skipped a “phase” in reopening when it eased guidelines, she said.
Ben Weston, director of medical services at the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, said the county is seeing a “more definitive increase in cases” this week.
Among the factors he cited was the seven-day average of cases, which increased from 77 on March 17 to 112 on March 25, according to the county COVID-19 dashboard.
“Our county, our state and many other states are beginning to see increases in cases as well, and this is due to a loosening of precautions paired with the contagiousness of the new (COVID-19) variants,” he said.
The British, South African and Brazilian COVID-19 variants have been found in Wisconsin even as officials work to get residents vaccinated.
Johnson said 10.4% of Milwaukee residents have received both vaccine doses and 21% have received at least a first dose.
She said more than 4,700 people
had been vaccinated at North and South Division high schools since the walk-in sites opened last week for residents of 10 vulnerable ZIP codes. The sites, which are open Monday through Friday, each have a capacity of 600 doses per day.
A third no-appointment-needed site at Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Road, is now expected to open April 19, Johnson said. Its opening had been pushed back in order to ensure that staff are not spread too thin, according to a department spokesman.
With spring break having arrived and Easter on Sunday, officials urged residents to continue taking precautions to limit the virus’ spread.
And Johnson said while the Milwaukee Brewers’ plan for 11,000 to 12,000 fans at American Family Field “does give me pause,” she was confident in the Brewers’ safety plan’s ability to ensure physical distancing and limited interaction between fans who do not attend together.
75% of Wisconsin residents 65 and older have received at least one dose
On a more positive note, 3 in 4 Wisconsin residents over 65 have received at least one dose of the vaccine — 762,580 people. And more than half of that age group is fully vaccinated: 582,497 people, or 57.3% of the 65-plus population.
Julie Willems Van Dijk, state Department of Health Services deputy secretary, said this is particularly good news since those over the age of 65 face a significantly higher risk from the virus. New cases reported: 588
New deaths reported: 11 Number hospitalized: 250 (intensive care: 66); down 37 patients from one month ago
Seven-day average of daily cases: 501 (down 109 cases from one month ago)
Seven-day average of daily deaths: 4 (down 14 from one month ago)
Seven-day average positivity rate — as a share of all tests given: 2.6%
Total cases since the start of pandemic: 576,632 (6,673 active cases)
Total deaths: 6,612
Latest vaccine numbers
Total doses administered:
2,753,146
Wisconsin residents with at least one dose: 1,726,519 (29.7% of the population)
Residents with both doses: 1,013,613 (17.4% of the population)
Residents 65 and older with at least one dose: 762,580 (75% of 65+ population)