The Battle For New City Mask Mandate

A broad coalition of community groups is calling for Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson to restore Milwaukee’s mask mandate.

In a joint statement, the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA), Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT), Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), Parents for Public Schools of Milwaukee, Schools and Communities United, Wisconsin Working Families Party, Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, Voces de la Frontera, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals call on Barrett and Johnson to immediately issue a new health order and reinstate the city’s indoor masking requirement.

“This action is long past due with COVID-19 numbers steadily above extreme transmission levels in our city and around the state. The safety of our communities and our children is paramount, and you must take every action possible to reign in the current surge of COVID-19 infections due to the Delta variant,” they wrote.

The citywide mask mandate expired alongside Milwaukee’s health order on June 1. At the time, new cases of the disease were falling and the vaccination rate was expected to steadily expand. Instead, the case burden has spiked.

On July 9 there had been 9.8 new cases per 100,000 residents in the prior week, by Aug. 12 it was up to 230.1 cases. As of Tuesday, it hit 323.1 cases per 100,000 residents, a level not seen since January. Hospitalizations, a lagging indicator, are on an upward trend as well, matching a level last seen in February.

The number of cases in children is a key driver in the spike according to a Milwaukee County epidemiological report. Since late July the percentage of new cases occurring in children younger than 12 years old has grown from 20% to 33%.

“While we must all work to continue vaccination efforts, universal indoor masking and physical distancing are proven methods to control spread. COVID-19 infections are affecting children at much higher rates than ever before and children under 12 still cannot be vaccinated. Poor and working-class communities are much harder hit by the current surge and historic inequities have been highlighted throughout this pandemic,” wrote the co-signers.

On Aug. 5, MTEA submitted a letter to Johnson calling for not just a Milwaukee Public Schools mask mandate, but one for all schools in the city. The union also asked for enforceable metrics on when schools should be closed because of outbreaks. A letter in opposition to any new citywide mandates was submitted Aug. 11 by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and co-signed by a number of private schools and businesses. Johnson, in her Aug. 11 response to MTEA, said she was working with MPS, but didn’t address a requirement for all schools.

On Aug. 12 a health department spokesperson said the department was monitoring the situation, but was encouraged by a week-over-week downward trend in cases. Since that point, the case burden has grown 40%. A number of employers, including the city, county and MPS, have since adopted vaccination requirements for employees. MPS has a self-imposed mask requirement for everyone in its buildings.

“Inaction by our City’s government is unacceptable, especially in light of this disproportionate impact,” wrote the co-signers of the new statement. “This city’s government does not exist simply to respond to the demands of the business lobby and the wealthy.”

Johnson, in response to a request for comment by Urban Milwaukee, focused on vaccination.

“We are experiencing a pandemic of the unvaccinated. While breakthrough cases of vaccinated individuals can still occur, we know the COVID-19 vaccine provides effective protection against spreading the virus, as well as serious illness, hospitalization, and death,” she said in a statement. “It’s time for the community to come together and encourage all residents 12 years of age and older to receive their vaccine.” The commissioner said the best way to keep students safe is to make sure that those around them are vaccinated.

“Universal masking is one layer of protection, and the Milwaukee Health Department is supportive of all schools, including MPS, who implemented masking requirements. We continue to strongly advise all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask when in public, indoor spaces as a mitigation measure,” she added.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people, including those already vaccinated, wear masks indoors in communities where the disease is spreading at a “substantial” or “high” rate. Milwaukee not only meets that threshold, but exceeds it.