City of Milwaukee Order Phase 6 Update

MILWAUKEE – This week’s gating metrics continue the trend favorably. The burden rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people has dropped to 49.6. This is in the “moderate transmission” category, and a significant decrease from 110.6 at the beginning of May. The test positivity percentage remains in the “low transmission” category at 3.3%, and the percentage of City of Milwaukee adults over 16 who are fully vaccinated has risen to 42.1%.

Today, May 28, was the final day the FEMA mass vaccination site at the Wisconsin Center administered vaccines. The Wisconsin Center site opened on January 12 and has since provided over 140,000 doses of vaccine.

“I am incredibly proud of the work that the Milwaukee Health Department staff has done to vaccinate the community at the Wisconsin Center,” said Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson. “I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our staff, FEMA, our Federal and State partners and the soldiers who came to Milwaukee from across the country to vaccinate our city and save lives. We look forward to shifting to the next phase of our vaccination strategy and focusing our efforts on bringing vaccine into the community.”

Anyone who received their first dose of vaccine at the Wisconsin Center will be able to visit the Northwest Health Center, 6431 N. 76^th Street, or Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23^rd Street, to receive their second dose. In addition, the Health Department continues to bring vaccines to the community through mobile vaccination clinics. To date, over 150 mobile clinics have taken place and we have over 100 future clinics scheduled. The list of mobile vaccination clinics for the upcoming week is attached.

Offering incentives has been successful in getting more Milwaukeeans vaccinated. Earlier this week, in partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Health Department vaccinated 158 fans who received free tickets to the game as an incentive. Additionally, a partnership with Summerfest was announced earlier this week for an upcoming drive-thru vaccination clinic on Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6. Anyone vaccinated at this clinic will receive a free ticket to Summerfest 2021.

In observance of Memorial Day, all Milwaukee Health Department vaccination sites will be closed on Monday, May 30 and Tuesday, May 31 along with most City of Milwaukee buildings. The COVID-19 hotline, (414) 286-6800, will still be available on those dates to answer any questions.

On Tuesday, June 1 the Moving Milwaukee Forward Health Order will expire along with the mask ordinance. The Health Department reminds City of Milwaukee residents and visitors to continue to follow safety protocols and wear masks this weekend. Beginning on June 1, businesses may choose to enact their individual COVID safety policies. The Health Department is supportive of any decision a business takes to keep their staff and guests safe and asks that the public remain courteous and respectful of any policies in place, regardless of vaccination status.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.