City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update

MILWAUKEE – The disease burden in the City of Milwaukee this week declined to 241 new positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over seven days and remains in the “excessive transmission” category. The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests decreased once again to 8.4% and remains in the “substantial transmission” category.

“It is imperative we continue to implement tools to slow the spread of the virus,” said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson. “We are seeing a two-week decline in our burden rate and need to be diligent with physically distancing, masking in public, and proper hand hygiene to continue this downward trend, but most importantly, we must continue getting ourselves and our loved ones vaccinated.”

Currently, 55.6% of City of Milwaukee adults over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated and 62.1% have received at least one dose. City of Milwaukee residents can find free vaccinations without an appointment at the Northwest and Southside Health Centers. Hours and locations, in addition to the full mobile vaccine clinic schedule, can be found at Milwaukee.gov/COVIDvax.

The Milwaukee Health Department announced the new drive-thru mass COVID-19 testing site will be located in the former Department of Transportation emissions testing site in the Menomonee River Valley. The new site, located at 2401 W. St. Paul Avenue, will open Monday, October 11. Hours of operation will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Tuesday, Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to this new site, COVID-19 testing remains at the Northwest Health Center (7630 W. Mill Rd.) and Southside Health Center (1639 S. 23rd St.) on Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 12 until 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Per CDC guidance, anyone, regardless of vaccination status, should prioritize receiving a COVID-19 test if they experience any symptoms or come in close contact with anyone who is confirmed or presumed positive for COVID-19. More information about COVID-19 testing and locations can be found at Milwaukee.gov/COVIDtesting.

On Thursday, October 7, Pfizer officially submitted a formal request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization for the use of their COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to eleven years old. The FDA has scheduled a meeting with their advisory committee on October 26, and the Milwaukee Health Department anticipates more updates to share at that time.

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.