City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update

The disease burden in the City of Milwaukee this week is 593.2 new positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over seven days and remains in the “extreme transmission” category. The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests increased to 36.0% and remains in the “extreme transmission” category.

The magnitude of the number of positive cases will shift over the next week. Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) completed an update of the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS), which the Milwaukee Health Department utilizes, to manage the influx of positive cases due to the current surge. As a result of this updated process, DHS expects COVID-19 data to be temporarily elevated over the next few days while back-logged cases are brought into the live system. Processing through the records will allow epidemiologists at the State and MHD to better determine the current trajectory of the current surge.

Currently, 61.4% of city of Milwaukee adults 16 years and older are fully vaccinated and 66.7% have received at least their first dose. Additionally, 37.6% of fully vaccinated individuals have received a booster dose. 9.4% of children ages 5 to 11 have completed their pediatric COVID-19 vaccine series and 15.7% have received at least one dose.

The Milwaukee Health Department extends their appreciation to the Milwaukee Public Library for assisting with the distribution of N95 masks to the community over the past week. We have successfully distributed one million masks to the Milwaukee community, and will be delivering 300,000 to the Milwaukee Public Schools ahead of their return to in-person learning. At this time, the entire supply of N95 masks have been distributed.

“I want to send my deepest gratitude to the Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee Public Library staff, along with the Milwaukee Police Department, for their tireless work to distribute this important resource to the community and keep the public safe throughout the process,” said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson.

In an effort to increase the vaccination rate for 5 to 17 year olds, the Milwaukee Health Department will partner to bring vaccination clinics to Milwaukee Public Schools beginning on Wednesday, January 19. The schedule will run through February 8, with one MPS school hosting a vaccination clinic each day, and then will repeat February 9 through 29 to allow access to second doses. These clinics will be open to the public and will offer adult and pediatric COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, as well as flu shots. The full schedule is attached and can be found at Milwaukee.gov/COVIDvax.

The Milwaukee Health Department will be on-site at Fiserv Forum on Saturday, January 15 for the Marquette University Men’s Basketball game from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the Milwaukee Bucks game from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Any ticket holders to these games can find the Milwaukee Health Department on the upper concourse Candy Lab to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As a reminder, Fiserv Forum requires the use of masks for everyone in attendance.

Milwaukee Health Department offices and clinic services will be closed on Monday, January 17 in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. COVID-19 operations will remain open for their normal hours. Those in need of a COVID-19 vaccine or test can visit the Northwest Health Center or Southside Health Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Menomonee Valley Site from 12 to 6 p.m.

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.

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