Current openings make no sense, and the public deserves answers

Today the Health Department provided its “gating” update on where Milwaukee stands in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health.

The information provided by MHD is confusing as it makes clear that “as long as we remain in Phase 4, schools are not permitted to hold in person sessions” (this pertains to any school that is located in the City of Milwaukee, public or private).

However, in the same piece the MHD notes that city bars and restaurants can be open, as long as they maintain certain capacity limits and safety protocols. Additionally, day care operations can also be open, if certain conditions are met in accordance with the MHD.

For me and tens of thousands of other parents across the city who are hoping to get our kids back in school at some point in the near future, these inconsistencies are maddening. How is it that a day care can be open for children, yet a school cannot be open for them?

And bars and restaurants – frequented mostly by younger people roughly in their 20s and 30s – are spreading locations for COVID-19. Yet in the city we are allowing bars and restaurants to be open.

So this begs the question: Why are these places open, and where is the health/science data that says they should be open?

We seem to be keeping some businesses open at our own risk while we appear far from meeting the gating requirements that will allow for schools to open for in-person classes.

The health and welfare of our children is always priority number one, and I believe we need clear and coherent information from the Commissioner of Health and Mayor Barrett that will address the inconsistencies that I have raised.

We can do better and we MUST do better if we are to ever have a chance of getting our kids back to school and our workers back to work.

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.