Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
Vaccine mandate and masking requirements to end, effective immediately
MILWAUKEE, WI –Today, County Executive David Crowley, after consulting with public health experts, announced the end of Milwaukee County’s vaccine mandate and masking requirements in all settings. The policy change comes after the federal government announced the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will end on Thursday, May 11.
“Since February 16th, Milwaukee County has been classified by the CDC as having ‘low community risk’. This is by far the longest stretch of low risk since the CDC implemented this system. In addition, it has been more than one year since there has been a local surge in COVID related hospitalizations,” said County Executive David Crowley. “The pandemic has clearly entered a new phase and it is appropriate to adapt accordingly. Based on the lower levels of risk, and the knowledge and ability we now have to keep ourselves and the people we serve safe, I am ending the vaccine mandate and Milwaukee County’s masking requirements effective today.”
The mandate required all employees to either provide proof of vaccination, or to request an exemption based on medical reasons or a sincerely held religious belief. Once again, employees rose to the occasion and over 90% of the county’s workforce provided proof of vaccination. In January 2022, employees working in the highest risk facilities were required to also get boosted, knowing that the vulnerable people they served were most at risk for COVID-19.
“Despite the challenges that the pandemic posed, Milwaukee County never stopped providing essential programs and services. Employees demonstrated incredible agility in adapting to masking, capacity limits, teleworking, and the vaccine mandate, among many other changes,” concluded County Executive David Crowley. “The policy change is not a declaration that COVID-19 has been eliminated and is no longer a threat to our community. On the contrary, masks and other mitigation tools will continue to be available for employees and the residents we serve.”
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.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- MHD Release: Milwaukee Health Department Launches COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Dashboard - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jan 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic - County Executive David Crowley - May 9th, 2023
- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
- Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 17th, 2023
- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
- DHS Expands Free COVID-19 Testing Program - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 10th, 2023
- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
- Not Enough Getting Bivalent Booster Shots, State Health Officials Warn - Gaby Vinick - Dec 26th, 2022
- Nearly All Wisconsinites Age 6 Months and Older Now Eligible for Updated COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 15th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Bi-Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Dec 9th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
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