The Milwaukee Health Department is now urging residents to wear a mask “at all times” when indoors or in public buildings, regardless of vaccination status, after a recent spike in COVID cases has moved the counties transmission rate into the CDC’s high level category.
The city issued the advisory on Thursday. Although the health department strongly recommends citizens to wear a mask it is not a requirement like it was during the height of the pandemic. The advisory is in place for anyone over the age of 2-years-old that can medically tolerate a mask.
This advisory comes after the BA. 5 subvariant was discovered spreading quickly throughout the county. Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirstin Johnson, “The BA.5 variant is spreading quickly in Milwaukee,” said Johnson. “Even with prior infection, the BA.5 variant is seemingly more transmissible and more immune-evading. The good news is the COVID-19 vaccine is working to protect against severe illness and death, but masking is an important additional tool to protect against widespread infection.
Masking is a critical public health tool and a key layer of protection against transmitting and contracting COVID-19, according to the Milwaukee Health Department. Higher quality masks such as N95 and KN95 masks offer an additional layer of protection. For those without access to a higher-quality mask, wearing two masks is an option to increase protection.
