MILWAUKEE- The Milwaukee Common Council will debate the merits of reinstituting a mask mandate as COVID-19 transmission remains high in Milwaukee and across south-east Wisconsin.
The new mandate request was introduced by Alderwomen Marina Dimitrijevic and JoCasta Zamarippa, who say that at the very least, requiring people to wear masks while indoors in a public setting will help slow the spread of the virus.
The City of Milwaukee is averaging roughly 3-thousand new positive tests per week since January 1st, though the number has been trending down for the past several days.
During a lengthy debate over the proposed mandate two weeks ago, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson voiced her support for it, though she warned that it may not be as effective in stopping the spread of the virus because it would only be enforceable within city limits.
If the Council approves the new mandate today, anybody over the age of three will need to wear a mask while indoors in a public setting regardless of their vaccination status. the mandate would be in place as long as the Covid-19 transmission rate is at or greater than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents.
The Milwaukee Common Council meets at 9am on Tuesday, January 18th.
