The Public Health Plan for Milwaukee County, issued by the South Milwaukee and St. Francis Health Department and other suburban departments on Wednesday, will remain in effect in South Milwaukee through its original expiration date of 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 21.
The decision to continue the order aligns with guidance issued Friday from Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, and the advice of our city attorney.
You can see the order here.
Statement from Health Administrator Jackie Ove
We have this order in place because we still have disease. That has not changed in the last 48 hours, and after this order expires, we are still going to have disease. We ask our residents, visitors, business owners and others to continue to abide by the order and act responsibly and safely, consistent with federal, state and local guidelines. I and other Milwaukee County health officers continue to work together on guidelines and other measures to be in place after this order expires, to ensure a safe reopening. Disease does not know jurisdictional boundaries.
Statement from South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks
I agree with this decision and stand behind the order and our Health Department. The decision by the Supreme Court did not end the pandemic. And while we recognize the impact the health orders are having on our residents, business owners and others, we must act in what we believe is the best interest of the community. Public health must come first, and health experts are clear: There is significant risk in reopening too quickly. Community members and business owners want clear guidance and direction on how we will reopen safely. I support the Health Department’s continued efforts in working with departments across the county to determine those next steps. We need a coordinated approach.
South Milwaukee Blog 
Mayor, thanks for standing up for whats right and not weakening and giving in like other communities. You definitely show strong leadership!
Thinking rationally if a restaurant or bar was open and people were kept at a reasonable distance it would be much safer than going to a grocery store where lots of people go and touch everything. But when things are politicized rationalizing goes out the window. One side calls it all fake and the other says eating at a restaurant is akin to murder.
Interesting that following county and state government orders shows courage in your mind. Wouldn’t that be the safe and don’t take any risk approach and therefore not courageous?
Plandemic is FAKE! Only 450 people IN ALL WI DIED, out of 5.8 MILLION PEOPLE!
So who doesn’t see this? Only the brainwashed evil ones in GOV are being EXPOSED AS CRIMINALS – 100% Against We The People and our Constitution!
Understand, the evil ones over its SLAVES (aka me, you, public) ARE THEIRS TO ORDER!
Anyone who STOPS you from NOT wearing a Mask, or you can’t reopen, SUE THEM Using the Constitution!
This shows you how EVIL your city overlords are, and the need to “Control” your brainwashing and control over YOU!
Since when do SMPD give traveling tickets, and ASK YOU to SHOW YOU THEM YOUR “PAPERS” and see who you are? They are NOT following Constitutional Laws, but Criminal Evil Overlords controlling you LAWS, so they can keep you under their thumbs, as they live their KING RULERS laws over you common folks…
So if SM Mayor, or GOV OFFICiALS “orders” you to wear SPEEDOs, because it will save your reproduction organs, WILL YOU COMPLY?
What happened in Cudahy that they changed course . Did they realize they were overstepping their authority ???
The Wisconsin Counties Association advised ALL local governments that the Supreme Court ruling also applies to them. Apparently, our elected officials here in SM feel they are above the law!
You would have to ask Cudahy why they made the decision they did; no other community in the county did. I know our lawyer — backed by the state attorney general — believes our health officer is not overstepping her authority in issuing the order. I stand with her.
will the pandemic end on the 21st?
Of course not, just as the Supreme Court could not rule the virus away when they threw open the state on Wednesday. We will all learn to live with the virus. And we will look to continue reopening in a responsible way that puts public health first.
Hold onto that power as long as you can Erik. Cudahy has everything I need.
Proving that all of this “support” for small businesses was a load of “B” as in “B”, “S” as in “S”. Fortunately Cudahy is close and has a bunch of small businesses that are open and ready to serve. I wonder if SM will get the business back ever or if we will discover that we are just as happy patronizing those businesses.
I’m wondering how many people in SM have tested positive for the virus. And how many people from SM have died. Will you be posting those numbers?
Sent from my iPhone
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Mary Zahn – If you go to the official SM Facebook page, you can see those numbers posted daily. As of 5/15, that’s 68 positive cases and 17 probable. There have been 7 deaths, a whopping 0.033% of the population, with no change in that number since the April 21 post. On the other hand 54 of those 68 have already recovered.
Thanks for responding, SM Guy. We also post them daily here. https://smwi.org/covid-19-response/
I have an answer for angry Mr. Bonzo if you hate the local, state and federal governments around this country and honestly believe this is all “fake”, why don’t you go and find an island you can buy out in the ocean and do whatever you want there? You can take all your friends and family with you and make your own laws. You probably won’t be missed what with your “hateful rhetoric” .
How about some local free testing for the coronavirus for the citizens of South Milwaukee. All this concern for the citizens keeping things closed. Real concern would be testing us so we know if we have a mild case, if were asymptomatic, or don’t have it at all. My wife has severe asthma, and so I do all the grocery shopping with a mask, gloves, disinfectant wipes, and try to keep distancing, but there are so many people who don’t seem to care. They walk right past you no mask no gloves no nothing. So every time I go out I have to wonder, did I just pick up the virus from someone who doesn’t seem to care, do I already have it as a mild case or is it just allergies, am I asymptomatic, am I going to bring this home to my wife after I go shopping and possibly kill her with the coronavirus. Seems to me that if you were so concerned about your citizens you would be testing them and don’t give me that crap call your doctor. Milwaukee has two locations with free testing for anyone. My wife and I will be turning 67 this year hopefully and like many other people there’s no way in hell we’re going to go to Milwaukee to be tested. GET FREE LOCAL TESTING FOR THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE. THAT’S REAL CONCERN !
Erik Brooks, I’m still not seeing daily updates on covid-19. I know this information is out there. I guess I will have to find this myself. Could you let me know where I can get this information. The South Milwaukee health department was of no help or can someone please direct me so I can access it myself. Thanks.
We update data each weekday on this page, and on Facebook. https://smwi.org/covid-19-response/