We can’t get complacent against COVID-19. New cases are spiking, again, as the delta variant proliferates and we continue to lag on vaccinations. Some headlines …
- The August 6 Situational Briefing shows concerning trends among new cases (43 in the past two weeks in South Milwaukee) and disease burden (nearing 100 for the first time in months). You can read the data for the yourself, including past reports, on the city website.
- Also, check out the county’s weekly report a more holistic local view.
- The City of South Milwaukee is now requiring mask wearing at the South Milwaukee Public Library and Senior Center, no matter your vaccination status. They are being strongly recommended for public spaces in other city buildings.
- Additionally, all Milwaukee County health officers issued a press release on Thursday urging school districts to require universal making. From it …
As school boards meet and prepare for the 2021-22 school year, local health department officials in Milwaukee County unanimously recommend the implementation of universal masking requirements for teachers, staff, students and visitors in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. This recommendation is in alignment with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and most recently the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).
Since the beginning of July, Milwaukee County has seen a 14-fold increase in COVID-19 cases among children under 18 years old. Because of this, local public health officials urge school boards to consider these facts and vote in alignment with the national and statewide back-to-school universal masking guidance to keep children safe and healthy. The Delta variant is highly transmissible and adding another layer of protection on top of vaccination is needed to stop the spread.
I support the call for school masking, especially during this time of increasing disease burden — with the hope that need for masks decreases as we step up our efforts to fight this disease and the numbers look better.
That starts (and ends) with vaccinations.
I know, after more than a year, we are all frustrated to still be in this situation. We are done with COVID. But COVID is not done with us … explained well, I think, in this USA Today article.
COVID won’t be done until we get more people vaccinated. As a city, our rate is 50%. We must do better.
It can’t be more convenient to get the shot. The St. Francis and South Milwaukee Health Department continues offer COVID-19 vaccines from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday at City Hall.
Getting vaccinated is indeed a personal choice. If you have not gotten the shot yet, please choose to do so. It is the only way we can truly return to normal, safely.
South Milwaukee Blog 