Milwaukee Issues Mask Advisory As County Experiences 'High' Spread

MILWAUKEE, WI — The City of Milwaukee Health Department issued a mask advisory on Friday after Milwaukee County moved into the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "high" COVID-19 community spread category, health officials announced.

The agency used three indicators to determine the level: the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people in the last seven days and the percent of inpatient beds occupied by coronavirus patients.

Here are the latest CDC numbers on COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and hospital beds used by COVID-19 patients in Milwaukee County:

• 294.91 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days
• 10.7 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people in the last seven days
• 3.4 percent of hospital inpatient beds were used by coronavirus patients

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status or past infection, should wear a mask at all times when indoors and in public, the health department said. The advisory applies to everyone in Milwaukee over the age of 2 who can wear a mask safely.

"Masking is a critical public health tool and a key layer of protection against transmitting and contracting COVID-19," the health department said in a statement. "While different types of masks provide different levels of protection, it is important to remember any mask, worn consistently and snugly, is better than no mask."

High quality masks like N95s and KN95s can offer more protection, health officials said. For people who can't access a high quality mask, wearing two masks is also a viable option.

People can use other measures to protect themselves: Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, avoid crowded spaces, and get tested if you have been around someone who was infected.

Here's how cases, hospitalizations and deaths looked in the rest of Wisconsin:

• The seven-day average for new cases in Wisconsin was 2,033 cases per day on Wednesday, according to Department of Health Services data.
• The seven-day average for new virus-related deaths in the Badger State was one death per day on Wednesday, state health data showed.
• Of 142 hospitals, there were 335 people in the hospital for issues related to COVID-19 on Thursday, data from the Wisconsin Hospital Association showed.