Health & Fitness
Milwaukee Should Mask Up And Brace For Omicron, Health Officials Say
A mask advisory has been issued for Milwaukee due to concern with the omicron variant, the new variant of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
MILWAUKEE, WI — Everyone over the age of 2 in Milwaukee, regardless if they've been vaccinated or infected before, should wear a mask indoors to stop COVID-19 from spreading, the City of Milwaukee Health Department announced Tuesday.
The health department warned of the omicron variant, a recently discovered mutation of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease. No cases linked to the new variant have been found in Milwaukee.
Masks should fit snugly over peoples' mouths and noses, the health department said. The advisory is meant to get people ready for the new variant to be possibly identified in Milwaukee and to combat the current case burden in the city.
Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The advisory doesn't apply when people are sleeping, eating or drinking, playing competitive sports or doing things like performing music or giving speeches.
Masks are proven to stop people from inhaling each others' water droplets, which COVID-19 is how COVID-19 infection is transferred, the health department said. The virus spreads easier when people are close together for long periods of time indoors.
Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
There were 95,679 COVID-19 cases in Milwaukee County as of Tuesday, data from the city health department showed. There have been 831 virus-related deaths since cases were detected in Milwaukee in March 2020.
The vaccine remains the best protection against COVID-19 amid the spread of the delta variant and as we learn more about the omicron variant, Wisconsin Department of Health Services Communications Specialist Elizabeth Goodsitt told Patch.
"We encourage anyone who is able to get vaccinated, to do so," Goodsitt added. "And anyone who is eligible, to get their booster shot."
A total of 54.6 percent of people living in Milwaukee County have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, state health services data showed. A total of 58.3 percent of residents have taken at least one shot.
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