Health officials considering new public health order amid increase in COVID-19 cases
Officials warn of a possible reopening rollback with tighter restrictions in Milwaukee
Officials warn of a possible reopening rollback with tighter restrictions in Milwaukee
Officials warn of a possible reopening rollback with tighter restrictions in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Health Department is warning of a possible new public health order that could include tighter safety restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Continuing Coverage: Coronavirus in Wisconsin
Health officials are considering a reopening rollback after an increase in local COVID-19 cases.
"This is prompting us to continue to look at our public health order – and changes are possible in the next week,” said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson.
Johnson says Milwaukee could roll back its health order on April 16, which would result in capacity cuts for restaurants without approved safety plans, from 50% to 25%.
WISN 12 News spoke to Carnevor co-owner, Omar Shaikh, who said increasing restrictions would only hurt the hospitality industry in Milwaukee, and the city should focus on vaccinations instead.
“There’s no reason we should be moving back at this point. I think that it’s going to scare people all over again and have a really bad effect on hospitality. We’ve suffered an entire year.”
Officials warn a new city-wide health order would also limit in-person fans at school sporting events, however child care facilities and Milwaukee Public Schools will continue their in-person re-opening plans.
“Many of our child care centers have been open and they all have approved safety plans in place, including our schools. So, we feel fairly confident about the mitigation measures that are in place, including with Milwaukee Public Schools opening,” Kirsten Johnson said.
A spokesperson from the Milwaukee Health Department tells WISN 12 News that a new public health order will likely not impact in-person fans at the Milwaukee Bucks or Brewers games.
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