Milwaukee issues 'mask advisory' for indoor spaces regardless of vaccination

The city of Milwaukee Health Department is recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

The city of Milwaukee Health Department is recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

DIANA: WELCOME BACK. THE OMICRON VARIANT IS THE NEW FOCUS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COD.VI I’M JOINED NOW BY DOCTOR JEFF POTHOF, FROM UW HEALTH, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS NEW VARIT.AN DR., THE FIRST QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOROU Y HERE, WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS VARIANT AND DO WKNE OW ENOUGH? >> I STILL THINK WERE A IN THE LEARNING PHASE. I THINK THE ONE THING THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS LIKYEL TO BE TRUE WITH OMICRON IS THAT IT MAY BE MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN EVEN DELTA. BUT WHAT WE DON’T KNOW IS IF IT CAUSES MORE SEVERE DISEASE OR EVEN THE SAME LEVEL, AND WE DON’T KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE VACCINES OR NATURAL IMMUNITY WILL BE AGAINST IT. A WNE DEVELOPMENT, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE IT A COUEPL OF WEEKS BEFORE WE SPEAK MORE DEFINITIVELY ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS VARIANT. DIANA: WE JUST HEARD THE PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT THIS, WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED A BOOSTER SHOT OR A DIFFERENT VACCINE FOR THE SPECIFIC. . IN TERMS OF YOUR EXPERTISE AND PREDICTION, ARE WEOI GNG TO NEED A NEW SHOT FOR EVERY VARIANT THAT COMES AROUND? >> I THINK IIST LIKELY THAT AT SOME POI,NT THIS WILL BE LIKE INFLUENZA, WHERE THE VIRUS CHANGES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME ANWED MATCH THAT YEARLY BOOSTER TO THE STRAINS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE OUT THE.ER THE GOOD NEWSS I THAT WITH THESE VACCINES, IT IS EASIERO T DO THAN OTHERS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST. I THINK IT IS JUST A MATTER OF GOOD PROTECTION THAT YOU WILL SEE BOOSTER VACCINE DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE THAT COVER THINGS LIKE DELTA, OMICRON, AND WHATEVER COMES AFTER IT JUST TO PROVIDE PEOPLE BETTER ROTECTION. BOOSTERS AS WE HAVE THEM RIGHT NOW STILL PROVIDE BETRTE PROTECTION AGAINST OMICRON THAN IF YOU HAD NOT RECEIVEAD BOOSTER. DIANA: WE KNOW THAT VACCINATED PEOPLE ARE OBVIOUSLY ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND UNVACCINATED SHOULD GET VACCINATED. WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW. AS WE APPROACH THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND WE SPOKE LAST WEEK, WE ASKED WHETHERR O NOT VACCINATED PEOPLE SHOULD GET TOGETHER OR NOT. SPECIFICALLY VACCINATED PEOPLE, SHOULD THEY WORRY ABOUT THIS NEW. ? -- THIS NEW VARIANT? >> EVEN IF IT IS BETTER AT ESCAPING OUR VACCINES, IT WILL BE A FEW WEEKS BEFORE WE START SEEING OMICRON IN LARGE ENOUGH NUMBERS HERE IN THE U.S. WHERE WE HAVE TO START WORRYING ABOUT IT. THINK IF YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED, IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE BOOSTER AND HAVE.NET, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD STILL BE THE SAME AS IT WAS FOR VAX -- FOR THANKSGIVING. REASONABLE NUMBERS CAN GATHER IN A HOUSE, BUT IF THAT CHANGES, WE WILL LET THE PUBLIC KNOW. I WOULD NOT OVERREACT AT THIS POINT. DIANA: YOURE A RECOMMENDING GEINTTG BOOSTER SHOTS, INSTEAD OF WAITING, IT IN SECA WE NEED A DIFFERENT BOOSTER. >> ABSOLUTELY. EDIT IF YOU AREUE D FOR IT. EVEN IF WE DO NEED A DIFFERENT ONE, IT WILLE B MONTHS, MAYBE SIX MONTHS OR EIGHT MONTHS, BEFORE IT IS READY. IT IS BEST TO GET YOUR BOOSRTE WHEN YOU CAN RATHER THAN HOLD OFF AND BE AT RISK UNTIL ANY KI ND OF NEW BOOSTER SHOT, IF IT IS NEEDE

Milwaukee issues 'mask advisory' for indoor spaces regardless of vaccination

The city of Milwaukee Health Department is recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

The city of Milwaukee Health Department is recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.Continuing Coverage: COVID-19 in WisconsinThe new guidance was released Tuesday afternoon.The decision was announced by Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson.The Milwaukee Health Department recommends all individuals, regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, to wear a mask at all times when indoors in a public setting, the advisory said.The last mask advisory was issued July 29.The recommendation falls short of a citywide face mask mandate.That would require the approval of the Common Council and mayor.In a news release, officials said spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 remains a major cause for concern in Milwaukee.The newly discovered omicron variant, although not yet detected in America, also remains an area of concern, Milwaukee health officials said.They said they believe the omicron variant will eventually be detected in Wisconsin."All masks should cover the nose and the mouth and rest snugly above the nose, below the mouth, and on the sides of the face," the health advisory said. "This advisory applies to all individuals in the city of Milwaukee over the age of two years who are able to medically tolerate wearing a mask."The mask advisory does not apply when eating, drinking, sleeping, playing a sport or performing.Every county in Wisconsin remains in the high category of COVID-19 transmission, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Doctors stressed Monday that COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots remain the best way to combat the spread of the virus and its variants.The COVID-19 death toll in Wisconsin topped 9,000 people Tuesday, at 9,019.The omicron variant has now been detected in at least 19 countries.More information on free testing locations and hours can be found at milwaukee.gov/COVIDtesting.Sign up for COVID-19 email alerts from WISNGet breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app.Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

MILWAUKEE —

The city of Milwaukee Health Department is recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

Continuing Coverage: COVID-19 in Wisconsin

The new guidance was released Tuesday afternoon.

The decision was announced by Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson.

The Milwaukee Health Department recommends all individuals, regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, to wear a mask at all times when indoors in a public setting, the advisory said.

The last mask advisory was issued July 29.

The recommendation falls short of a citywide face mask mandate.

That would require the approval of the Common Council and mayor.

In a news release, officials said spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 remains a major cause for concern in Milwaukee.

The newly discovered omicron variant, although not yet detected in America, also remains an area of concern, Milwaukee health officials said.

They said they believe the omicron variant will eventually be detected in Wisconsin.

"All masks should cover the nose and the mouth and rest snugly above the nose, below the mouth, and on the sides of the face," the health advisory said. "This advisory applies to all individuals in the city of Milwaukee over the age of two years who are able to medically tolerate wearing a mask."

The mask advisory does not apply when eating, drinking, sleeping, playing a sport or performing.

Every county in Wisconsin remains in the high category of COVID-19 transmission, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Doctors stressed Monday that COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots remain the best way to combat the spread of the virus and its variants.

The COVID-19 death toll in Wisconsin topped 9,000 people Tuesday, at 9,019.

The omicron variant has now been detected in at least 19 countries.

More information on free testing locations and hours can be found at milwaukee.gov/COVIDtesting.

Sign up for COVID-19 email alerts from WISN

Get breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app.
Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Milwaukee issues 'mask advisory' for indoor spaces regardless of vaccination

The city of Milwaukee Health Department is recommending everyone wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

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