City of Milwaukee, WI

08/12/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/12/2022 16:14

City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - August 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2022

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County remains in the High COVID-19 Community Level, based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. This level is determined by three metrics: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days.

Currently in Milwaukee County, the case rate per 100,000 population is 223.21. This includes the city of Milwaukee's rate of 200.3 per 100,000. There have been 14 new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population and 5% of staffed inpatient beds are in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19. Additional metrics, such as case burden and percent positivity, are accessible on MHD's COVID-19 data dashboards.

Currently, 64.5% of city of Milwaukee adults 16 years and older are fully vaccinated, and 50.6% of fully vaccinated individuals have received a booster dose. Of children ages 5 to 11, 21.5% have completed their pediatric COVID-19 vaccine series and 25.8% have received at least one dose.

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new streamlined COVID-19 guidance to help people better understand their risk, protect themselves and others, know what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19, and what actions to take if they are sick or test positive for the virus. The updated guidance shifts the primary focus away from quarantines and physical distancing and toward measures to reduce severe disease.

The new guidance no longer recommends quarantining for unvaccinated individuals who were exposed to COVID-19 but not infected. Instead, they recommend wearing a high-quality mask for 10 days and getting tested on day 5. Those who become infected should still isolate for a minimum of 5 days, ending isolation only if fever-free for 24 hours, and mask until day 10. Those with moderate-to-severe symptoms should isolate for a minimum of 10 days. If COVID-19 symptoms return or worsen after ending isolation, restart your isolation at day 0. Read the full updated guidance on the CDC's website.

The Milwaukee Health Department now has the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine available at all three COVID-19 clinics. It is a two-dose series, administered three weeks apart, for individuals 18 years and older who have not previously received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. There is currently no booster series required. The MHD COVID-19 website has clinic hours and locations.

While Milwaukee remains in the High COVID-19 Community Level, the mask advisory issued on July 15 remains in place. All individuals over the age of two years who can medically tolerate wearing a mask, regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, should wear a mask at all times when indoors and in a public setting.

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