Milwaukee COVID cases climb, mask guidance returns

MILWAUKEE - Over the holiday weekend, Fiserv Forum will host the Harlem Globetrotters, Marquette men's basketball and, of course, the Milwaukee Bucks. As many as 17,000 people can fill the arena for Bucks games – and every one of them will need to mask up.

As COVID-19 numbers surge, Fiserv Forum will again require guests to wear masks for all events starting New Year's Eve. The question: Will Milwaukee follow suit and institute a citywide mask mandate?

"We hope fans embrace it, we want to continue to have live entertainment here, events, and felt like this was an opportunity to take advantage of in the current state," said Dennis Williams, Fiserv Forum general manager.

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Milwaukee County COVID-19 hospitalizations are the highest they've been all year, and, in the city of Milwaukee, more than 20% of COVID-19 tests are now positive.

"We want to provide a safe environment for fans coming to the building," Williams said of the mask requirement's return.

Williams said talks with the Milwaukee Health Department were a factor in reinstating the rule. The health department itself does not mandate masks, but there is an advisory that everyone in indoor public spaces should wear a mask regardless of vaccination status or previous infection.

"I would love there to be a mask mandate that covers more than just the city of Milwaukee," Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said Tuesday.

Johnson shot down the idea of a city mask mandate, something the Milwaukee teachers' union demands.

"There’s that issue of where it’s transmitting, and when we’re looking at the data, we know where it’s transmitting," Johnson said Tuesday. "It’s transmitting at home, and a mask mandate wouldn’t touch that."

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Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson this week urged people to be vigilant.

"In order for us to fight COVID, and ultimately to defeat it, it’s going to take all of us to be active partners in this," the acting mayor said. "It’s not just going to be a mandate that comes from the city, it’s going to be the actions that people take in their home."

The acting mayor also praised Fiserv Forum's move, saying he is pleased and that thoughtful, proactive steps are needed as COVID-19 cases climb.

Williams said the situation is fluid, and they will be evaluating whether to require masks week by week. He hopes the masking return is just a blip on the radar.