Milwaukee COVID case burden 'extreme,' positivity 'high'

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Health Department on Friday, May 13 reported that the COVID-19 case burden has positivity have both been downgraded.

The city has now reported seven consecutive weeks of worsening disease trends.

According to the health department, the city saw 213.2 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past week. The disease burden rose from the previous week's 147.4. The gating metric was downgraded from "high" to "extreme" transmission.

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Percent positivity rose to 10.6% compared to 8.1% the previous week. The gating metric was downgraded from "substantial" to "high" transmission. The gating metric has been downgraded for three consecutive weeks.

The health department said 64.5% of city residents ages 16 and older are fully vaccinated, and 48.4% of fully vaccinated people have received a booster dose.

Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) COVID-19 vaccine clinic

As the U.S. approaches one million COVID-19 deaths, the Milwaukee Health Department reinforces and encourages continued vigilance against the virus.

"My heart is with everyone as we deeply mourn the lives lost from this pandemic," said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson. "We need to do everything we can to ensure there are no more preventable deaths from COVID-19. We have the tools, and we must use them to protect ourselves and our loved ones."

Using a layered mitigation strategy is imperative to staying protected from the COVID-19 virus, the health department said. While no tool is 100%, using multiple tools together can stop the spread of COVID-19.