'Top priority:' Chris Abele declares public health emergency in Milwaukee County
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele issued a proclamation on Friday, March 13 declaring a local public health emergency due to coronavirus.
Abele issued the following statement in a news release:
"Our top priority is to keep Milwaukee County residents and visitors safe, and we will use every tool and resource at our disposal to ensure we continue our efforts to be the healthiest county in Wisconsin. "We are issuing Administrative Orders to provide our employees with the tools they need to best serve our residents and protect our community. From our airport to our zoo, everyone at Milwaukee County is putting their full weight behind ensuring we are prepared for COVID-19."
Abele and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) determined COVID-19 will affect public health and efforts must be taken to prevent its spread. The proclamation provides Milwaukee County the necessary tools to act expediently in response to the virus.
Effective immediately, two Administrative Orders will be implemented for Milwaukee County employees.
The Supplemental Paid Leave (SPL) Administrative Order applies to all employees and provides a separate bank of hours to use in response to COVID-19. All full-time, part-time, seasonal and hourly workers will be granted a minimum of 40 hours of SPL Bank time to use. While there are common-sense limitations to accessing the SPL Bank hours, this measure will provide a financial safety net to make it easier for employees to be able to stay home when necessary. Employees will adhere to departmental procedures consistent with taking time off in any other situation.