MILWAUKEE – A coalition of Milwaukee community organizations issued the following joint statement today calling on Mayor Tom Barrett to direct his health commissioner to immediately issue a new Moving Milwaukee Forward health order and a citywide indoor mask mandate:
“We undersigned organizations call on Mayor Tom Barrett and the Milwaukee Health Department to issue a new health order immediately and implement an indoor mask mandate in the City of Milwaukee. This action is long past due with COVID-19 numbers steadily above extreme transmission levels in our city and around the state. The safety of our communities and our children is paramount, and you must take every action possible to reign in the current surge of COVID-19 infections due to the Delta variant.
“The disease burden numbers in Milwaukee continue to be at dangerously high numbers and the current increase is similar to what we saw last fall. While we must all work to continue vaccination efforts, universal indoor masking and physical distancing are proven methods to control spread. COVID-19 infections are affecting children at much higher rates than ever before and children under 12 still cannot be vaccinated. Poor and working-class communities are much harder hit by the current surge and historic inequities have been highlighted throughout this pandemic. Inaction by our City’s government is unacceptable, especially in light of this disproportionate impact. This city’s government does not exist simply to respond to the demands of the business lobby and the wealthy.
“You must act now and you must bring the full power and authority of the Mayor’s office and the Milwaukee Health Department to bear to save lives and prevent unnecessary illness.”
Organizations issuing the joint statement include:
Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA)
Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT)
Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC)
Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES)
Parents for Public Schools of Milwaukee
Schools & Communities United
Working Families
Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers (MASH)
SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin
Voces de la Frontera
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
