Milwaukee City Wire

Milwaukee recently instituted a citywide indoor mask mandate again, though the start and end dates were in flux, according to the order.

The edict was signed Jan. 20 by acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson. The ordinance says the mandate will take effect when the rate of transmission of the COVID-19 virus is equal to or greater than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents in Milwaukee County, according to WTMJ.

“I signed Milwaukee’s mask ordinance this morning which will take effect once it is published in the coming days. Public safety is my paramount concern, and, during the current surge in COVID-19 cases, masking is one reasonable mitigation step," Johnson said in a statement.

While there are no fines for breaking the mandate, according to Fox6now, the Milwaukee Health Department will be keeping tabs. Upon receiving complaints, the Health Department will be able to send a letter to the business for the first complaint. 

Subsequent complaints will lead to progressively more serious actions. A third complaint, for example, could lead to a Health Department visit and a written statement that would go into the business’s file. Ultimately, that could affect the business when it comes time to renew licenses, the report said. 

The mandate covers everyone over the age of three and will be in effect until March 1. That date is flexible, though, as the duration could be shortened or extended, depending on the city’s COVID-19 numbers.