Milwaukee, Madison make mask mandate decisions

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Milwaukee County will maintain a mask mandate for Milwaukee County Transit System riders and staff.

The announcement comes after a Florida judge struck down the nationwide mask mandate for airplanes and other modes of public transportation earlier this week.

Madison Metro Buses and facilities announced that it will remove mask mandates following Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle’s ruling.

Milwaukee Public Schools is changing course by reinstating its mask mandate just one day after its previous optional policy began April 18. School officials made the change in policy after determining the transmission a significant risk at this time, indicating that it will revert back to optional masks when the risk is lower.

“COVID-19 is not over in Milwaukee County. Over the last three weeks, we’ve seen a 200 percent increase in COVID cases in our area,” Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston said in a news release. “That number is rising each day due to a combination of factors. The emergence of new, more transmissible variants and low vaccination rates throughout the County means we must remain vigilant to slow the spread of the disease.”

Madison Metropolitan School District extended its mask mandate until the first week of May, noting that they would make an announcement on May 6 with protocol updates. MMSD’s medical advisors and metrics team cited, “daily positive case counts in Dane county have exceeded 100, and continue a steady upward trajectory” as a factor for their decision.