CITY OF MILWAUKEE — Face masks will no longer be required in the City of Milwaukee. The mask mandate and health order officially ended on June 1.
The city announced in May that it was ending its mask mandate and health order, as the CDC updated guidance on fully vaccinated people and masks.
The expiring health order also means there will be no reduced capacity limits required at businesses and establishments within the city.
The CDC said that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors, besides some exceptions. Those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 should still wear masks, the CDC ruled.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the city has followed CDC guidance from the onset of the pandemic, including recommendations on social distancing, mask-wearing, testing, and then vaccines. Now the city is following the center in its recommendation to start to return life to normal.
That doesn't mean that come June 1, there will no longer be any sort of mask requirements. Barrett also emphasized that businesses and other establishments can still require people to wear masks indoors.
City officials, including Mayor Barrett have continued to urge residents to get vaccinated. Barrett said there are still many people not vaccinated in the city, for a variety of reasons: politics, transportation, work-related issues, among others.
Read the city health department's explanation of the change in orders below: