Milwaukee County is vaccinating about 7,000 people a day, and county officials say they’re in good shape with COVID-19 vaccine supply.
But officials also say that cases are rising, and they encourage people to get vaccinated and stay vigilant.
On Thursday, Dr. Ben Weston of the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management said the warning lights are blinking.
“We continue to see a concerning rise in numbers of cases in Milwaukee County. For the first time today since January 11, we're changing our key indicator for cases to red as a measure of concern," explained Weston. "This means that we've had a 14 day significantly positive trend in our number of cases.”
For context, Weston said there’s a rise in cases across Wisconsin at a level similar to many states around the country. He pointed to an increase in hospitalizations in neighboring Michigan.
Weston said the future is very difficult to predict.
“We can certainly hope that our rates of vaccination, and continued vigilance can blunt an incoming increase,” he said. “However, we're fighting against a new strain with increased contagiousness and very likely increased severity.”
Officials urge people to wear masks, keep distance, get vaccinated and to get tested if they are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
