>> CHARLES, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NEW COVED -- COVID CASES
TRIPLED AND GROWING NORTHWEST
REGIONS OF THE STATE.
ALL AS MITIGATION CONTINUE TO
COLLAPSE.
KRISTEN JOHNSON JOINS US.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> STATEWIDE CASES HAVE TRIPLED.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MILWAUKEE
IS THIS
>> WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT
INCREASE.
>> HOW CONCERNING SHOULD THIS BE
FOR PEOPLE MOST OF WHOM SEEMS
LIKE ARE OVER THIS PANDEMIC?
>> I THINK IT WAS MOST IMPORTANT
TO REALIZE COVID IS HERE WITH
US, THERE ARE RISKS, YOU HAVE TO
EVALUATE ALL RISKS, ALSO
COMPARING TO WHAT WE EXPERIENCED
IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, IT IS
NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT WE SAW
IN THE OMICRON SURGE.
>> IS THIS NEW VARIANT, DOES IT
EFFECT PEOPLE, LESS SEVERELY, IS
THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
IT IS MORE CONTAGIOUS.
IT IS EARLY TO DETERMINE THE
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THEM IN
THE STATE.
HERE WE HAVEN'T SEEN INCREASE IN
HOSPITAL VAIGSS RELATED TO COVID
SPECIFICALLY.
IT IS SOMETHING WE ARE WATCHING
CLOSELY.
TRAJECTORY IS INCREASING.
>> WHAT ARE VACCINATION RATES
LIKE RIGHT NOW IN MILWAUKEE?
>> SO WE ARE OVER 60% OF ADULTS
FULLY VACCINATED IN CITY OF
MILWAUKEE.
IT HAS BEEN AN EMPHASIS LOOKING
FORWARD.
MOST CRITICALLY OVER THE COURSE
OF THE SUMMER.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE UPTICK OF THE
BOOSTERS, WHEN YOU SAY FULLY
VACCINATED IS THAT THE TWO KIND
OF SHOTS OR INCLUDE BOOSTERS?
>> SO FULLY VACCINATED IS JUST
THE TWO.
BOOSTERS LOWER NUMBER.
UP TO DATE IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE
HAD BOOSTERS AND FULLY
VACCINATED.
>> HOW VULNERABLE IS THE
POPULATION YOU SERVE?
>> THAT IS A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
IT IS HARD TO KNOW.
VACCINATION RATES IN
NEIGHBORHOODS, THOSE ARE THE
DOOR TO DOOR CAMPAIGN TO BRING
BACK STATES WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
I DO THINK THERE ARE INCREASED
RISKS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
VACCINATED.
THAT VARIES AND TRYING TO
ADDRESS IT.
>> YOU DESCRIBED HOW
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS ARE
NOT RISING WITH THE NEW KIND OF
INCREASE IN POSITIVE CASES, BUT
COULD THAT BE A LAGGING KIND OF
INDICATOR?
OR JUST THIS VARIANT IS JUST NOT
DOING THAT AT THIS POINT?
>> HOSPITALIZATION DATA LAGS BY
A FEW WEEKS.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE WE ARE GOING
TO SEE, THAT WE WERE
EXPERIENCING.
>> AND YET MILWAUKEE SCHOOLS
MAKE MASKS MANDATORY AFTER
DETERMINING A SIGNIFICANT
TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS WITHIN
THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE SO
MANY MIXED MESSAGES, WHAT ABOUT
THE NEW MASK MANDATE IN THE
SCHOOLS, SOUNDS ALARMING?
>> I THINK IT IS LESS ALARMING
AND MITIGATION MEASURES TO
INSURE KIDS STAY IN SCHOOL.
FOR MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
MY ROLE, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT
IS OUR CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO
CONTINUE INPERSON.
I THINK USING THE MASKS IS
CRITICAL TO MAKE SURE THAT
CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
WE KNOW COVID IS HERE AND
SPREADING AND MASKS WORK.
IT IS A GREAT MITIGATION TOOL.
OUR KIDS CAN STAY IN SCHOOL.
>> IS THERE MORE THAT NEEDS TO
BE DONE OR AT WE AT THIS POINT
WE ARE LIVING WITH IT?
>> I THINK WE ARE LIVING WITH
IT.
I THINK THE MESSAGE IS WE KNOW
HOW.
WE HAVE LEARNED A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
IF YOU ARE AT HIGHER RISK, BE
MORE CAUTIOUS. PEOPLE KNOW THEIR
LEVEL OF RISK.
WE KNOW THERE ARE CHILDREN THAT
HAVEN'T BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR
VACCINE AND COMING OVER THE
SUMMER: I THINK IT IS
IDENTIFYING YOUR LEVEL OF RISK
AS AN INDIVIDUAL, FOR YOUR
FAMILY AND MEASURING THAT
AGAINST THE ACTIVITIES AND
KNOWING THERE ARE MITIGATIONS.
WE CAN PUT OUT A MASK.
WE CAN SOCIALLY DISTANT.
WE CAN TEST BEFORE WE GATHER
WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
WE HAVE TOOLS WE DIDN'T HAVE
PREVIOUSLY.