By the end of the week, the City of Milwaukee Health Department is expected to publish Order 4.1 updating language in the city's official reopening plan to include the new face mask requirement, guidance for schools and a new requirement that restaurants and bars must submit a safety plan if they offer indoors dining.
Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik explained in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon that the timing of this new requirement won't be immediate when the order takes effect. There will be a deadline in the near future for restaurants and bars to submit their plan.
"Once that date hits, you're not going to be able to serve indoors unless you have that approved plan," Commissioner Kowalik said.
Currently, under Phase 4 of reopening, restaurants and bars can be open with 50% capacity and safe business practices. The capacity limit can be waived for owners who have submitted and received approval on a Restaurant and Bar COVID-19 Safety Plan.
In the new order, a safety plan will not be required if the restaurant only offers service outside.
As Commissioner Kowalik has previously announced, another element of the updated Order 4.1 will be a requirement that any schools in the city planning to do in-person learning are required to submit a detailed safety plan. Milwaukee Public Schools announced earlier this month that they would begin instruction completely virtually. Marquette University is in the process of finalizing their plan. A number of additional higher education institutions have submitted plans including Alverno Collece, MATC, MIAD and MSOE. UW-Milwaukee's safety plan has been approved.
|
|
The updated order will also include language reiterating the mask requirement.
The final language of Order 4.1 is expected to be released on Friday.
