In accordance with Milwaukee Health Department guidelines, the Milwaukee Bucks will increase capacity at Fiserv Forum to 16,500 fans for the remainder of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, beginning on June 1 for a potential Game 5! Previously, Fiserv Forum had been approved to host 9,100 fans for the playoffs.
As part of the expanded capacity, seating will no longer be in pods or staggered in the arena bowl, however fans will be still be required to wear face masks while inside Fiserv Forum, except when actively eating or drinking. Additional tickets for potential First Round games at Fiserv Forum will go on sale tomorrow at 10 am!
Moving Milwaukee Forward Health Order to Expire June 1
MILWAUKEE – In light of the Center for Disease Control’s announcement on Thursday, May 13 that vaccinated individuals can safely resume activities without a mask, the Milwaukee Health Department has made the decision to let the Moving Milwaukee Forward Health Order expire on June 1.
The order’s expiration will also end the requirements of the existing Milwaukee mask ordinance. “Our goal when making decisions throughout this entire pandemic has always been to do the most good for the most people and protect our vulnerable population,” said Commissioner Kirsten Johnson.
“We’ve listened to the infectious disease experts and epidemiologists, followed the science, and closely aligned with the CDC’s recommendations and guidance, and that is what we will continue to do going forward.” The Moving Milwaukee Forward health order, which was issued on May 14, 2020, was previously set to expire on June 15. This date was moved up to June 1. At that time, all capacity restrictions will be lifted along with the mask ordinance.
This chosen date will give businesses two weeks to determine any safety policies they would like to implement. The Milwaukee Health Department will continue to be a resource for businesses as they determine the best policies for their staff and guests. “We need to remember COVID-19 is still present here, and there are quite a number of people who are not vaccinated,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “Our business owners know their customer base well, and we support any business that chooses to continue to enforce safety policies. If a business says its patrons should wear a mask, we all need to respect that.”
The public health guidance to forgo masks is for fully vaccinated individuals only. Fully vaccinated, by the CDC’s guidelines, refers to individuals who are two weeks past their second dose for Pfizer or Moderna, or two weeks past their single dose for Johnson & Johnson. If individuals are not fully vaccinated, they should continue to wear masks in any public indoor settings.
The CDC’s guidance does not include schools, healthcare settings, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters, so fully vaccinated individuals should continue to wear a mask in these environments.
This loosening of restrictions puts an added emphasis on vaccinations. Milwaukee has more than enough supply of vaccine for everyone who wants that protection. Vaccination clinics don’t require an appointment, and mobile vaccination clinics are hosted throughout the city every day. More information on the vaccine and upcoming clinics can be found at https://city.milwaukee.gov/CovidVax
Forward Latino Calls On Social Media Providers
To Permanently Suspend Accounts Of Women Who Falsely Accused Latino Couple Of Attempting To Kidnap Her Children
Forward Latino, a national non-profit, non-partisan advocacy and service organization with members in 29 states is calling on social media providers to permanently suspend the accounts of Katie Sorenson for creating and posting a knowingly false video accusing a Latino couple of attempting to kidnap her children.
Petaluma Police Department who opened a kidnapping investigation following her report recently issued a statement saying their “investigation has produced no evidence or witnesses corroborating the account provided by the reporting party.”
The statement then adds “evidence gathered has served to support the account provided by the (Latino) couple from the store.”
Ms. Sorenson was charged Thursday with two counts of “making false reports” by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.
In response, Forward Latino National President Darryl Morin issued the following statement:
“This was in intentional, orchestrated racial attack against our nation’s Latino community. It was thought out and implemented by this individual to create fear, division and to illicit hate.
These are all catalysts for violence. Over the last four years we have seen hate crimes against Latinos grow significantly. And we all know far too well how false statements and innuendo can have the most catastrophic of consequences.
For these reasons Forward Latino is calling on all social media companies that have the racist video on their platforms to immediately remove it and replace it with a statement indicating it was false and fabricated and share a link to a copy of the Petaluma police report.
We also call on them to permanently suspend her existing accounts and ban her from future use of their platforms. And given the numerous false statements this individual made to the police, we request that the local child protective services agency review the current living situation of her children to ensure their safety and to verify they are not being put at risk as part of Ms. Sorenson’s personal crusade.”
Forward Latino will be sending letters to all major social media providers in the coming days with their formal written request.
Forward Latino is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy and service organization dedicated to assisting Latinos pursuing the American Dream. Forward Latino fulfills its mission through advocacy, civic
engagement, education and service delivery. Forward Latino currently has members in 29 states. Learn more at https://forwardlatino.org/
