The NNS coronavirus update for week of Feb. 15: Milwaukee Walgreens offering vaccinations; new Department of Health Services dashboard; Kirsten Johnson confirmed as commissioner | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
February 15, 2021
A new dashboard by the Department of Health Services features breakdowns by age, sex, race and ethnicity in the state. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
As NNS reported last week, Walgreens pharmacies across the state began receiving coronavirus vaccines for distribution Friday.
Vaccine appointments, which can be accessed through the Walgreens webpage, are now available. Locations are expected to receive about 100 vaccines on average.
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Here’s a list of Milwaukee-area Walgreens locations that will receive the vaccine, grouped by ZIP code:
Walgreens, 1400 E. Brady St.
Walgreens, 1433 W. Burnham St.
Walgreens, 2625 W. National Ave.
Walgreens, 3109 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Walgreens, 3701 S. Howell Ave.
Walgreens, 2727 W. North Ave.
Walgreens, 3522 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Walgreens, 4808 N. Hopkins St.
Walgreens, 7171 N. Teutonia Ave.
Walgreens, 2950 N. Oakland Ave.
Walgreens, 2222 W. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 2826 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
Walgreens, 370 E. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 2410 W. Forest Home Ave.
Walgreens, 3233 S. 27th St.
Walgreens, 620 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Walgreens, 5115 W. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 6707 W. Hampton Ave.
Walgreens, 6030 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Walgreens, 6442 N. 76th St.
Walgreens, 4730 S. 27th St.
Walgreens, 7600 W. Capitol Drive
Walgreens, 9040 W. Good Hope Rd.
Walgreens, 5201 N. 91st St.
Walgreens, 9100 W. Beloit Rd.
Walgreens, 1600 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The Department of Health Services has launched a new dashboard that provides more information on vaccinations in Wisconsin.
The dashboard features breakdowns by age, sex, race and ethnicity in the state. It can also be used to view specific data by county.
Counties are color-coded by vaccine distribution rates; a darker green means more people have been vaccinated in that county. With an 8.7% rate, Milwaukee County is in a lighter shade of green than most of the state, clocking in at 66 out of 72 counties in Wisconsin.
The dashboard states that over 11% of all Wisconsinites have received at least one dose of the vaccination.
The dashboard also shows some disparities in vaccine distribution: In Milwaukee County, 9% of the white population has been vaccinated, compared with 3% for both the Black and Latinx populations.
This compares about evenly with the state of Wisconsin, as 10% of the white population has been vaccinated, and the number remains 3% for both the Black and Latinx populations.
The new dashboard also links to another DHS webpage that provides data on COVID-19 racial health disparities.
“Compared to White Wisconsin residents, Hispanic or Latinx residents have 1.7 times greater case rates, Black residents have 2.1 times greater hospitalization rates, and American Indian residents have 1.5 times greater death rates,” the Department of Health Services website says.
The Milwaukee Common Council voted 12-2 last week to confirm Kirsten Johnson, former health commissioner of Washington and Ozaukee counties, as the new commissioner of the Milwaukee Health Department.
Ald. Russell Stamper and Ald. Khalif Rainey voted against Johnson’s confirmation, and Ald. Milele Coggs abstained.
Interim Commissioner Marlaina Jackson will return to her role as deputy commissioner of public health once Johnson begins. There is no confirmed date yet for when Johnson will take office.
A highly infectious strain of the coronavirus was reported in nearby Waukesha County last week, the second confirmed case of the “UK variant” in Wisconsin.
B.1.1.7, nicknamed the “UK variant” was found in a patient last week in Waukesha County. The patient has since been contact traced and placed in isolation. It is not clear whether or not the patient recently traveled.
The UK variant is spread much more easily and may also be more dangerous, according to recent reports from the United Kingdom, where the strain has been prevalent since November.
Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Department of Emergency Management, said a recent study from the UK found the strain could be up to 70% easier to spread and up to 30% deadlier.
Weston said the measures for preventing the transmission of the UK variant are the same as COVID-19: masking, social distancing, sanitizing and getting vaccinated.  He urged people to take the strain seriously, as current trends estimate it could be the dominant strain within a month.
As of Feb. 3, the city of Milwaukee has vaccinated 59,252 people.
As of Feb. 12, the state of Wisconsin has fully vaccinated 213,571 people with both doses of the vaccine. The state has administered at least one dose to 669,396 people.
About 36% of Wisconsinites over the age of 65 have received the vaccine, for a total of 365,717 people.
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To obtain a free mask, residents can visit these sites:
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you. The free community testing sites at the Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Rd., and Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St., are now open and operating. American Family Field (formerly Miller Park), 1 Brewers Way, is also open as an effective testing site.
For more information on testing, including how to identify symptoms and when you should get tested, visit TestUpMKE.com. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese and Arabic.
For more information on vaccine distribution and where to find it, visit HealthyMKE.com. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese and Arabic.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
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