The NNS coronavirus update for the week of March 29: New places where you can get vaccinated; Milwaukee County sees uptick in cases | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
March 29, 2021
New vaccination clinics are popping up across the city. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
Vaccine clinics to operate for 53206 and 53210 ZIP codes
COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be hosted at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2626 W. Center St., and COA Youth and Family Centers, 2320 W. Burleigh St., as part of an effort to reach residents in the Amani and Metcalfe Park neighborhoods.
The clinics will be open to anyone in the 53206 and 53210 ZIP codes. The clinics are available for walk-in vaccinations only and will be held mostly on Saturdays over the next few months.
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The following are times and dates for the vaccine clinics:
COA Youth and Family Centers:
Wisconsin Black Historical Society
The clinics are a joint effort of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the Milwaukee Health Department, the Dominican Center, the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, COA Youth and Family Centers and Northwestern Mutual.
Those who wish to find out more about the clinics can call (414) 444-9930. There are also Facebook events for the clinics at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society.
Check out our reporting on the clinics to hear more from the organizers.
Milwaukee County cases indicator goes red for first time since January
The Milwaukee County cases indicator, one of the five main metrics the county uses to measure its COVID-19 response, turned red last week for the first time in two months because of an increase in cases over the last two weeks.
Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, said during a media briefing: “The warning lights are blinking, and we need to be cautious. We can certainly hope that our rates of vaccination and continued vigilance can blunt an incoming increase.”
Kroger vaccination clinic to be held at Summerfest grounds
Pick ‘n Save and Kroger Health will operate an appointment-only vaccine clinic at the guest services building on Summerfest grounds, 200 N. Harbor Drive.
The clinic will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and some Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To get an appointment, you can visit https://www.picknsave.com/rx/covid-eligibility or call (866) 211-5320.
Vaccinations at the site will begin Tuesday, March 30. Free parking is available in Lot A.
Vaccines available at North and South Division locations
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett urged people to take advantage of the community vaccination sites at North Division and South Division high schools after lackluster attendance during their  opening weeks. The sites operate as part of the ZIP code priority program, which made residents eligible for the vaccine last Monday:
North Division High School, 1011 W. Center St., and South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd., have the capacity to deliver up to 600 shots in a day. Neither location hit that threshold in the first week of immunizations.
“If anything, we have the capacity, and we don’t have the demand,” Barrett said in a media briefing.
Vaccine data
As of March 26, 242,708 people in Milwaukee County had received one dose of the vaccine. This includes 68% of the 65+ population, which amounts to 90,386 people.
The state of Wisconsin has fully vaccinated 948,765 people with both doses of the vaccine. The state has administered at least one dose to 1,634,977 people.
About 74% of Wisconsinites over the age of 65 have received the vaccine, for a total of 754,629 people.
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How you can help friends and loved ones who test positive
Read our story here
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Where to get free masks
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.
Resources to know
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.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.