Milwaukee City Hall and other city buildings where the public interacts with municipal offices will be reopened on June 21, Mayor Tom Barrett announced today.
Most city of Milwaukee employees who have been working remotely will return to city offices. About 800 city office workers have worked remotely or partly remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, throughout the pandemic a large majority of city workers have continued to work in person at their regular work locations including firefighters, public works employees, and police officers.
Visitors to city buildings, irrespective of COVID-19 vaccination status, will be required to wear masks for the foreseeable future. Similarly, workers at city facilities will also wear masks when they are in public areas.
“After careful review of the science and the COVID-19 trends, we have concluded that city offices can safely reopen for business in the coming weeks,” Barrett said. “In many cases, the public has been inconvenienced by the necessary health precautions, so easing the restrictions is a step forward in serving our residents.”
Barrett’s reopening decision applies to all the departments that are part of his administration including the Health Department, Neighborhood Services, City Development, Administration, Election Commission, Water Works, and other departments. Departments led by independently-elected officials will set their own reopening policies.
“City employees have done a remarkable job keeping government operating during the pandemic. They have shown flexibility, innovation, and dedication as they fulfilled their responsibilities,” Barrett said. “With precautions in place, I look forward to welcoming our colleagues back to their offices.”
