The City of Milwaukee's onging battle against the COVID-19 pandemic took a convoluted twist last night as the city's Health Department announced that it will not be enforcing Gov. Tony Evers' new executive order on indoor capacity limits, instead following its own previously established and ongoing local public health order which it deems more restrictive that Evers' new mandate. 

Issued on Tuesday, Evers' new executive order limits indoors public gatherings in bars, restauranst and beyond to no more than 25 percent of a room or building’s total occupancy, beginning today at 8 a.m. until Nov. 6. However, it also states that local municipalities can follow their own health orders if they are more restrictive than the newly announced statewide order – which, the city's Health Department argues, is the case for Milwaukee and its currently implemented Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely guidelines. 

"The Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely local order requires restaurants and bars to submit an a strenuous 80 point COVID checklist to the Health Department to operate," writes the City of Milwaukee Health Department, in a release. "The checklist requires businesses to implement hygiene, cleaning, and protective measures, policies, and procedures.

"The local order also requires businesses to facilitate remote work to the greatest extent possible and ensure individuals remain six feet from others whenever possible. As a result, even though the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely Order permits a larger threshold of individuals in certain places than Emergency Order #3 allows, the additional restrictions listed under the local order do more to prevent COVID-19 transmission than Governor Evers’ Emergency Order #3.

"After review of both orders, the City of Milwaukee Health Department has determined that the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely Order is more restrictive than Governor Evers’ Emergency Order #3, and that all businesses and individuals within the City of Milwaukee should continue to adhere to the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely Order."

So, basically, even though the City of Milwaukee's current order allows a greater capacity than Evers' in some cases, because of the mandated and carefully considered procedures and guidelines required to reach that point, the city's Health Department deems its own in-effect order still more restrictive and preventative of COVID and, therefore, the one to follow.

Everybody got that? Good. For more updates, stay tuned to OnMilwaukee – and keep wearing your masks and being smart and safe, Milwaukee.