Wisconsin passes 600,000 coronavirus cases

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – Wisconsin passed what one state health official called a “grim milestone” 600,000 coronavirus cases. It’s been 454 days since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Madison on February 5, 2020. By our calculations, the state averaged almost 1,322 cases and 15 deaths every day for 15 months.

Fortunately, Wisconsin’s infection rate has been well below that average since January, although the death rate is close.

The Department of Health Services (DHS) reported Tuesday another 721 people testing positive for the COVID-19 virus -- more than twice as many as the day before. That was 1 out 5 of the 3,520 tests received for people getting tested for the first time or testing positive for the first time. The state’s currently averaging 633 new cases a day. The rolling average went down, because last Tuesday’s 815 cases are no longer in the 7-day count. The 7-day average for the positivity rate remains 3.3% of all tests, including people tested multiple times. New cases were identified in 59 counties.

The state reported 11 more deaths -- right in line with the weekly average, and the third time this week it’s in double digits. The deaths were in 10 counties: Kenosha, La Crosse (2), Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Milwaukee, Pierce, Polk, Racine (2) and St. Croix. The death count was revised in Wood County. COVID-19 has killed 6,850 people in Wisconsin to date. That’s 1.14% of all known coronavirus infections. The Appleton Health Department reported a person in their 50s died from COVID-19; that death will be added to Outagamie County’s total in the state report in the coming days.

Since February 5, 2020, the DHS reports 3,459,970 people in Wisconsin were tested at least once for the coronavirus. Out of these:

• 600,297 tested positive for the COVID-19 virus
• 29,527 were hospitalized (4.9%)
• 6,850 died (1.14%)
• 584,515 are considered recovered (97.4%)
• 8,666 are active cases (1.4%)

President Biden says his goal is to get 70% of American adults vaccinated by the 4th of July (see related story).

Wisconsin reports 4,497,245 million doses of COVID-19 (“shots in the arm”) were administered since December 13. The state has likely passed 4.5 million doses, since vaccinators’ reports from a day or two are still coming in. That’s an average 31,690 shots per day over 142 days.

To date, 43.5% (2,532,647 people) of Wisconsin’s population received at least one vaccine shot, and 34.7% (2,021,685 people) of the population is fully vaccinated.

Demand for vaccinations is declining, though. Last week, there were 227,519 doses administered -- 70,000 less than the week before, and 124,000 less than the week before that. It’s the lowest weekly number since mid-February.

Almost 1 out of 3 Whites in Wisconsin are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More needs to be done to vaccinate minorities, who are disproportionately affected by the worst of the virus. The state reports about 1 in 4 Asians, 1 in 5 American Indians, and 1 in 7 Blacks in Wisconsin have completed their vaccination regimen, which is two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

• American Indian: 26.6% received a dose/20.6% completed
• Asian: 37.8% received a dose/25.3% completed
• Black: 20.1% received a dose/14.6% completed
• White: 40.7% received a dose/33.0% completed
• Hispanic: 26.2% received a dose/18.2% completed
• Non-Hispanic: 41.9% received a dose/33.8% completed

TUESDAY’S COUNTY VACCINATION TOTALS

Vaccinations by age group:

• 16-17: 26.3% received a dose/11.1% completed
• 18-24: 33.0% received a dose/21.2% completed
• 25-34: 39.5% received a dose/28.6% completed
• 35-44: 47.5% received a dose/35.6% completed
• 45-54: 50.0% received a dose/37.4% completed
• 55-64: 60.8% received a dose/47.1% completed
• 65+: 81.0% received a dose/75.5% completed

State health officials are promoting the CDC’s Vaccine Finder website to make it easier to find and schedule appointments near you.

CLICK HERE for the First Alert Vaccine Team’s guide to vaccine clinics and vaccinators, including phone numbers and websites to make appointments and information on free rides to appointments.

CLICK HERE to track vaccine data in Wisconsin

HOSPITAL READINESS

Daily hospitalizations jumped again after two days below average. The DHS reports 86 people were admitted for COVID-19 treatment between Monday and Tuesday mornings, well above the average 61 per day.

After taking discharges and deaths into account, only 11 more people were hospitalized compared to Monday. The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) reported 326 patients are currently in the state’s hospitals, including 98 in intensive care, the same number in ICU as the day before.

Fox Valley hospitals were treating 14 patients, with 3 of them in ICU. That’s two fewer patients in ICU but 1 more patient overall.

Hospitals in the Northeast region had 23 COVID-19 patients, with 6 in ICU. That’s one fewer patient in ICU, and 3 fewer patients overall.

For hospital readiness, the WHA reports a total 195 intensive care beds (13.3% of all ICU beds) and 1,627 of all beds (14.6%) -- ICU, intermediate care, medical surgical and negative-flow isolation -- are unoccupied in the state’s 136 hospitals.

The Fox Valley region’s 13 hospitals have 8 open ICU beds (7.7%) among them, and a total of 104 open beds (9.1%).

The Northeast region’s 10 hospitals have 28 open ICU beds (13.7%) and 189 available beds of all types (19.8%).

These beds are for all patients, not just COVID-19. While we use terms like “available” or “open,” a hospital bed can only be occupied if there’s enough staffing to care for the patient, including doctors, nurses and food services.

TUESDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS (counties with new cases or deaths are indicated in bold) *

Wisconsin

• Adams – 1,713 cases (+1) (12 deaths)
• Ashland – 1,252 cases (+11) (15 deaths)
• Barron – 5,740 cases (+2) (82 deaths)
• Bayfield - 1,137 cases (+8) (19 deaths)
• Brown – 31,455 cases (+60) (241 deaths)
• Buffalo – 1,351 cases (7 deaths)
• Burnett – 1,357 cases (+1) (22 deaths)
• Calumet – 5,753 cases (+4) (48 deaths)
• Chippewa – 7,339 cases (+14) (94 deaths)
• Clark – 3,240 cases (+4) (58 deaths)
• Columbia – 5,375 cases (+3) (57 deaths)
• Crawford – 1,708 cases (17 deaths)
• Dane – 44,359 (+21) (302 deaths)
• Dodge – 11,809 cases (+5) (163 deaths)
• Door – 2,592 cases (+3) (22 deaths)
• Douglas – 4,012 cases (+9) (34 deaths)
• Dunn – 4,625 cases (+5) (32 deaths)
• Eau Claire – 11,480 cases (+5) (107 deaths)
• Florence - 446 cases (+2) (12 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 12,333 cases (111 deaths)
• Forest - 958 cases (+1) (23 deaths)
• Grant – 4,891 cases (+3) (85 deaths)
• Green – 3,490 cases (+1) (18 deaths)
• Green Lake - 1,570 cases (+1) (19 deaths)
• Iowa - 2,016 cases (+3) (10 deaths)
• Iron - 576 cases (+1) (21 deaths)
• Jackson - 2,623 cases (+3) (26 deaths)
• Jefferson – 8,338 cases (+16) (109 deaths)
• Juneau - 3,145 cases (+6) (22 deaths)
• Kenosha – 15,543 cases (+41) (307 deaths) (+1)
• Kewaunee – 2,343 cases (26 deaths)
• La Crosse – 12,731 cases (+19) (83 deaths) (+2)
• Lafayette - 1,554 cases (8 deaths)
• Langlade - 1,993 cases (+2) (32 deaths)
• Lincoln – 3,049 cases (+2) (64 deaths) (+1)
• Manitowoc – 7,518 cases (+12) (69 deaths)
• Marathon – 14,560 cases (+7) (187 deaths) (+1)
• Marinette - 4,133 cases (+17) (66 deaths)
• Marquette – 1,370 cases (+0) (23 deaths) (+1)
• Menominee – 799 cases (11 deaths)
• Milwaukee – 105,266 (+72) (1,299 deaths) (+1)
• Monroe – 4,517 cases (+1) (37 deaths)
• Oconto – 4,428 case (+8) (53 deaths)
• Oneida - 3,624 case (+2) (69 deaths)
• Outagamie – 20,545 cases (+22) (202 deaths)
• Ozaukee – 8,135 cases (+7) (84 deaths)
• Pepin – 850 cases (7 deaths)
• Pierce – 3,928 cases (+7) (37 deaths) (+1)
• Polk – 4,426 cases (+44) (47 deaths) (+1)
• Portage – 6,718 cases (+11) (68 deaths)
• Price – 1,226 cases (7 deaths)
• Racine – 21,570 cases (+31) (343 deaths) (+2)
• Richland - 1,303 cases (+1) (15 deaths)
• Rock – 15,873 cases (+27) (168 deaths)
• Rusk - 1,296 cases (17 deaths)
• Sauk – 5,780 cases (+1) (47 deaths)
• Sawyer - 1,667 cases (+3) (25 deaths)
• Shawano – 4,679 cases (72 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 13,697 cases (+15) (140 deaths)
• St. Croix – 7,730 cases (+24) (51 deaths) (+1)
• Taylor - 1,867 cases (+2) (24 deaths)
• Trempealeau – 3,531 cases (41 deaths)
• Vernon – 1,912 cases (+1) (39 deaths)
• Vilas - 2,241 cases (+4) (39 deaths)
• Walworth – 9,414 cases (+23) (136 deaths)
• Washburn – 1,445 cases (+1) (18 deaths)
• Washington – 14,607 cases (+23) (151 deaths)
• Waukesha – 43,629 cases (+73) (523 deaths)
• Waupaca – 4,880 cases (+4) (118 deaths)
• Waushara – 2,154 cases (34 deaths)
• Winnebago – 18,077 cases (+20) (195 deaths)
• Wood – 7,006 cases (+1) (80 deaths) (deaths revised -1 by state)

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (includes Saturday-Monday updates) **

• Alger - 318 cases (+7) (2 deaths)
• Baraga - 594 cases (+8) (34 deaths)
• Chippewa - 1,039 cases (+5) (27 deaths)
• Delta – 3,243 cases (+6) (69 deaths)
• Dickinson - 2,361 cases (+4) (58 deaths)
• Gogebic - 1,007 cases (22 deaths)
• Houghton – 2,458 cases (+6) (32 deaths)
• Iron – 944 cases (42 deaths)
• Keweenaw – 142 cases (1 death)
• Luce – 184 cases (+6) (1 death)
• Mackinac - 399 cases (+4) (3 deaths)
• Marquette - 4,151 cases (+24) (57 deaths)
• Menominee - 1,749 cases (+5) (39 deaths)
• Ontonagon – 397 cases (20 deaths)
• Schoolcraft - 300 cases (+2) (4 deaths)

* Cases and deaths are from the daily DHS COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The DHS reports cases from all health departments within a county’s boundaries, including tribal, municipal and county health departments; county websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at various times, whereas the DHS freezes the numbers it receives by the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.

** The Michigan Department of Health does not release reports on Sundays.

CDC GUIDANCE ON GATHERINGS

The Centers for Disease Control have announced that fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing.

The CDC’s recommendations also say vaccinated people can come together in the same way – in a single household -- with people considered at low-risk for severe disease, such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren.

The CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people still wear well-fitted masks, avoid large gatherings, and physically distance themselves from others when out in public. The CDC also advised vaccinated people to get tested if they develop symptoms that could be related to COVID-19.

COVID-19 TRACING APP

Wisconsin’s COVID-19 tracing app, “Wisconsin Exposure Notification,” is available for iOS and Android smartphones. No download is required for iPhones. The Android app is available on Google Play. When two phones with the app (and presumably their owners) are close enough, for long enough, they’ll anonymously share a random string of numbers via Bluetooth. If someone tests positive for the coronavirus, they’ll receive a code to type into the app. If your phones “pinged” each other in the last 14 days, you’ll receive a push notification that you are at risk of exposure. The app doesn’t collect personal information or location information, so you won’t know from whom or where, but you will be told what day the exposure might have occurred so that you can quarantine for the appropriate amount of time.

SYMPTOMS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified these as possible symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever of 100.4 or higher
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell