COVID-19 in Wisconsin: Cases, deaths rising

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) confirmed 2,316 new COVID-19 cases since its last report Tuesday, the most in one day since June 2. The 7-day average is now at 1,800 cases per day for the first time since the first week of June.

Fourteen of the 20 counties in WBAY’s viewing area reported new cases in double digits, from 11 to 99 cases (Brown County barely avoided a triple-digit increase). Four counties had single-digit increases between 3 and 9 new cases. Kewaunee and Menominee Counties didn’t report any new COVID-19 patients.

The positivity rate has risen to 14.8% of all tests in the last week confirming COVID-19. That’s the highest positivity rate since the first week of February.

Six COVID-19 deaths were reported to the state, including 4 people who died within the last 30 days. One of the deaths was in Brown County; it wasn’t recent. Wisconsin averaged 3 deaths per day over the last week. A total of 20 deaths, recent or not, were reported to the DHS in the last 5 days, compared to 14 all of last week and 17 the week before that.

Forty-five people with COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals over the last 24-hour period. That’s close to our calculated 7-day average of 42 admissions per day.

Taking discharges and deaths into account, the number of people with COVID-19 in hospitals continued to rise. The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHS) reported 491 in hospital beds Wednesday, a net increase of 8, including 87 patients in intensive care, 10 more than a day ago.

Hospitals in the Northeast health care region have 44 patients, 9 in ICU -- that’s 1 more in ICU but 1 fewer patient overall compared to Tuesday. Hospitals in the Fox Valley region are treating 28 COVID-19 patients, 4 in ICU -- 1 more person in a hospital but 1 fewer patient in ICU than a day ago.

According to the latest DHS numbers, Wisconsin is nearing 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered (9,997,596) -- those are first and second vaccine shots and boosters given to Wisconsinites and out-of-state residents.

The Department of Health Services told Action 2 News Wednesday it recently updated its website to include additional booster shots. Now the count includes second (or more) booster doses administered to Wisconsinites and out-of-state residents. Almost 500,000 more booster doses were added to the state’s total as a result of the update.

And also as a result, the cumulative total of doses administered went way, way up. The increase of almost 400,000 doses wasn’t as much as the booster doses because other vaccination metrics were revised with Monday’s update. The numbers of Wisconsinites who received their first dose and who completed their vaccine series were both revised downward -- you saw this reflected in our reports on vaccinations by age group and by county this week, with some percentages going down -- and there were other revisions, as well. The DHS says corrections or updates that can lead to revisions include:

• Correcting a case’s status from confirmed to unconfirmed;
• De-duplication, or merging and consolidating case records;
• Completing a case’s missing or unknown demographic information

Wednesday’s Vaccinations by Age Group (and change since last report)

• 5 to 11: 28.6% received vaccine/25.8% completed vaccinations/0.0% received booster
• 12 to 17: 62.2% received vaccine/58.8% completed vaccinations/21.7% received booster
• 18 to 24: 61.0% received vaccine/55.4% completed vaccinations/20.3% received booster
• 25 to 34: 64.8% received vaccine/60.3% completed vaccinations/26.3% (+0.1) received booster
• 35 to 44: 69.7% (+0.1) received vaccine/66.3% (+0.1) completed vaccinations/33.9% received booster
• 45 to 54: 72.0% received vaccine/69.2% completed vaccinations/39.0% (+0.1) received booster
• 55 to 64: 78.3% received vaccine/75.9% completed vaccinations/50.3% received booster
• 65 and up: 85.1% received vaccine/82.5% completed vaccinations/68.4% received booster

Wednesday’s Vaccinations by County Population (and change since last report)

To find free COVID-19 vaccination sites near you, text your ZIP Code to 438829. Visit wbay.com/vaccine for a list of health care organizations offering vaccine shots.

WEDNESDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS* (boldface indicates change since last report)

• Brown – 76,159 cases (+99) (431 deaths) (+1)
• Calumet – 12,353 cases (+11) (102 deaths)
• Dickinson (Mich.)** - 5,376 cases (92 deaths)
• Dodge – 26,040 cases (+26) (296 deaths)
• Door – 7,290 cases (+13) (62 deaths)
• Florence - 860 cases (+3) (17 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 32,075 cases (+29) (263 deaths)
• Forest - 2,694 cases (+12) (48 deaths)
• Gogebic (Mich.)** - 3,108 cases (41 deaths)
• Green Lake - 4,718 cases (+9) (56 deaths)
• Iron (Mich.)** - 2,553 cases (71 deaths)
• Kewaunee – 4,821 cases (43 deaths)
• Langlade - 5,400 cases (+8) (75 deaths)
• Manitowoc – 18,938 cases (+32) (164 deaths)
• Marinette - 10,396 cases (+15) (112 deaths)
• Menominee – 2,003 cases (15 deaths)
• Menominee (Mich.)** - 4,233 cases (61 deaths)
• Oconto – 9,823 cases (+9) (99 deaths)
• Outagamie – 46,088 cases (+41) (364 deaths)
• Shawano – 10,605 cases (+13) (131 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 32,090 cases (+37) (276 deaths)
• Waupaca – 12,248 cases (+12) (200 deaths)
• Waushara – 5,419 cases (+12) (70 deaths)
• Winnebago – 48,463 cases (+53) (343 deaths)

* You can find cases and deaths for all 72 Wisconsin counties on the DHS County Data website and for Michigan counties on the Michigan Department of Health COVID-19 website.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Hospital Association publish updates Mondays through Fridays. Michigan Department of Health updates county information on Tuesdays.

Cases and deaths are from state COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The Wisconsin 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.

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