COVID-19 spread still “Very High” in 71 counties
MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – Even though case numbers plummeted over the four past weeks, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reports the spread of the COVID-19 virus is still “very high” in 71 counties. It remains “Critically High” in Douglas County in Wisconsin’s northwestern corner. There are no counties where the spread of the virus is labeled High, Moderate or Low.
The DHS says over the past two weeks case numbers declined in the majority of counties (59). They saw no significant difference in 13 counties, including Green Lake, Florence, Kewaunee and Waushara in WBAY’s viewing area. Over the past two weeks, Wisconsin saw the equivalent of 0.6% of its population diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. The burden of 612.3 cases for every 100,000 residents is 42% less than last week.
The rolling, 7-day average of new cases fell again to 1,493 cases from 1,629. That’s after 1,586 more cases were identified in the past 24-hour period. This is now the lowest 7-day average since late August. Fond du Lac County passed 29,000 cases.
The percentage of tests coming back positive for the coronavirus also continued its downward trend, now at 8.4% of all tests. It’s now at levels we saw in late October.
Forty-seven people were added to the death toll since Wednesday’s state report. That was the most death reports submitted to the state in one day in the last week. The DHS says 30 of the deaths reported happened in the past 30 days. That was enough to bounce the 7-day average up from 12 to 14 deaths per day. Deaths were reported by 6 counties in WBAY’s viewing area: Dodge, Marinette Oconto, Outagamie, Sheboygan and Waupaca reported one death each.
Hospitalizations remained in double digits, with 76 people admitted in the last 24-hour period. We calculate the state averaged 58 hospitalizations per day over the last week, the lowest average in our record-keeping since August 4.
As of yesterday, the latest data available, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) said 814 people were in hospitals, with 161 of them in intensive care. Northeast health care region hospitals saw their COVID-19 patient total fall below 100, with 98 patients in COVID-19 treatment, with 21 in ICU. Fox Valley hospitals are treating 46 patients, 10 in ICU.
Vaccinations
We’ve seen the urgency to get a COVID-19 vaccine fall along with the case numbers, as people completing their vaccine series they started 3 or 4 weeks ago outnumbering people getting their first dose. In WBAY’s viewing area, only Manitowoc County saw an increase in residents getting vaccinated, while Florence County’s vaccination numbers were revised. Eight of the 20 counties we’re tracking saw the percentage of residents getting fully dosed increase in the past day.
Statewide, the DHS says 60.1% of Wisconsinites completed their vaccine series out of 63.7% who received their first dose or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This includes 65% of adults 35 to 44 completing their vaccine regimen.
Thursday’s Vaccinations by Age Group (and change since last report)
- 5 to 11: 26.1% received vaccine (+0.1)/22.1% completed vaccinations (+0.1)
- 12 to 17: 60.5% received vaccine (+0.1)/56.2% completed vaccinations (+0.1)
- 18 to 24: 59.2% received vaccine (+0.0)/53.4% completed vaccinations (+0.0)
- 25 to 34: 63.4% received vaccine (+0.0)/58.5% completed vaccinations (+0.0)
- 35 to 44: 68.7% received vaccine (+0.0)/65.0% completed vaccinations (+0.1)
- 45 to 54: 71.3% received vaccine (+0.0)/68.2% completed vaccinations (+0.1)
- 55 to 64: 77.9% received vaccine (+0.0)/75.1% completed vaccinations (+0.1)
- 65 and up: 85.7% received vaccine (+0.0)/82.4% completed vaccinations (+0.0)
Thursday’s Vaccinations by County Population (and change since last report)
The Wisconsin DHS says a large bump in the percentages of vaccinated state and county residents coming out of the weekend was due to an error with the population data. This was fixed Tuesday.
| County (Population) (Health region) |
% of population with at least 1 dose |
% of population completed series |
|---|---|---|
| Brown (264,542) (NE) | 65.1% | 62.1% (+0.1) |
| Calumet (50,089) (FV) | 56.6% | 54.1% |
| Dodge (87,839) | 52.2% | 49.7% (+0.1) |
| Door (27,668) (NE) | 78.4% | 73.9% (+0.1) |
| Florence (4,295) (NE) | 52.1% (-0.1) | 49.6% |
| Fond du Lac (103,403) (SE) | 55.4% | 52.5% |
| Forest (9,004) | 52.4% | 49.5% |
| Green Lake (18,913) (FV) | 57.1% | 54.2% |
| Kewaunee (20,434) (NE) | 52.4% | 50.6% (+0.1) |
| Langlade (19,189) | 53.7% | 51.3% |
| Manitowoc (78,981) (NE) | 60.3% (+0.1) | 57.7% (+0.1) |
| Marinette (40,350) (NE) | 53.1% | 50.5% |
| Menominee (4,556) (FV) | 79.9% | 75.7% |
| Oconto (37,930) (NE) | 52.7% | 50.7% (+0.1) |
| Outagamie (187,885) (FV) | 63.8% | 60.8% (+0.1) |
| Shawano (40,899) (FV) | 47.5% | 45.5% |
| Sheboygan (115,340) (SE) | 62.5% | 59.5% |
| Waupaca (50,990) (FV) | 55.3% | 53.0% |
| Waushara (24,443) (FV) | 45.8% | 43.6% (+0.1) |
| Winnebago (171,907) (FV) | 61.9% | 58.6% |
| NORTHEAST REGION (474,200) (NE) | 296,237 (62.4%) | 282,458 (59.5%) |
| FOX VALLEY REGION (549,682) (FV) | 328,154 (59.7%) | 312,107 (56.8%, +0.1) |
| WISCONSIN (5,822,434) | 3,719,607 (63.8%) | 3,506,495 (60.1%) |
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.
THURSDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS* (boldface indicates change in cases or deaths since the last report) **
- Brown – 69,248 cases (+56) (368 deaths)
- Calumet – 11,378 cases (+12) (91 deaths)
- Dickinson (Mich.)* – 4,936 cases (84 deaths)
- Dodge – 24,070 cases (+28) (264 deaths) (+1)
- Door – 6,518 cases (+4) (48 deaths)
- Florence – 799 cases (+2) (15 deaths)
- Fond du Lac – 29,012 cases (+39) (206 deaths)
- Forest – 2,412 cases (+4) (45 deaths)
- Gogebic (Mich.)* – 2,687 cases (37 deaths)
- Green Lake – 4,128 cases (+9) (50 deaths)
- Iron (Mich.)* – 2,271 cases (68 deaths)
- Kewaunee – 4,530 cases (+3) (38 deaths)
- Langlade – 4,828 cases (+3) (60 deaths)
- Manitowoc – 17,089 cases (+9) (148 deaths)
- Marinette – 9,539 cases (+12) (92 deaths) (+1)
- Menominee (Mich.)* – 3,804 cases (59 deaths)
- Menominee – 1,814 (13 deaths)
- Oconto – 9,244 cases (+10) (84 deaths) (+1)
- Outagamie – 41,756 cases (+55) (304 deaths) (+1)
- Shawano – 9,632 cases (+9) (110 deaths)
- Sheboygan – 29,063 cases (+31) (242 deaths) (+1)
- Waupaca – 11,159 cases (+10) (187 deaths) (+1)
- Waushara – 4,917 cases (+5) (63 deaths)
- Winnebago – 43,159 cases (+45) (308 deaths)
* You can find cases and deaths for all 72 Wisconsin counties on the DHS County Data website. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Hospital Association publishes updates Mondays through Fridays. Michigan Department of Health updates information on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
** 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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