MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – Wisconsin is averaging as many cases per day now as it did in January during the winter surge. The difference is, in January the numbers were working their way down. Friday, they continued to climb.
The state Department of Health Services (DHS) says Wisconsin is averaging 1,584 cases per day after tests diagnosed another 2,283 coronavirus cases. The rolling average jumped more than 100 from yesterday’s average of 1,481. This is at least the third day this week with over 2,000 cases confirmed, which hasn’t happened since mid-January. We’re not including Monday, since that was a cumulative total of cases confirmed over the weekend, since the state doesn’t release updates on Saturdays and Sundays.
As we’ve reported this week, the positivity rate held relatively steady between 7.2% and 7.6% this month. The state says an average 7.7% of tests came back positive over the past 7 days. The positivity rate was also 7.7% on August 4. Before that, you’d have to go back to January 16 to find it at 7.7%. Again, at that time, it was on the way down.
The death toll is up by 7 to a total 7,577 lives lost. The state says 5 of these deaths happened in the last 30 days. That helped bring the 7-day average down from 9 to 8 deaths per day over the past week. None of these 7 deaths was in Northeast Wisconsin, and Winnebago County had its death count revised down by 1 after review. It’s important to note that deaths are not rising at rates similar to January or other previous surges; doctors credit this to the COVID-19 vaccines significantly reducing the chances of serious and deadly symptoms of a COVID-19 infection and increase of the chances of being asymptomatic.
State numbers show 90 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 since the last report Thursday. That’s right on our calculated average of 90 hospital admissions per day. 5.41% of all coronavirus cases have resulted in hospitalization. Taking discharges and deaths into account, on Friday the state’s hospitals were treating 865 COVID-19 patients, with 259 in intensive care units — 10 more in ICU and 49 more overall compared to Thursday. It’s the most COVID-19 patients at one time since January 19 and the most in ICU since there were 260 patients on December 23. Regionally, the Fox Valley hospitals are treating 68 patients, 3 more than Thursday, with 16 in ICU, also an increase of 3. Northeast health care region hospitals have 74 COVID-19 patients, 5 more than Thursday, with 20 in ICU, which is 1 fewer.
Vaccinations
The state is still on track for the middle of next week to have a total 3 million Wisconsinites who completed their vaccine series.
The DHS reports 51.1% of Wisconsinites received one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to significantly reduce or completely negate the effects of COVID-19 — close to the national average of almost 52%. That percentage includes 14% of the population that’s under 12 years old and too young to get vaccinated. The state says 61.7% of adults are fully vaccinated.
That’s out of 54.3% of the population that’s had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 65.2% of adults. Based on current trends, within 3 weeks it’s likely 2 out of 3 adults in Wisconsin will have received a vaccine.
So far, 3,163,825 people in Wisconsin started their vaccination series and 2,976,122 of them finished it.
Wisconsinites getting COVID-19 vaccine, by age group (and change since last report)
- 12-15: 41.2% received vaccine (+0.3)/34.3% fully vaccinated (+0.4)
- 16-17: 47.8% received vaccine (+0.2)/42.4% fully vaccinated (+0.2)
- 18-24: 48.0% received vaccine (+0.1)/43.3% fully vaccinated (+0.2)
- 25-34: 52.3% received vaccine (+0.2)/47.9% fully vaccinated (+0.1)
- 35-44: 60.1% received vaccine (+0.2)/56.0% fully vaccinated (+0.1)
- 45-54: 61.9% received vaccine (+0.1)/58.4% fully vaccinated (+0.2)
- 55-64: 71.5% received vaccine (+0.1)/68.4% fully vaccinated (+0.1)
- 65 and up: 84.7% received vaccine (+0.1)/82.6% fully vaccinated (+0.0)
Half of Sheboygan County’s population has completed their vaccine series. That includes 60.6% of adults in Sheboygan County. It joins Brown, Door, Menominee and Outagamie counties in WBAY’s viewing area in reaching the 50% mark.
More than half (50.1%) of the Northeast health care region is fully vaccinated — that’s the combined population of 7 counties: Brown, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette and Oconto. The DHS has an interactive map where you can see vaccination rates broken down by ZIP Code, municipality, Census tract and school district (that’s the population within a district’s boundaries, not specific to school staff or students).
The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene says the delta variant accounted for 98.46% of all case samples it tested the week of August 9, the latest data available. As we’ve reported, the delta mutation of the coronavirus is highly contagious and causes a higher viral load in carriers than previous variants, and with children under 12 unable to get vaccinated they’re making up a higher percentage of cases and hospitalizations.
VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY POPULATION (FRIDAY)
| County (Population) (Health region) | % of population (change from previous report) | Completed % of population (change from previous report) |
|---|---|---|
| Brown (264,542) (NE) | 54.8% (+0.1) | 51.7% (+0.2) |
| Calumet (50,089) (FV) | 49.2% (+0.1) | 46.6% (+0.1) |
| Dodge (87,839) | 44.1% (+0.1) | 41.3% (+0.1) |
| Door (27,668) (NE) | 69.3% (+0.1) | 66.4% (+0.1) |
| Fond du Lac (103,403) (SE) | 47.0% (+0.2) | 44.1% (+0.1) |
| Forest (9,004) | 44.6% (+0.1) | 42.3% (+0.2) |
| Florence (4,295) (NE) | 46.1% (+0.0) | 44.1% (+0.0) |
| Green Lake (18,913) (FV) | 48.1% (+0.1) | 45.4% (+0.1) |
| Kewaunee (20,434) (NE) | 44.5% (+0.2) | 42.2% (+0.3) |
| Manitowoc (78,981) (NE) | 51.6% (+0.2) | 48.7% (+0.2) |
| Marinette (40,350) (NE) | 45.3% (+0.1) | 42.4% (+0.0) |
| Menominee (4,556) (FV) | 62.7% (+0.4) | 53.8% (+0.6) |
| Oconto (37,930) (NE) | 45.8% (+0.2) | 43.4% (+0.2) |
| Outagamie (187,885) (FV) | 54.6% (+0.2) | 51.5% (+0.1) |
| Shawano (40,899) (FV) | 40.4% (+0.1) | 37.9% (+0.2) |
| Sheboygan (115,340) (SE) | 52.9% (+0.1) | 50.0% (+0.1) |
| Waupaca (50,990) (FV) | 47.0% (+0.1) | 44.5% (+0.1) |
| Waushara (24,443) (FV) | 38.6% (+0.2) | 36.7% (+0.1) |
| Winnebago (171,907) (FV) | 52.4% (+0.2) | 49.4% (+0.1) |
| NORTHEAST REGION (474,200) (NE) | 251,535 (53.0%) (+0.1) | 237,540 (50.1%) (+0.1) |
| FOX VALLEY REGION (549,682) (FV) | 279,020 (50.8%) (+0.2) | 263,266 (47.9%) (+0.1) |
| WISCONSIN (5,822,434) | 3,163,825 (54.3%) (+0.1) | 2,976,122 (51.1%) (+0.1) |
The Wisconsin National Guard and local health departments are offering walk-in vaccination clinics in Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties through September 2nd. No appointment, no ID, and no insurance are needed. These clinics offer the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and some may have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — that’s always subject to change based on availability. Children 12 to 17 need to be with a parent or guardian, and they’re only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine; they’ll be eligible for their second dose in 3 weeks and are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after that.
- TUESDAYS – Fox Crossing Fire Department, 1326 Cold Spring Rd., 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
- WEDNESDAYS – Black Creek Fire Department, W5200 Cty Rd B, 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
- WEDNESDAYS – Shiocton-Bovina Fire Department, W7740 Pine St., Bovina, 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
- THURSDAYS – New Holstein Community Center, 1725 Silver Moon Ln., 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
- THURSDAYS – Brillion Community Center, 120 Center St., 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
The Winnebago County Health Department has two more COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Friday, August 27, and Tuesday, August 31, at the Oshkosh Public Library at 106 Washington Ave. These are walk-in clinics; no appointment is needed. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be offered. The Winnebago County Health Department is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as the school year starts.
The walk-in vaccine clinic at the Sunnyview Expo Center will open earlier at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on September 1. Organizers of the clinic say they anticipate more people getting the vaccine due to the FDA approving the Pfizer vaccine earlier this week, as well as Governor Tony Evers’ vaccine incentive of $100 Visa gift cards. As previously reported, the gift cards will be available to those who receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose between August 23 and September 6.
FRIDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS (increase since the last report is in bold) **
- Brown – 33,634 cases (+74) (259 deaths)
- Calumet – 6,175 cases (+19) (51 deaths)
- Dickinson (Mich.)* – 2,484 cases (+5) (59 deaths)
- Dodge – 12,631 cases (+40) (178 deaths)
- Door – 2,774 cases (+8) (30 deaths)
- Florence – 461 cases (13 deaths)
- Fond du Lac – 13,351 cases (+98) (133 deaths)
- Forest – 1,047 cases (+12) (24 deaths)
- Gogebic (Mich.)* – 1,148 cases (+1) (24 deaths)
- Green Lake – 1,757 cases (+6) (22 deaths)
- Iron (Mich.)* – 1,048 cases (+10) (43 deaths)
- Kewaunee – 2,483 cases (+6) (28 deaths)
- Langlade – 2,181 cases (+6) (35 deaths)
- Manitowoc – 8,044 cases (+31) (79 deaths)
- Marinette – 4,442 cases (+4) (68 deaths)
- Menominee (Mich.)* – 1,930 cases (+14) (42 deaths)
- Menominee – 845 cases (+1) (11 deaths)
- Oconto – 4,793 cases (+9) (63 deaths)
- Outagamie – 21,826 cases (+24) (227 deaths)
- Shawano – 5,012 cases (+20) (73 deaths)
- Sheboygan – 14,678 cases (+29) (156 deaths)
- Waupaca – 5,270 cases (+33) (125 deaths)
- Waushara – 2,328 cases (+12) (36 deaths)
- Winnebago – 19,434 cases (+59) (205 deaths) (deaths revised -1 by state)
* The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Hospital Association do not publish updates on weekends. Update: 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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