With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increasing again in Wisconsin as the holidays draw near and flu season begins, health officials on Wednesday urged action to prevent a coronavirus surge like that seen late last year.
“Many of our hospitals are operating at their full capacity or will be at their capacity in the near future,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, a chief medical officer with the state Department of Health Services, who noted 96% of intensive care beds are full. “We need everyone who’s not vaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Sixteen of the state’s 72 counties have critically high case activity levels, up from eight counties last week and four the week before. Activity in all other counties is considered very high.
The state reported 3,503 new cases of COVID-19, for a daily average of 2,963, the highest since early January. Some 1,180 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, also the highest level since early January, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. The state reported 26 additional COVID-19 deaths, for a daily average of 14.
More than 58% of Wisconsin residents have had at least one dose of vaccine, including “tens of thousands” of recently eligible children ages 5 to 11, said Traci DeSalvo, communicable diseases director. That should help prevent the peak of an average of 6,500 new cases a day seen a year ago, Westergaard said.
But flu activity, while low, is already higher than last year, he said. Some health care workers have retired or left their jobs after confronting COVID-19 for nearly two years, making it harder for hospitals to take on more patients. “Our capacity to do so is finite,” Westergaard said.
Some 550,000 people in Wisconsin have received COVID-19 booster shots, DeSalvo said. Wisconsin hasn’t joined some states in recommending boosters for all adults in anticipation of such guidance from federal officials, but Westergaard said people who think they need them can get them.
“If people make that determination that their risk is elevated, and want to get a booster, our recommendation is they can get a booster,” he said.
Booster shots are recommended for people 65 and older, long-term care residents and people 50 to 64 who have underlying medications. Those 18 and older who have chronic diseases or work in high-risk settings — such as teachers, first responders and grocery store workers — also can get boosters.
Sawyer County, where Hayward is the county seat, had the state’s highest case activity the past two weeks, with 1,780.4 cases per 100,000 people, the health department said. Some 53.9% of the county’s residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, compared with 58.1% statewide, according to the latest data available.
Nine of the other counties with critically high activity are in northwest Wisconsin, with the others in the central or northeast part of the state.
Iron County, in northern Wisconsin, with Hurley as the county seat, had the lowest activity level, with 376.5 cases per 100,000 people. In the county, 60% of residents have had at least one dose of vaccine.
Dane County, which has the state’s highest vaccination rate, with 74.8% of residents having had at least one dose, had the second-lowest case activity, with 391.3 cases per 100,000 people.
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