30% of Wisconsin residents get COVID-19 vaccine

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – 3 out of 10 people in the state of Wisconsin have received a COVID-19 vaccine. That holds true as well across the 7 counties in the Northeast health care emergency readiness (HERC) region, which inclues Brown, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Marinette, Manitowoc and Oconto counties.

The latest data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services show 1,765,007 Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose, which is 38,488 more than reported the day before.

These include 1,040,039 people who are fully vaccinated, which is 26,426 more people since Tuesday’s report. These can include vaccinations over the past couple days as vaccinators’ reports are still coming in to the DHS.

In all, vaccinators in the state have administered 2,813,475 shots of the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

By our calculations, the state is averaging 53,572 shots a day over the past 7 days (the record 7-day average set last week is 55,790 shots per day).

Percentages that received and completed their vaccinations so far, by age group:

• 16-17: 4.7% received/0.8% completed
• 18-24: 15.6% received/6.6% completed
• 25-34: 23.1% received/11.5% completed
• 35-44: 29.1% received/14.2% completed
• 45-54: 30.0% received/14.1% completed
• 55-64: 38.0% received/14.7% completed
• 65+: 75.3% received/58.4% completed

Wednesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the Evers administration exceeded its authorities with continual health emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively striking down the statewide mask mandate (see related story). However, masks can still be required in municipalities that issued their own mask orders and in private businesses, including stores and restaurants (see related story).

Health officials says we can’t led our guard down yet against the coronavirus. Wearing masks -- which have to be over the nose -- maintain 6 feet from anyone who isn’t from your household, even visiting friends and relatives; and wash your hands more frequently or use sanitizer.

Tuesday, Gov. Evers announced everyone age 16 and older will be eligible for the vaccine starting next week on April 5, regardless of health condition or where they work. Making more teens and young adults eligible for the vaccine could help against virus outbreaks we’ve seen in our area and nationwide blamed on people of high school and college age getting together without wearing a face mask over their nose or social distancing. While these age groups are less likely to suffer serious effects of the coronavirus developing into COVID-19, they can be asymptomatic and spread the disease to more vulnerable people.

WEDNESDAY’S VACCINATION TOTALS IN NORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN

• CLICK HERE to track vaccine data in Wisconsin
• CLICK HERE for a full list of eligible medical conditions in the next phase that started Monday, March 22
• 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.

CASES AND DEATHS

The Department of Health Services (DHS) reported 10 more deaths from COVID-19, the second straight day in double digits. The 7-day average held steady at 4 because eight days ago there were also 10 deaths which are no longer counted in the average. The death rate has been 1.15% of coronavirus cases for over three weeks.

Wisconsin reported an astounding 17,539 coronavirus test results, the first time we’ve seen testing over 10,000 since February 25, and the most results in a single day since November 21. We don’t know the reason for the state having this many test results at this time. These only include people who are being tested for the first time or tested positive for the first time.

There were 563 positive tests in that batch, which is a mere 3.21% of the results.

Wisconsin’s average for new cases fell to 471, after rising to 501 yesterday, because last week Tuesday’s 776 new cases are no longer counted in that 7-day average.

The positivity rate’s 7-day average looking at all tests, including people who’ve been tested multiple times, held at 2.8% for a second day. It’s been rising since March 11 after it reached a low of 2.0%.

Since February 5, 2020, the state reports:

• 3,309,569 people have been tested
• 577,195 confirmed coronavirus cases
• 27,598 hospitalizations (4.8% of all cases)
• 6,622 COVID-19 deaths (1.15%)
• 563,534 recoveries (97.7% of cases)
• 6,825 cases still active (1.2%)

County-by-county case and death totals will be updated later in this article.

HOSPITAL READINESS

Hospitalizations increased again. In the past 24 hours, 65 people were admitted for COVID-19, which is more than the past 2 days combined. The 7-day average is 50 new COVID-19 patients per day. The state says 4.8% of all coronavirus cases have resulted in hospitalization.

That resulted in a net increase of 23 patients hospitalized over Monday’s numbers. There are 250 currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients. There are 66 in ICU, which is 8 more in ICU than the day before, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. Changes in daily hospitalizations take discharges and deaths into account.

Fox Valley region hospitals are treating 15 patients, with 1 in ICU. Both numbers are down: 1 less patient in ICU and 2 fewer overall.

Northeast hospitals have 27 COVID-19 patients, 4 more than Monday, with 6 in ICU, which is up 3.

For hospital readiness, the WHA reports 265 ICU beds are available statewide, about 70 fewer than Monday. That’s 18.1% of the state’s ICU beds. Counting ICU, intermediate care, medical surgical and negative-flow isolation, there are 2,108 hospital beds open in the state (18.8%). These hospital beds are for all patients, not just COVID-19.

The Fox Valley region’s 13 hospitals have only 6 ICU beds available among them (5.8%) and 101 of all hospital bed types (11.8%) available among them.

The Northeast region’s 10 hospitals have 27 ICU beds (13.0%) and 212 of all bed types (22.2%) available.

Although we use terms like “open” and “available,” a hospital can only put a patient in a bed if it has the staff to care for them, including doctors, nurses and food services.

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

Wisconsin

• Adams – 1,623 cases (cases revised -1 by state) (10 deaths)
• Ashland – 1,198 cases (16 deaths)
• Barron – 5,517 cases (+1) (76 deaths)
• Bayfield - 1,079 cases (19 deaths)
• Brown – 30,664 cases (+49) (232 deaths) (+1)
• Buffalo – 1,326 cases (+1) (7 deaths)
• Burnett – 1,230 cases (+3) (22 deaths)
• Calumet – 5,596 (+3) (46 deaths)
• Chippewa – 7,177 cases (+7) (93 deaths)
• Clark – 3,167 cases (+1) (58 deaths)
• Columbia – 5,172 cases (+2) (56 deaths)
• Crawford – 1,677 cases (17 deaths)
• Dane – 42,037 (+35) (288 deaths)
• Dodge – 11,556 cases (+5) (158 deaths)
• Door – 2,514 cases (+2) (21 deaths)
• Douglas – 3,750 cases (+6) (30 deaths) (+1)
• Dunn – 4,383 cases (+9) (30 deaths)
• Eau Claire – 11,227 cases (+6) (105 deaths)
• Florence - 430 cases (12 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 12,073 cases (+7) (104 deaths) (+1)
• Forest - 937 cases (+2) (23 deaths)
• Grant – 4,728 cases (+2) (83 deaths)
• Green – 3,353 cases (+6) (16 deaths)
• Green Lake - 1,536 cases (18 deaths)
• Iowa - 1,950 cases (+1) (11 deaths) (+1)
• Iron - 567 cases (+2) (21 deaths)
• Jackson - 2,578 cases (cases revised -2 by state) (26 deaths)
• Jefferson – 8,036 cases (+5) (105 deaths)
• Juneau - 3,038 cases (cases revised -1 by state) (21 deaths)
• Kenosha – 14,969 cases (+21) (303 deaths)
• Kewaunee – 2,306 cases (cases revised -11 by state) (24 deaths)
• La Crosse – 12,406 cases (+12) (80 deaths)
• Lafayette - 1,497 cases (+4) (6 deaths)
• Langlade - 1,942 cases (32 deaths)
• Lincoln – 2,944 cases (+3) (58 deaths)
• Manitowoc – 7,356 cases (+9) (68 deaths)
• Marathon – 13,872 cases (+7) (184 deaths)
• Marinette - 4,000 cases (+1) (65 deaths)
• Marquette – 1,328 cases (+3) (21 deaths)
• Menominee - 789 cases (cases revised -1 by state) (11 deaths)
• Milwaukee – 100,606 (+108) (1,258 deaths)
• Monroe – 4,377 cases (34 deaths)
• Oconto – 4,314 cases (cases revised -1 by state) (49 deaths)
• Oneida - 3,498 cases (+1) (69 deaths)
• Outagamie – 19,856 cases (+22) (198 deaths) (+1)
• Ozaukee – 7,848 cases (+8) (81 deaths)
• Pepin – 816 cases (7 deaths)
• Pierce – 3,617 cases (+7) (35 deaths)
• Polk – 4,027 cases (+8) (44 deaths)
• Portage – 6,539 cases (+1) (66 deaths)
• Price – 1,174 cases (7 deaths)
• Racine – 20,660 cases (+15) (337 deaths) (+2)
• Richland - 1,272 cases (cases revised -2 by state) (15 deaths)
• Rock – 14,763 cases (+16) (164 deaths) (+1)
• Rusk - 1,273 cases (16 deaths)
• Sauk – 5,475 cases (+4) (44 deaths)
• Sawyer - 1,567 cases (+2) (23 deaths) (+1)
• Shawano – 4,606 cases (+2) (69 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 13,243 cases (+7) (133 deaths)
• St. Croix – 6,757 cases (+21) (47 deaths)
• Taylor - 1,805 cases (+1) (23 deaths)
• Trempealeau – 3,458 cases (+7) (38 deaths)
• Vernon – 1,875 cases (+1) (38 deaths)
• Vilas - 2,193 cases (+5) (39 deaths)
• Walworth – 9,031 cases (+21) (135 deaths) (+1)
• Washburn – 1,350 cases (18 deaths)
• Washington – 14,058 cases (+13) (139 deaths)
• Waukesha – 41,975 cases (+120) (499 deaths) (+1)
• Waupaca – 4,756 cases (cases revised -6 by state) (116 deaths)
• Waushara – 2,111 cases (cases revised -1 by state) (31 deaths)
• Winnebago – 17,458 cases (+8) (187 deaths) (+1)
• Wood – 6,746 cases (+1) (77 deaths)

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

• Alger - 286 cases (+2) (1 death)
• Baraga - 518 cases (+1) (33 deaths)
• Chippewa - 849 cases (+9) (25 deaths)
• Delta – 2,777 cases (+7) (67 deaths)
• Dickinson - 2,185 cases (+6) (55 deaths)
• Gogebic - 966 cases (+1) (21 deaths)
• Houghton – 2,268 cases (+5) (31 deaths)
• Iron – 878 cases (+1) (42 deaths)
• Keweenaw – 124 cases (cases revised -1 by state) (1 death)
• Luce – 138 cases
• Mackinac - 316 cases (3 deaths)
• Marquette - 3,604 cases (+10) (55 deaths)
• Menominee - 1,650 cases (39 deaths)
• Ontonagon – 375 cases (20 deaths)
• Schoolcraft - 247 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 state of Michigan does not update numbers on Sundays. Monday’s numbers include updates since Saturday’s reporting deadline.

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

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