COVID-19 Wisconsin
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to soar
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 reached a new peak in Dane County, officials said Tuesday, while in Wisconsin as a whole, it reached a number just short of the record set 14 months ago. The number of people in Dane County hospitals with COVID-19 was at an all-time high of 184 on Monday, […]
State breaks new COVID record, announces health care help
For the second day in a row, Wisconsin reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases, with 11,574 added to the state’s rolls on Thursday. That follows a previous record, 10,288 new cases that were reported on Wednesday, according to the state Department of Health Services (DHS) The new surge is driven by the fast-spreading […]
Omicron variant drives new, faster spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin
In the last week, one in four people in Wisconsin who have gone for a COVID-19 test have been found to be infected with the novel coronavirus. As of Sunday, according to the state Department of Health Services (DHS), on average, 24.5% of tests given for COVID-19 over the last seven days were positive. That’s […]
Pressure builds on hospitals as COVID surges
As COVID-19 cases continue to spread, the state health department raised the alarm Monday that even more rapid spread is likely soon. Dane County, the only county in Wisconsin with a mask requirement, extended it for another month. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s highest court set the stage for a new challenge to local public health orders. The […]
COVID-19 cases continue surge in Wisconsin as hospitals stay full
Within the coming month, the number of Wisconsin residents who have confirmed cases of COVID-19 is likely to top 1 million. As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) reported 4,485 new, confirmed cases, bringing the statewide total to 932,773 people who have been diagnosed with the infection from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. On […]
State moves to patch gaps in health care staffing
Wisconsin is dispatching contract health care workers to bolster staffs run ragged by caring for COVID-19 patients and is preparing to receive federal assistance in the coming weeks as the pandemic continues its latest surge. New daily cases of COVID-19 have been rising since the summer, with unvaccinated people accounting for a large majority of […]
New variants increase need for masking, other measures along with vaccines to curb COVID-19
As public health professionals brace for the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, masking may be more important than ever, a Milwaukee doctor said Tuesday. “You want to also think about what kind of mask you’re wearing,” said Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County chief health policy advisor and a professor at the Medical […]
Delta surge continues with omicron on deck
With thousands of new COVID-19 cases reported daily in Wisconsin and hospitals continuing to reaching capacity, the pandemic has continued to surge back in the state, hospital and health officials said Thursday. In Wisconsin’s west and northwest, as well as in the Fox Valley, intensive care unit beds are full, according to the Wisconsin Hospital […]
ICU beds fill up as officials watch for coronavirus omicron variant
With the continued resurgence of COVID-19 in Wisconsin, still driven by the delta variant of the virus, hospital intensive care units are full in the state’s western and northwestern regions, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) reported Tuesday. “We are in the middle of a delta wave with record cases and record hospitalizations in Wisconsin for […]
Pandemic remains active as the holidays begin
On the eve of Thanksgiving 2021, COVID-19 remains rampant in Wisconsin and most of the country. It was supposed to be different, with not just one but three vaccines introduced early this year. But the slow movement of vaccine uptake, despite the expansion of groups eligible for the shot, made room for the much more […]
New reports: COVID-19 active, but easing slightly in Wisconsin
Reflecting the hope that the August-October COVID-19 surge may be easing, Dane County’s health director announced Monday that she expects to end the county’s mask mandate by the end of the month. Janel Heinrich, director of Public Health Madison & Dane County, said the county’s current mask order will be renewed Friday, Nov. 5, with a […]
Wisconsin COVID-19 deaths are increasing sharply, new reports show
For the second day in a row, Wisconsin has recorded deaths from COVID-19 on a scale not seen since the first two months of this year, the state health department reported Wednesday. In the first two weeks of October, there have been 100 reported deaths from the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Half of […]