50.5% of state completes vaccinations, deaths rise to 7 per day

MADISON, Wisconsin (WBAY) – At its current rate, Wisconsin is expected to hit the 6 million COVID-19 vaccine dose mark on Saturday or Sunday. This, as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state continues to rise in this resurgence blamed on the delta variant.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says the state now has an average of 7 deaths per day in the past 7 days. That moving average was 5 on Thursday. The death toll is 13 at 7,516. The state says 11 of the 13 deaths occurred in the past 30 days. In northeastern Wisconsin, deaths have been reported in Sheboygan and Winnebago counties and neighboring Menominee County in Michigan.

The state also reports that Wisconsin has an average of 1,241 new cases of COVID-19 each day over the past week, a jump from the average of 1,220 on Thursday – about 8,600 more cases since last Friday. To date, 644,554 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Wisconsin. The positivity rate – the 7-day average of all positive return tests for the COVID-19 virus – climbed back to 7.1% after falling to 6.9% on Thursday.

DHS figures show 84 people have been hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment in the past 24 hours. That’s a double-digit return for the first time in several days and close to our 7-day average of 86 admissions per day. Since the start of the pandemic, 5.4% of people diagnosed with the coronavirus in Wisconsin have been hospitalized.

Taking into account hospital discharges and deaths, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) reported a net increase of 39 COVID-19 patients in state hospitals since Thursday, but 4 fewer patients in intensive care. State hospitals said they treated 751 COVID-19 patients, including 218 in intensive care. Hospitals in the northeastern health region are treating 62 patients – 1 more than Thursday – including 19 in intensive care – the same as the day before. Fox Valley hospitals had 54 patients – unchanged since Thursday – including 7 in intensive care – 5 fewer in intensive care than Thursday.

DHS reports that 50.5% of the state’s population have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series, with either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one injection of Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This percentage includes 61% of all adults.

So far, for ages 12 and over, 3,128,925 people have received at least one dose of a vaccine. That’s 53.7% of the population, including 64.6% of all adults.

The state now reports that half of all men and boys in Wisconsin have received at least one dose of the vaccine. They have fallen behind their female peers; 68.8% of all women and girls in Wisconsin received an injection. Counting only adults, 60.4% of men and 68% of women have received at least one dose, while 56.9% of men and 64.4% of women are fully immunized.

Thursday the DHS went public with a webpage make side-by-side comparisons of cases, hospitalizations and deaths for fully immunized people and the rest of the population. Data shows that in July, as the highly contagious delta variant became the dominant strain of COVID-19, people who were not fully vaccinated were 3 times more likely to test positive for the virus, 3, 7 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 10 times more likely to die. Read more details in our separate report on the new comparisons.

Even though there are groundbreaking cases, DHS Secretary-designate Karen Timberlake said, “COVID-19 vaccines are still doing their job in stopping the spread of many new infections and preventing serious illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.”

CLICK HERE to see the full overview of the COVID-19 Data Status.

VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY POPULATION (FRIDAY)

Friday the Oshkosh region school district announced it is making masks mandatory for all students, staff and visitors to schools and buildings in the district until at least October 1. Appleton Area School District Also Considering Policy Changes optional masking to make masks compulsory for the start of the school year. Both school districts cited the increasing number of cases within their district.

The Wisconsin National Guard and local health departments are offering vaccination clinics in Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties every week until September 2. No appointment, no ID and no insurance are necessary. These clinics offer the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and some may have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – which is always subject to change based on availability. Children 12 to 17 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and are only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine; they will be eligible for their second dose in 3 weeks and will be considered fully immunized two weeks later.

• TUESDAY – Fox Crossing Fire Department, 1326 Cold Spring Rd., 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• WEDNESDAY – Black Creek Fire Department, W5200 Cty Rd B, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• WEDNESDAY – Shiocton-Bovina Fire Department, W7740 Pine St., Bovina, 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• THURSDAY – New Holstein Community Center, 1725 Silver Moon Ln., 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• THURSDAY – Brillion Community Center, 120 Center Street, 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Winnebago County Department of Health also announced COVID-19 vaccination clinics on August 24, 27, and 31 at the Oshkosh Public Library at 106 Washington Ave. These are walk-in clinics; no appointment is necessary. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be offered. The Winnebago County Health Department encourages everyone to get vaccinated at the start of the school year.

RATE OF CASES AND DEATHS IN FRIDAY COUNTY (counties with new cases or deaths are shown in bold) **

• Brown – 33 175 cases (+68) (259 deaths)
• Calumet – 6,093 cases (+8) (51 deaths)
• Dickinson (Michigan) * – 2,468 cases (+9) (59 deaths)
• Dodge – 12,411 crates (+14) (178 deaths)
• Door – 2,732 cases (+7) (30 deaths)
• Florence – 460 cases (13 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 13,127 squares (+28) (133 deaths)
• Forest – 1,018 cases (+4) (24 deaths)
• Gogebic (Michigan) * – 1,135 cases (+13) (24 deaths)
• Lac Vert – 1702 cases (+13) (21 deaths)
• Iron (Michigan) * – 1,021 cases (+8) (43 deaths)
• Kewaunee – 2,453 cases (+5) (28 deaths)
• Langlade – 2,126 cases (+4) (35 deaths)
• Manitowoc – 7,892 cases (+6) (77 deaths)
• Marinette – 4,369 cases (+8) (68 deaths)
• Menominee (Mich.) * – 1,887 cases (+30) (42 deaths) (+1)
• Menominee – 828 cases (11 deaths)
• Oconto – 4,720 cases (+9) (63 deaths)
• Outagamy – 21,570 cases (+50) (227 deaths)
• Shawano – 4,941 cases (+13) (73 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 14,466 cases (+18) (156 deaths) (+1)
• Waupaca – 5,162 cases (+4) (125 deaths)
• Waushara – 2,285 cases (+11) (36 deaths)
• Winnebago – 19,076 cases (+55) (206 deaths) (+1)

* The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Hospital Association do not issue updates on weekends. The Michigan Department of Health only updates the information on Tuesdays and Fridays.

** Cases and deaths are from state COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The Wisconsin DHS reports cases of all health departments within a county, including tribal, municipal, and county health departments; county websites cannot. Additionally, public health departments update their data at different times, while DHS freezes the numbers it receives at the same time each day to compile the afternoon report.

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