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MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – The spread of COVID-19 across Wisconsin is literally out of the ordinary.
So many counties have far exceeded the Department of Health Services’ highest classification for case activity, that a whole new category had to be created. And, although, its minimum threshold is almost three times higher than the old top category:
- Almost all counties in Wisconsin have passed this threshold.
- The whole state too.
In fact, DHS figures show that the activity of Wisconsin cases has exceeded the low by more than 30%.
“Far too many of our communities are in dire straits,” said Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary of DHS. “To put this new data into perspective, Wisconsin now has more average cases per day than New York City at the height of its surge last spring.”
To be considered for the previous category, “Very high”, a region’s case rate should exceed 350 cases per 100,000 population. Each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties has at least doubled that number, with Washburn Co. reporting the state’s lowest rate at 769.6 cases per 100,000 population.
The new “high critical” level sets the bar at 1,000 cases per 100,000 residents. The only seven counties are below:
- Burnett County (899.9 / 100K)
- Dane County (951.2 / 100K)
- Douglas County (827.4 / 100K)
- Green County (832.8 / 100K)
- Vernon County (782.5 / 100K)
- Walworth County (973.5 / 100K)
- Washburn County (769.6 / 100K)
Of that septet, only Green County’s case rate is not on an upward trajectory.
For the state of Wisconsin as a whole, its burden is 1,310.6 cases per 100,000 population, with DHS noting that this figure has jumped nearly 25% in the past two weeks alone. The seven-day moving average of new cases hit a record high on Wednesday, pushing 6,000 cases in the previous week as the state recorded more than 7,000 consecutive cases.
“Due to these extremely high disease levels, public health can no longer adequately contact the traces, hospital beds are filled with COVID-19 patients, and too many families in Wisconsin are losing loved ones to it. of this virus, ”continued Willems Van Dihk.
She added that the agency hopes that by adding this new level, people will have a better understanding of the prevalence of the coronavirus in their community – and hope to encourage them to follow the latest Evers government decree and stay at home.
Copyright 2020 WMTV. All rights reserved.
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