Wisconsin has highest single-day COVID death toll since February

MADISON, Wisconsin – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Monday was the deadliest day for COVID-19 in the state for more than six months.

The state recorded 21 new COVID-related deaths on Monday, the highest number since 21 deaths were also recorded on February 23. Wisconsin also saw its average of 7 days of COVID deaths rise to 8 per day, also the highest levels the state has seen since late February.

Wisconsin also recorded 2,170 new cases of COVID-19 in the past day, the highest single-day total since January 14, when 2,253 new cases were reported.

These new cases bring the state’s 7-day average to 1,369 new cases per day, the highest since the 7-day average was 1,444 cases per day on January 27.

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The growing number of deaths and hospitalizations prompts health officials to once again urge people to get vaccinated, as the Delta variant continues to spread rapidly in the state. State figures show that the vaccine largely prevents people from being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19, with the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths occurring among unvaccinated people.

Wisconsin hospitals are also under stress again. The latest DHS data shows 87.8% of state hospital beds are currently in use and 47% of state hospitals are at maximum critical care capacity.

As of last week, 619 people across the state have been hospitalized with symptoms of COVID and 185 people were in intensive care. That’s the most people in hospital since the first week of February and the most people in intensive care since January 24.

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