COVID-19 hits ‘critical’ levels in 8 counties in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – The number of Wisconsin counties that have entered the state’s most severe COVID-19 category – Critical – has quadrupled over the past week, as nearly all other counties fall at a single lower level.

State health officials only resuscitated the critical category last week, amid a growing number of new cases that recorded some of the highest daily totals for the year. On Tuesday, the seven-day moving average reached 2,967 new cases per day, just seven cases per day from the 2021 peak set in early January.

While COVID-19 activity may be worse in these eight counties, few in the state have escaped these growing numbers. Of the other 64 counties in Wisconsin, all but two – Douglas and Florence – fell in the “very high” category, and the other two were still considered to have “high” activity.

As such, the state collectively ranks as having “very high” activity, with 661.6 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed per 100,000 population. To achieve critical status, a county must register 1,000 cases per 100,000 population in the previous two weeks. Very high cases represent 350 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

The increasing levels of state are reflected in other trackers as well. For example, as of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s transmission map is completely red, with every county now falling into its “high” category. The CDC noted that more than 94% of counties nationwide have high levels of community transmission.

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