MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – The total number of COVID-19 variants in Wisconsin has tripled Thursday since the last time the Department of Health Services updated its data.
DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk announced that there are a total of 19 cases of the UK variant in the state during a press conference on Thursday. The DHS COVID-19 control panel was last updated on Feb. 25, saying there were only six cases. The UK variant can spread more rapidly than the normal COVID-19 strain.
“We all need to do everything we can to stop the spread,” Willems Van Dijk said. “For those of you who are eligible, please get your vaccine and for all of us who are still waiting, we must continue to do what we know works.” Willems Van Dijk indicated that he washed his hands, put on a mask and stayed home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Willems Van Dijk also noted that everyone in Wisconsin will be eligible to be vaccinated in late May and that all residents will be vaccinated “some time” after that, possibly in early July.
The number of patients who have completed their vaccine series also comes close to the total number of COVID-19 cases never recorded in Wisconsin. There are currently 548,343 people fully vaccinated, while 565,808 people have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
Nearly 17% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 9.4% of residents have completed their vaccine series.
Green and Sauk County have joined the 20% club this week for people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Other counties included in southern Central Wisconsin that have exceeded the 20% threshold are Richland, Iowa and Lafayette. In northern Wisconsin, Menominee County is now 30% for 4,556 residents who have at least one dose of vaccine.
The department also notes that 20.5% of Wisconsin women have officially received at least one dose of vaccine, while 13.2% of men have received at least one dose.
Daily COVID-19 cases continue to fall below 1,000
New daily cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin have been reported to be less than 1,000 in the past three weeks in a row, beginning Thursday.
There were 677 confirmed positive cases on Thursday, according to DHS’s COVID-19 board. The continuous seven-day average has continued to decline for the fourth consecutive day, currently standing at 522 cases.
The number of Wisconsin patients in the ICU has dropped below 70 on Thursday, with 69 patients in state intensive care units.
51 patients were added to the number of Wisconsinites admitted to hospitals with coronavirus, out of a total of 267 patients. Compared to last week, there are 88 fewer patients in the hospital this week.
The total number of Wisconsinites who have died from COVID-19 has reached 6,470, and 12 of them were reported recently on Thursday.
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