COVID-19 reaches “critical” levels in Washington counties: again, new cases exceed 3,400

MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – As COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket here in Wisconsin, two counties have reached COVID-19 levels so high that the state’s first health agency had to regain a category which was not used in eight months.

Forest and Buffalo counties have reached critically high levels of COVID-19 disease activity in Wisconsin, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health Services. A critical level of COVID-19 in Wisconsin means the case load is more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

Wisconsin has not seen critically high levels of the virus since January, when it was removed from the agency’s board. Buffalo County was also the last to appear at the highest level of case activity.

South Central Wisconsin counties are still a long way from hitting critically. Dane, Rock and Iowa are among the six counties in the state that are still at high levels of the virus, which is the third level of five per virus activity.

The state itself is at very high levels of coronavirus, with a case load of more than 489 cases per 100,000 people.

New cases reported on Wednesday also skyrocketed. For the first time since early January, Wisconsin surpassed 3,400 cases of COVID-19.

Health officials confirmed 3,426 cases, bringing the seven-day average to 1,864. This brings the total number of cases never seen in the state to 687,101.

Coronavirus deaths also continue to rise, with health officials saying 20 people died on Wednesday. To date, nearly 7,800 Wisconsinites have died from the coronavirus.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association notes that COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined Wednesday, with one patient less than the day before. There are also thirteen fewer people in the ICU.

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