MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says tests identified more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases (2,043) in its latest report Thursday. The state also added 12 more people to COVID-19′s death toll.

According to the DHS, over the past week the state has averaged 1,481 coronavirus cases each day, as 7.3% of tests came back positive. The case average is another big jump from 1,417 a day ago, but the positivity rate has held relatively steady between 7.2% and 7.6% of all tests this month (for comparison, two months ago Wisconsin was finding 70 cases per day and had a positivity rate below 1%).

The death toll rose to 7,570. The DHS says 11 of the 12 deaths just reported to the state happened in the past 30 days. That raised the state’s 7-day average from 7 to 9 deaths per day. None of the deaths was in the Northeast Wisconsin counties. By our calculations, the death rate from COVID-19 is 1.16% of all coronavirus cases.

We can also calculate 5.41% of all coronavirus cases resulted in hospitalization. State numbers also show us 128 people were hospitalized in the past 24-hour period, above the 7-day average of 89 admissions per day. Taking discharges and deaths into account, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) says there are 816 COVID-19 patients around the state, 14 more than the day before, with 249 of them in intensive care, which is 3 fewer. Hospitals in the Northeast health care region have 69 patients, an increase of 4, with 21 in intensive care, which is down 3. Fox Valley region hospitals have 65 COVID-19 patients, 5 more than the day before, with 13 of them in ICU, which is also 3 fewer.

The DHS reported Wednesday that 34 counties have a “very high” virus spread, based on cases per 100,000 residents and the upward trajectory of positive tests. In our viewing area, counties with very high activity are Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Forest, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano and Winnebago counties. The other 38 counties have high virus activity; no county has low or moderate virus activity. See the DHS interactive map of counties and their case burdens.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene says the delta variant accounted for 98.46% of all case samples it tested the week of August 9, the latest data available. As we’ve reported, the delta mutation of the coronavirus is highly contagious and causes a higher viral load in carriers than previous variants, and with children under 12 unable to get vaccinated they’re making up a higher percentage of cases and hospitalizations.

Vaccinations

Exactly 51% of Wisconsinites have completed their vaccination series to significantly reduce or completely negate the effects of COVID-19 — close to the national average of almost 52%. That percentage includes the population too young to get vaccinated. Going deeper into the numbers, 61.6% of the state’s adult population is fully vaccinated, including 65% of women and 57.5% of men. Wisconsin is still on pace to have more than 3 million residents vaccinated in the middle of next week.

So far, 3,156,625 people in Wisconsin received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — and, in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the only dose.

Wisconsinites getting COVID-19 vaccine, by age group (and change since last report)

• 12-15: 40.9% received vaccine (+0.3)/33.9% fully vaccinated (+0.3)
• 16-17: 47.6% received vaccine (+0.3)/42.2% fully vaccinated (+0.2)
• 18-24: 47.9% received vaccine (+0.2)/43.1% fully vaccinated (+0.1)
• 25-34: 52.1% received vaccine (+0.2)/47.8% fully vaccinated (+0.2)
• 35-44: 59.9% received vaccine (+0.1)/55.9% fully vaccinated (+0.2)
• 45-54: 61.8% received vaccine (+0.1)/58.2% fully vaccinated (+0.1)
• 55-64: 71.4% received vaccine (+0.1)/68.3% fully vaccinated (+0.1)
• 65 and up: 84.6% received vaccine (+0.1)/82.6% fully vaccinated (+0.1)

We can also report 50% of the Northeast health care region is fully vaccinated — that’s the combined population of 7 counties: Brown, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette and Oconto. The DHS has an interactive map where you can see vaccination rates broken down by ZIP Code, municipality, Census tract and school district (that’s the population within a district’s boundaries, not specific to school staff or students).

VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY POPULATION (THURSDAY)

The Wisconsin National Guard and local health departments are also offering walk-in vaccination clinics in Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties each week through September 2nd. No appointment, no ID, and no insurance are needed. These clinics offer the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and some may have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — that’s always subject to change based on availability. Children 12 to 17 need to be with a parent or guardian, and they’re only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine; they’ll be eligible for their second dose in 3 weeks and are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after that.

• TUESDAYS – Fox Crossing Fire Department, 1326 Cold Spring Rd., 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
• WEDNESDAYS – Black Creek Fire Department, W5200 Cty Rd B, 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
• WEDNESDAYS – Shiocton-Bovina Fire Department, W7740 Pine St., Bovina, 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
• THURSDAYS – New Holstein Community Center, 1725 Silver Moon Ln., 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
• THURSDAYS – Brillion Community Center, 120 Center St., 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.

The Winnebago County Health Department has two more COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Friday, August 27, and Tuesday, August 31, at the Oshkosh Public Library at 106 Washington Ave. These are walk-in clinics; no appointment is needed. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be offered. The Winnebago County Health Department is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as the school year starts.

The walk-in vaccine clinic at the Sunnyview Expo Center will open earlier at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on September 1. Organizers of the clinic say they anticipate more people getting the vaccine due to the FDA approving the Pfizer vaccine earlier this week, as well as Governor Tony Evers’ vaccine incentive of $100 Visa gift cards. As previously reported, the gift cards will be available to those who receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose between August 23 and September 6.

THURSDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS (increase since the last report is in bold) **

• Brown – 33,564 cases (+96) (259 deaths)
• Calumet – 6,156 cases (+24) (51 deaths)
• Dickinson (Mich.)* – 2,479 cases (59 deaths)
• Dodge – 12,591 cases (+60) (178 deaths)
• Door – 2,766 cases (+8) (30 deaths)
• Florence – 461 cases (13 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 13,253 cases (+24) (133 deaths)
• Forest – 1,035 cases (+6) (24 deaths)
• Gogebic (Mich.)* – 1,147 cases (24 deaths)
• Green Lake – 1,751 cases (+11) (22 deaths)
• Iron (Mich.)* – 1,038 cases (43 deaths)
• Kewaunee – 2,477 cases (+7) (28 deaths)
• Langlade – 2,175 cases (+9) (35 deaths)
• Manitowoc – 8,013 cases (+34) (79 deaths)
• Marinette – 4,438 cases (+20) (68 deaths)
• Menominee (Mich.)* – 1,916 cases (42 deaths)
• Menominee – 844 cases (+1) (11 deaths)
• Oconto – 4,784 cases (+20) (63 deaths)
• Outagamie – 21,802 cases (+84) (227 deaths)
• Shawano – 4,992 cases (+10) (73 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 14,649 cases (+59) (156 deaths)
• Waupaca – 5,237 cases (+24) (125 deaths)
• Waushara – 2,316 cases (+10) (36 deaths)
• Winnebago – 19,375 cases (+61) (206 deaths)

* The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Hospital Association do not publish updates on weekends. Update: Michigan Department of Health updates information on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

** Cases and deaths are from state COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The Wisconsin DHS reports cases from all health departments within a county’s boundaries, including tribal, municipal and county health departments; county websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at various times, whereas the DHS freezes the numbers it receives by the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.

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