Seven-day COVID-19 case average down 3,000 from a month ago
As health care workers across Wisconsin are beginning to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state have continued their steady decline and haven't shown signs of an expected post-Thanksgiving surge.
The seven-day case average, a measure that illustrates trends and smooths out single-day anomalies, is down about 3,000 cases from a record high seen about a month ago.
The case average has been declining since hitting a peak of more than 6,500 in mid-November. On Tuesday the measure dropped below 3,500 for the first time since Oct. 23.
New cases reported: 3,501
New deaths reported: 54
Number hospitalized: 1,461 (intensive care: 331); down 635 patients from one month ago
Seven-day average of daily cases: 3,421 (down 3,001 cases from one month ago)
Seven-day average of daily deaths: 45 (down one from one month ago)
The average positivity rate — firsttime positive tests over the last seven days — was 27.5% Tuesday.
Total cases since the start of pandemic: 442,396 (44,076 active cases)
Total deaths: 4,122
Cases, hospitalizations down, deaths about the same
Leading up to Thanksgiving, health officials warned that numbers would spike after the holiday if people attended large gatherings since the virus spreads easily indoors.
Just under three weeks after Thanksgiving, the state has not seen the expected surge. The incubation period for the virus can be up to 14 days.
Testing is down statewide, however. On Tuesday the state reported just 7,299 first-time positive and negative results. On this day one month ago, the state reported 17,977 first-time results.
And the positivity rate remains high, meaning the state does not have a clear picture of the spread of disease in the state. More people could be sick and going undetected.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are also down statewide: by about 30% since a month ago. More reliably than case numbers — which require consistent testing levels over time — declining hospitalizations can indicate that the burden of disease is decreasing.
The seven-day death average is on par with what it was a month ago. Since surpassing an average of 40 deaths per day on Nov. 9, the measure has fluctuated slightly, reaching as high as 61 deaths on Dec. 7, but has remained high.
Officials urge more testing, caution against holiday gatherings
In Milwaukee, Monday's testing numbers were down, Mayor Tom Barrett said.
Miller Park saw 1,384 people tested while Northwest Health Center had 425 people tested and the Southside Health Center had 300, he said.
“We have seen a steady decrease in our community testing numbers and this is something that is of concern,” Barrett said during a virtual news conference.
He said testing is “probably more important than ever” during this holiday period.
The county has had a total of 77,988 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 787 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, said Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services at the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management.
The vaccines coming available now will be “gamechangers” for the pandemic, the health system's ability to care for patients and society's return to a normal way of life, he said.
“We certainly can't welcome their arrival soon enough,” he said. “In the meantime, as we begin to see health care workers start to get vaccinated, we know that we have several months ahead until large-scale vaccination takes place for the public, until we really see the true impact of the vaccine on our case numbers, our hospitalizations and our deaths.”
Each of those measures — cases, hospitalizations and deaths — seem to indicate a deceleration in the community's disease burden, he said. Even so, the total numbers remain high.
He cautioned residents to remain cautious about following safety measures.
Interim Milwaukee Health Commissioner Marlaina Jackson said the department is discouraging religious and New Year's Eve celebrations in which people are gathered together.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
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