Top state health official retiring next week
One of the most prominent voices in the state's effort to combat COVID-19, Julie Willems Van Dijk, announced Friday she would retire next week.
The news came as the state reported more than 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths on Friday.
As deputy health services secretary, Willems Van Dijk has served as one of the top officials explaining to the public the dangers of the coronavirus and the state's strategy for defeating it. She regularly appeared in livestreamed news conferences over the last year and a half.
A nurse, Willems Van Dijk has worked for the state for nearly 40 years. Her last day is Sept. 10.
“Julie's been an essential part of our state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, and it is not an overstatement to say her work and leadership have saved lives,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
Willems Van Dijk will be replaced by Deb Standridge, who oversaw Wisconsin's field hospital at State Fair Park. Standridge has served as a regional president of Ascension Wisconsin and previously sat on the board of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
Latest COVID-19 numbers
New cases reported: 2,018 New deaths reported: 14 Number hospitalized: 978 (intensive care: 305); up 637 patients from a month ago
Seven-day average of daily cases: 1,702 (up 862 cases from one month ago)
Seven-day average of daily deaths: 7 (up six deaths from one month ago)
Seven-day average positivity rate — as a share of all tests given: 8%
Total cases since the start of pandemic: 667,445
Total deaths: 7,652
Latest vaccine numbers
Total doses administered: 6,142,156
Daily doses administered: 7,748 Seven-day average of daily doses: 9,750
Residents who have received one dose: 3,205,962 (55.1% of the population)
Residents who are fully vaccinated: 3,011,444 (51.7% of the population)
Adults who have received one dose: 3,006,075 (66% of the 18+ population)
Adults who are fully vaccinated: 2,839,514 (62.3% of the 18+ population)
Residents ages 12 to 15 with at least one dose: 127,344 (43% of age group)
Residents ages 16 to 17 with at least one dose: 72,505 (49.1% of age group)
Residents ages 18 to 24 with at least one dose: 268,399 (49.2% of age group)
Residents ages 25 to 34 with at least one dose: 395,545 (53.4% of age group)
Residents ages 35 to 44 with at least one dose: 435,872 (61.1% of age group)
Residents ages 45 to 54 with at least one dose: 449,114 (62.8% of age group)
Residents ages 55 to 64 with at least one dose: 593,381 (72.1% of age group)
Residents 65 and older with at least one dose: 863,764 (84.9% of age group)
Variant cases of concern
DHS, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and other laboratory partners regularly perform whole genome sequencing on a portion of positive tests. The numbers below do not represent the total number of variant cases.
Cases of the alpha (B.1.1.7) variant: 3,626
Cases of the beta (B.1.351) variant: 67
Cases of the delta (B.1.617.2) variant: 2,928 (100% of the tests sequenced in the week of 8/23)
Cases of the gamma (P.1): variant:
347