State’s 128 COVID-19 deaths Saturday is all-time high
Wisconsin reported an all-time high number of deaths due to COVID-19 reported in a single day Saturday — 128.
The previous record for daily deaths was set Dec. 22, when 120 people died.
Saturday’s spike in deaths led to an increase in the seven-day average of daily deaths — from 29 Friday to 42. The highest weekly average for deaths came in December, when the average hit 61.
COVID-19 deaths are still disproportionately affecting older people. Even though a majority of COVID-19 cases are among younger people, nearly 80% of all those who have died in Wisconsin are 70 or older, according to the state Department of Health Services. Those 70 and older make up only 10% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. New cases reported: 1,937 Number hospitalized (as of Friday): 953 (intensive care: 227); down 508 patients from one month ago
Seven-day average of daily cases: 2,161 (down 1,086 cases from one month ago)
Seven-day average of daily deaths: 42 (down 2 from one month ago)
The average positivity rate — firsttime positive tests over the last seven days — was 25% Saturday.
Total cases since the start of pandemic: 520,188
Total deaths: 5,450
Key takeaways
More than 213,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given to Wisconsinites. According to the state health department, as of Friday, more than 30,000 people have been fully vaccinated, meaning they received both doses of the vaccine.
The state has faced criticism for the rollout of the vaccine in recent weeks, many saying it’s not happening quickly enough. States were relying on additional doses from the federal government’s vaccine reserve, but on Friday, Washington Post reported that the reserve has already been depleted.
On Friday, Gov. Tony Evers announced Wisconsin will launch mobile vaccinations teams next week. The program, which begins Tuesday, will deploy nine mobile vaccination teams staffed by the National Guard as well as pharmacy and nursing student volunteers through a partnership with the University of Wisconsin System.
The teams will work with local health departments to provide vaccine to Wisconsinites in the next phase of the state’s rollout, which includes police officers and firefighters. Officials hope to expand the pilot program to help with mass vaccinations in the future.
▪ Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, more than 393,000 people in the U.S. have died due to COVID-19 and more than 23.6 million have tested positive. Globally, there are more than 94 million confirmed cases and over 2 million people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Contact Natalie Brophy at (715) 2165452 or nbrophy@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @brophy_natalie.