Graham Kilmer
MKE County

COVID-19 Still Rising in Milwaukee

Major indicators of disease continue to point to growing COVID-19 in Milwaukee.

By - Apr 2nd, 2021 11:51 am
Milwaukee County Daily number of COVID-19 cases

Milwaukee County Daily number of COVID-19 cases

The level of COVID-19 continues to rise in Milwaukee County.

Since mid-March the county has seen an upward trend in the number of daily new cases, along with other indications that the disease is on the rise.

A weekly report by a team of epidemiologists and faculty from the Medical College of Wisconsin and UW-Milwaukee tracking COVID-19 locally confirmed this week that the initial rise in COVID-19 observed in previous weeks is continuing.

This increased disease is “something to be concerned with,” said Darren Rausch, director of the Greenfield Health Department, who works with the team on the weekly report.

The upward trend in disease is also being witnessed at the state and national level.

The team also produces a weekly report looking at COVID-19 among children in the county. This latest children’s report shows an even sharper rise in cases among children in recent weeks — particularly in the City of Milwaukee.

Deaths due to COVID-19 in the county continue to be very “scattered and low,” Rausch said, adding that the low number of deaths is likely due to the rising number of vaccination, especially among the most vulnerable populations in the county.

The transmission rate continues to reflect that the county is not suppressing the disease. Right now the transmission for the county is 1.2, which means that for every new case of COVID-19, on average, 1.2 people will be infected.

The positivity rate, which measures the percentage of tests that come back positive for COVID-19 has also been rising steadily in recent weeks. Two weeks ago it was 4.1% this past week it was 4.5%.

American Indian and Alaskan Native people continue to have the highest rates for hospitalization and death in the county. COVID-19 also continues to disproportionately affect the county’s Black residents, who are currently suffering the second highest rates of hospitalization and death.

Hispanic people still have the highest rate of disease, white people still have the highest case count, and young people 25-39 have the most cases and the highest rate of disease.

Read the weekly report here. Read the children’s report here.

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Categories: Health

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