COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, Deaths Rising
Boosters driving increase in daily doses of vaccine being administered.
Milwaukee County daily number of COVID-19 cases
COVID-19 continues to rise in Milwaukee County.
This past week saw an increase in the number of new daily cases of COVID-19 with more than 1,700 cases compared to more than 1,600 cases the week before.
Hospitalizations and deaths, both lagging indicators of disease because of how long it takes for someone to become seriously ill after contracting the disease, have been increasing. This past week, there were 339 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 15 deaths. There were 21 children hospitalized with COVID-19.
The countywide transmission rate was above 1.2 this past week, meaning that for every confirmed case of COVID-19, they are on average, likely to pass the disease to more than one other person. This means the county is not suppressing the disease.
The positivity rate, which measures how many tests come back positive for COVID-19, also rose this past week. It was 11.4%, and 10.5% the week prior.
The city and the suburbs both had roughly equivalent transmission and positivity rates.
Approximately 59% of the county’s population that is eligible to receive a vaccine, those five years old and up, has been fully vaccinated. Of those that have been fully vaccinated, approximately 28% have received a booster shot, according to a countywide vaccine report.
Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccination continue to be present. Asian-American residents in the county have the highest rate of vaccination, followed by American Indian and Alaska Native residents, then white residents, then Hispanic residents and then Black residents.
In recent weeks, vaccination has been increasing among Black and Hispanic county residents.
Disparities in COVID-19 outcomes also continue to occur. Black residents have experienced nearly as many hospitalizations due to COVID-19 as white residents despite comprising a much smaller portion of the county’s population. Hispanics have had the highest rate of disease, and American Indian and Alaska Natives have experienced the highest rate of death.
Read the weekly report here. Read the children’s report here. Read the vaccine report here.
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More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- MHD Release: Milwaukee Health Department Launches COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Dashboard - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jan 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic - County Executive David Crowley - May 9th, 2023
- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
- Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 17th, 2023
- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
- DHS Expands Free COVID-19 Testing Program - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 10th, 2023
- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
- Not Enough Getting Bivalent Booster Shots, State Health Officials Warn - Gaby Vinick - Dec 26th, 2022
- Nearly All Wisconsinites Age 6 Months and Older Now Eligible for Updated COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 15th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Bi-Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Dec 9th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
Talked to my next door neighbor about COVID last weekend. Both him and his wife had COVID. Then they got vaccinated. I told him that we had COVID beat when we had the mask mandate. He replied in an angry manner, “I refuse to wear a mask… Bla, bla, bla… Freedom!!”.
That’s pretty much the attitude that most people have about COVID these days. They are sick and tired of COVID and they just don’t care anymore. But not me… COVID still scares the hell out of me.