MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — Over a million and a half Wisconsinites have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
That includes over half of Wisconsinites 65 and over, the group most at risk for COVID-19 related fatal complications. While those numbers continue to improve, Deputy DHS Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk says it isn’t the time to consider recommending the end of the mask mandate.
Cases will still have to drop.
“We’re not going to look at deaths, were probably going to look at cases,” Willems Van Dijk said. “Because we don’t know which case is going to be transmitted to someone who’s to susceptible and could die.”
However, the cases are dropping. In fact, they’re dropping to the lowest levels seen in months. Several Wisconsin counties, including Marinette County, have seen their burden rate drop to “low”; the first time any county has seen that level since the early pandemic.
The state opened vaccine eligibility to teachers this week, and Willems Van Dijk says that the increase in vaccine allocation in the state means that they’ll be able to get teachers vaccinated even faster than initially expected.
“We will be able to meet everyone’s first request,” she said. “Meaning that the majority of our teachers and K-12 staff will be able to get vaccinated this month.”
Teachers and those 65 and over have priority over other eligible groups.
On Thursday, the Department of Health Services reported 677 new cases, or 14% of the 4,826 tests completed. There were 12 new deaths.
Seven-day averages declined to 522 cases and 11 deaths.
Nineteen cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant first found in the UK have been detected in Wisconsin.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 565,808 confirmed cases and 6,470 deaths. DHS lists 551,885 people as having recovered.
