GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) Green Bay area hospitals are seeing a significant jump in coronavirus patients. Kris Schuller spoke with local health experts to get the story behind the numbers.

Over the past month positive COVID cases have been on the rise in Wisconsin, breaking the 105,000- mark Wednesday. And that is a troubling trend that Bellin Health’s CEO says needs to be addressed now.

“Having these numbers climbing as fast as they are is putting a stress on the hospital providers in the community,” said Chris Woleske.

According to the Wisconsin Hospital Association as of Wednesday 509 people are hospitalized around the state due to COVID – the highest number seen since the pandemic first began.
Twenty-two of those patients are being treated at Bellin Hospital, the most the hospital has seen since May.

“There is this desire to see family and to go out with friends and to do things, and I think the social gatherings are having an impact on the spread of the virus,” Woleske said.

“We are seeing a huge increase in the rates of infection,” said Ken Nelson.

The chief nursing officer for St. Vincent and St. Mary’s says they’re currently treating a significant number of COVID-19 patients.

“We are seeing a wide range of ages,” Nelson said.

People fatigued by the pandemic – who are letting their guard down.

“What we’ve been seeing is a lot of gatherings, where social distancing and masking is not being followed,” Nelson said.

And while both healthcare systems have beds and staff to treat the ill, Woleske believes it will take drastic action to again flatten the curve.

“I think another “Stay at Home” order is honestly the only thing that is going to curb this and change the trajectory,” Woleske said.

Right now, in Wisconsin the positive test rate is at 18 percent, up from yesterday’s 13 percent.