WI COVID-19 Hospitalizations Highest Since January

WISCONSIN — The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported Tuesday that 1,045 Wisconsin residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number of hospitalizations since January.

The last time hospitalizations were this high was Jan. 13, when there were 1,025 such cases. Among the 1,045 patients counted Tuesday were 315 intensive care unit patients, a number not seen since December.

Wisconsin saw its highest amount of COVID-19 hospitalizations with 2,277 patients in Nov. 17, 2020. Intensive care unit patients peaked at 456 patients on Nov. 16, 2020.

COVID-19 cases are rising in Wisconsin because of the contagious delta variant, and people who aren't fully vaccinated made up most of the state's coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19, wearing a mask, avoiding indoor gatherings and staying home when sick remained the best practices to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Wisconsin's communities, health officials said.

Some 70 counties in Wisconsin have high COVID-19 transmission rates, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. That means even people who are fully vaccinated should wear a mask around strangers indoors.

Some 91.2 percent of intensive care unit beds are in use across the state, health services data said. And 88.6 percent of general hospital beds are in use as well.

COVID-19 hospitalizations are growing in the southeast, northeast, north central and western regions of the state, health services data said.

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