by Kevin Zimmermann
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WI (WHBL) – Saturday’s numbers released by the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health show that the only statistic rising locally is the returns on negative test results, that being 643. Other stats were unchanged since Friday – 40 cases total, 11 cases active and of those, 3 hospitalized. 27 have recovered while 2 succumbed to COVID-19. Statewide, another 154 positive cases were recorded for a total count of 4,199. While the rate of the increase in Sheboygan County cases has slowed, state totals continue a steady rise.
Public Health continued sending the message that the rules of Governor Evers’ “Safer at Home” emergency order are working. Their release stated that:
“Our models show that Safer at Home has saved between 300 and 1,400 lives. Wisconsin has seen a decrease in the exponential growth in the number of cases since Safer at Home was put into place.”
DHS analysis shows that in early March, the number of positive cases doubled in only 3.4 days, vs the nearly 12 days currently. Since current new cases would represent infections a week or more earlier, the “flattening of the curve” represents avoiding infection that long ago.
Their release went on to say: “Before we lift Safer at Home, more testing and more robust public health measures must be in place. These steps will help us reduce the risk of a second wave of the virus. If we open up too soon, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and requiring more drastic physical distancing measures again.”
