MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — State health officials say that the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin is being driven primarily by group gatherings, especially by young people.
State health officer Stephanie Smiley said during a Thursday news conference that contact tracing showed 30% of people between 20 and 29 years old attended a gathering with people outside their household in June. That compared to 7% in April and 12% in May.
“We know that meeting up with friends for drinks, or attending a birthday party…definitely do spread COVID-19,” Smiley told reporters.
Meanwhile, hospitalizations continue to increase. Wisconsin hospitals said Thursday they were caring for 308 people with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. That was 13 more than on Wednesday, and the most since June 10.
Of the COVID-19 patients, 88 were in intensive care units, the same number as a day earlier. Another 147 patients were waiting for their test results.
As for new confirmed cases, the state added 900 on Thursday. There were 13,371 negative tests, as the 6.3% positive rate was up slightly from Wednesday’s 5.9%.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 39,627 total cases and 699,670 negative tests.
Four new deaths were reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 831.
DHS considers 30,555 people to have recovered from COVID-19.
Statewide, there were 1,266 ventilators on Thursday, with 307 in use.
Of the 11,398 hospital beds in the state, 2,453 were available.
