MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Wisconsin reported its most single-day COVID-19 deaths in more than a year on Tuesday.
The state Department of Health Services reported 65 deaths confirmed to be a result of COVID-19. That was the most since 78 were reported on Jan. 15, 2021. The seven-day average of deaths stood at 29, its highest level since Jan. 10, 2021.
Meanwhile, overall new cases crept up. The seven-day average reached a record 18,473. DHS reported 12,909 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, though the agency warned that number could be artificially high with a backlog of reports from local health departments being logged through a new process.
Test positivity has fallen slightly in recent days. The seven-day average stood at 27%, down from 29.4% on Jan. 8.
Since the pandemic began, Wisconsin has reported 1,239,094 total cases and 10,648 deaths.
As of Wednesday, 62.9% of state residents had received at least one dose of vaccine and 58.9% had completed the vaccine series.
An average of 12,871 doses had been administered over the past seven days, of which 8,202 were additional or booster doses.
Hospitalizations decreased on Wednesday. The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported treating 2,163 COVID-19 patients, 59 fewer than on Tuesday and 115 fewer than a week earlier. Of those, 459 were in intensive care, down six in a day and 29 over a week.
Of the 1,353 ICU beds in Wisconsin, 4.7% were immediately available.
Northeast region hospitals had 216 COVID-19 patients, up five in a day and 18 over a week. Of those, 44 were in ICUs, up one in a day but down one over a week. In the Fox Valley region, there were 165 COVID-19 patients, up one ion a day and 14 over a week. Twenty-seven of those were in ICUs, seven fewer than on Tuesday and one fewer than a week earlier.
