Wisconsin's coronavirus surge: 22% of tests positive, death toll reaches 1300 - WBAY

(WBAY) – Wisconsin is just shy of a total 120,000 coronavirus cases (119,955) as the COVID-19 death toll reached 1,300 in the state Tuesday.

That’s 2,367 new cases and 17 more deaths reported than Monday.

She also asked people who test positive to pick up calls from contact tracers and answer questions as thoroughly as possible.

Door County Public Health announced it can’t keep up with contact tracing during a surge in coronavirus cases there, which has delayed testing and notifying people who test positive.

Both Manitowoc and Door County health departments are now asking people who test positive to reach out to the direct contacts themselves and advise them to quarantine until the 14th day from their last contact.

Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 646 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment, with 205 in ICU.

The surge in positive cases and slowdown in deaths can be attributed to better treatments but even more to the virus spreading among young adults.

They’re less likely to suffer the serious symptoms of the coronavirus that require hospitalization -- in fact, may show no symptoms at all -- but can still spread the virus to others and to vulnerable populations, as we’ve seen with the increasing daily numbers of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

As you can see in the chart below, based on Monday’s state numbers, only 1 in 50 people in their 20s infected with the coronavirus was ever hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment compared to 1 in 4 people in their 70s and 1 in 3 people 80 or older.

County and state health officials are reminding and urging people to stay home when they feel sick, avoid large gatherings, and distance yourself six feet from people who aren’t from your household.

TUESDAY’S CASE NUMBERS (counties with additional cases and/or deaths are indicated in bold).