Brown County health leaders concerned over rising COVID-19 cases

Brown County health leaders concerned over rising COVID-19 cases

OSHKOSH AND GREENBAY... AMONG THE TOPTEN COMMUNITIES INTHE COUNTRY....REPORTING RECENT,PER-CAPITA POSITIVECASES OF COVID-19.TONIGHT N-B-C 26'SERIC CREST SHARESWHAT HOSPITALLEADERS IN BROWNCOUNTY ARE SAYINGABOUT THE TREND.FOLLOWING AHOLIDAY WEEKEND....AND THE REOPENINGOF SCHOOLS ANDUNIVERSITIES...POSITIVE CASES OFCOVID-19 HAVE BEENTRENDING UPWARDFOR WEEKS INBROWN COUNTY..."IT'S NOT THE TIME TOTHROW IN THE TOWELAND SAY WHAT THEHECK I'M JUST GOINGTO LIVE MY LIFE.THINK OF OTHERS,THINK OF YOURPARNETS AND GRANDPARENTS, THINK OFTHOSE WHO HAVEUNDERLYING HEALTHCONDITIONS."CHRIS WOLESKE THEPRESIDENT OF BELLINHEALTH... SAYS THATTHREE FOURTHS OFHER INTENSIVE CAREUNIT BEDS IN BROWNCOUNTY... ARECURRENTLY FILLEDWITH COVID-19PATIENTS... NOW INTOTAL RIGHT NOWTHERE ARE 71PEOPLEHOSPITALIZED INBROWN COUNTY WITHTHE VIRUS... WHICH ISA NEW RECORD..."JUST TO GIVE YOU APERSPECTIVE WHENWE WORKEDTHROUGH OUR FIRSTOUTBREAK IN THELATE SPRING 47WOULD HAVE BEENOUR RECORD AT THATPOINT."PREVEA'S PRESIDENTASHOK RAI SAYSTHERE IS STILL ROOMFOR PATIENTS ATLOCAL HOSPITALS...BUT NOTED THISWEEK'S TREND OF 17PERCENT OF PEOPLETESTED COMING BACKPOSITIVE FOR COVID"ESPECIALLY IN THEFACE OF ANUPCOMING FLUSEASON WE AREEXTREMELYCONCERNED ABOUTHOSPITAL CAPACITYSTO TAKE CARE OF ALLOF OUR SICKPATIENTS."ACCORDING TO THEWISCONSIN HOSPITALASSOCIATION,NORTHEASTWISCONSIN I-C-UUNITS ARE AT 72PERCENT OF THEIRCAPACITY... WHILEFOX VALLEY I-C-U'SARE AT 86 PERCENTOF THEIR CAPACITYAS OF TODAY.THIS GRAPH FROMTHE STATE SHOWSTHE NUMBER OFHOSPITALIZEDCOVID-19 PATIENTS INTHE FOX VALLEYSINCE THE END OFMARCH.THE GRAPHS SHOWSA 492 PERCENTINCREASE IN THELAST MONTH."our 14 day percentpositivity has beentrending alarmingly up."THEN THIS GRAPHSHOWS THENORTHEASTWISCONSIN REGION...WITH A 179-PERCENTINCREASE IN THELAST MONTH.ON FRIDAY BROWNCOUNTY PUBLICHEALTH URGED THEPUBLIC TO DOUBLEDOWN ON MASKWEARING... TO BEVIGILANT ABOUT HANDWASHING... ANDPERHAPS MOSTIMPORTANTLY THEYASKED THE PUBLIC TOAVOID SOCIALGATHERINGS...ESPEICALLY PRIVATEGATERINGS, SAYINGTHAT'S WHERE THEMAJORITY OF COVIDCASES... ARESPROUTING UP.."EVENT SUCH AS AWEDDING ORPERSONALGATHERING INSIDE AHOUSEHOLD OR AFAMILY GATHERINGWHERE THEY ARE NOTWEARING MASKS ORSOCIAL DISTANCING....WE KNOW THATPEOPLE WANT TO DOSTUFF WITH THEIRFRIENDS, FAMILYMEMBERS MORE NOWTHAN EVER BUT IT'SJUST NOT THE IME TODO IT RIGHT NOW."IN GREEN BAY ERICCREST NBC26...TWO SCHOOLDISTRICTS IN BROWNCOUNTY HAVEANNOUNCED THEY'LLMOVE TO VIRTUAL-ONLY LEARNINGSTARTING NEXTWEEK.ASHWUABENONSCHOOL DISTRICTANNOUNCED ALL OFITS CLASES WILL BEMOVING ONLINESTARTING NEXTTHURSDAY.THE HOWARDSUAMICO SCHOOL