The Department of Health Services has added hospital metrics as a part of its gating criteria used for determining when Wisconsin can reopen.
The Badger Bounce Back Program, released by Gov. Tony Evers in April, details phases in which the state can start to reopen, if it has met certain criteria.
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DHS's website on the Badger Bounce Back Plan lists the gating criteria used to determine the phases. On Tuesday, DHS announced that hospital metrics would now be a part of the plan. The criteria was developed with input from the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative.
All of the metrics include:
- A downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) reported within a 14-day period (Indicator: Symptoms)
- A downward trajectory of COVID-like syndromic cases reported within a 14-day period (Indicator: Symptoms)
- A downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (Indicator: Cases)
- 95% of hospitals affirm that they can treat all patients without crisis care (Indicator: Hospitals)
- 95% of all hospitals affirm that they have arranged for testing for all symptomatic clinical staff treating patients at the hospital per CDC guidelines (Indicator: Hospitals)
- A downward trend of COVID-19 cases among health care workers calculated weekly (Indicator: Health care)
Each metric is given a status of met, not met, or data is still being collected.
The hospital gating criteria addresses both patient care and hospital staff health, the Department of Health Services said.
As of Tuesday, May 5, two metrics had met the criteria set: Downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses reported within a 14-day period and a downward trend of COVID-19 cases among health care workers.
DHS said that the current Safer at Home order that is in place is working. Wisconsin has seen a decrease in "exponential growth in the number of cases" since the order was put into effect on March 25.
To learn more about the criteria, click here.