NewsCoronavirus

Actions

Wisconsin health officials: State's COVID-19 peak projected in 3-7 weeks, 'Safer at Home' helping

Posted at 5:57 PM, Apr 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-03 18:59:38-04

Based on state data, health officials project Wisconsin's peak of COVID-19 will most likely happen in the next 3 to 7 weeks.

The news comes as state health officials pointed out they believe steps like social distancing and the "Safer at Home" order are helping stem the growth of positive cases.

During a Friday briefing Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the Department of Health Services' Chief Medical Officer of the Bureau of Communicable Diseases, explained the number of cases is growing linearly versus exponentially.

"The fact that we're seeing cases go up by the same amount every day, 180-190, this week is actually very good news. It's actually really encouraging that we're flattening the curve," said Dr. Westergaard.

This comes as about a hundred state health workers are sent to Milwaukee, where there are nearly 800 confirmed cases.

They are tracking down people who had contact with every suspected and confirmed case of COVID-19, a time-consuming but critical task.

"To figure out who's at risk for that, to make sure they go into isolation, that daily check-ins are happening with them to make sure that they are monitoring symptoms. They are remaining healthy and well in isolation," said DHS Secretary-Designee Andrea Palm.

State leaders unveiled a new initiative with a new website called Resilient Wisconsin. The site serves as a resource to help people cope with the overwhelming stress and trauma caused by the pandemic.

While health officials report policies like safer-at-home to make a difference, they warn there is more work to be done.

They actively encourage people to continue social distancing and thoroughly washing your hands.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Coronavirus in Wisconsin

More data on Wisconsin's vaccination progress here.

Find a vaccination site here.

Check out county-by-county coronavirus case numbers here.

More information: COVID-19 on the Wisconsin DHS website

Latest news and headlines here.