Wisconsin is the new US COVID-19 hotspot as cases surge

Wisconsin is now the latest COVID-19 hot spot in the United States with the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths surging to record highs in the last month.

Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday was forced to activate a 530-bed field hospital just outside Milwaukee as the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals. 

Cases in the Midwestern state have been spiking since the beginning of September and have consistently surged to record daily highs since then.

More than 2,300 cases were reported on Wednesday and 16 new deaths. 

Hospitalizations and deaths have been surging to record highs since late September.

Deaths are a lagging indicator and can continue to rise for weeks after infections start showing signs of a decline.

Cases in Wisconsin have been spiking since the beginning of September and have consistently surged to record daily highs since then. More than 2,300 cases were reported on Wednesday

Cases in Wisconsin have been spiking since the beginning of September and have consistently surged to record daily highs since then. More than 2,300 cases were reported on Wednesday

Hospitalizations and deaths have been surging to record highs since late September. The state recorded 16 new deaths on Wednesday

Hospitalizations and deaths have been surging to record highs since late September. The state recorded 16 new deaths on Wednesday 

The state is also experiencing a spike in its seven-day average positivity rate, which currently stands at 17 percent after it was 11 percent a month ago, according to state data.

Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday was forced to activate a 530-bed field hospital just outside Milwaukee as the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals

Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday was forced to activate a 530-bed field hospital just outside Milwaukee as the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals

The World Health Organization has said any rate above five percent is concerning.

Health experts have attributed Wisconsin’s spike to the reopening of colleges and K-12 schools across the state, as well as general fatigue over wearing masks and socially distancing.

People aged between 18-24 make up the majority of the case count in last month, state data shows.   

While the number of cases are also increasing nationally and spiking in other states, Wisconsin is one of a handful, including the Dakotas and Montana, that are also seeing record hospitalizations. 

Wisconsin currently has about 15 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, which is three times more than it did in June. 

The latest data shows that hospital capacity in Wisconsin is now at more than 83 percent. Capacity in intensive care units across the state is currently at 85 percent.  

Health experts have attributed Wisconsin's spike to the reopening of colleges and K-12 schools across the state, as well as general fatigue over wearing masks and socially distancing. People aged between 18-24 make up the majority of the case count in last month, state data shows

Health experts have attributed Wisconsin’s spike to the reopening of colleges and K-12 schools across the state, as well as general fatigue over wearing masks and socially distancing. People aged between 18-24 make up the majority of the case count in last month, state data shows

The latest data shows that hospital capacity in Wisconsin is now at more than 83 percent. Capacity in intensive care units across the state is currently at 85 percent

The latest data shows that hospital capacity in Wisconsin is now at more than 83 percent. Capacity in intensive care units across the state is currently at 85 percent

Gov Evers, a Democrat, said on Wednesday that the field hospital will open next week at the state fairgrounds to help handle the surge in COVID-19 cases.  

The US Army Corps of Engineers built the 530-bed field hospital on the state fairgrounds in West Allis just outside Milwaukee in April at the request of Evers’ administration. 

Local leaders had warned about the possibility of area hospitals being overwhelmed but hospitalizations never reached the point where the hospital was needed until now. 

The hospital will accept patients from across Wisconsin but is designed to provide low-level care, and it will accept only patients who have already been hospitalized elsewhere for at least 24 to 48 hours.

Patients who qualify will be transported to the facility by ambulance and the facility will not accept walk-ins. 

‘We hoped this day wouldn’t come, but unfortunately, Wisconsin is in a much different, more dire place today and our healthcare systems are beginning to become overwhelmed by the surge of COVID-19 cases,’ Evers said in a statement. 

‘This alternative care facility will take some of the pressure off our healthcare facilities while expanding the continuum of care for folks who have COVID-19.’ 

Gov Evers, a Democrat, said on Wednesday that the field hospital will open next week at the state fairgrounds to help handle the surge in COVID-19 cases. US  National Guard members were pictured standing by outside the hospital this week

Gov Evers, a Democrat, said on Wednesday that the field hospital will open next week at the state fairgrounds to help handle the surge in COVID-19 cases. US  National Guard members were pictured standing by outside the hospital this week

People line up in their vehicles to undergo COVID testing in Milwaukee last week

People line up in their vehicles to undergo COVID testing in Milwaukee last week

The hospital will be staffed by volunteers, state workers and National Guard members. 

The move to activate the field hospital came as a state judge was considering a lawsuit seeking to strike down Evers’ mandate that masks be worn in enclosed public spaces. 

His mask mandate has been in place since August. 

The governor on Tuesday also issued new restrictions on the size of indoor public gatherings through November 6. 

Indoor gatherings are now limited to no more than 25 percent of a room or building’s total capacity.   

Violators could face fines of up to $500. 

The order could spark new legal challenges for the Democratic governor, who has faced continued resistance and litigation from Republicans since the pandemic began. 

After he issued a statewide stay-at-home order in March, Republicans convinced the conservative-leaning state Supreme Court to strike down that order in May. 

The challenge to his mask mandate could come any day.  

source: dailymail.co.uk