The average number of weekly COVID-cases continues to decline overall in Wisconsin, as the December holidays, identified by health officials as a window of a potential COVID-19 surge, approach.
The Department of Health Services reporteda weekly average number of 3,853 daily cases on Wednesday, the lowest recorded since a brief spike last Friday. Overall, the average has declined almost every day since reaching a peak of 6,563 on Nov. 18.
The average weekly number of deaths caused by the coronavirus has been a different story. After a significant decline in deaths around Nov. 28, deaths have climbed back up, with the DHS recording a high of 61 average deaths on Monday. Deaths have declined since then, coming in at an average of 55 on Wednesday.
Today's #COVID19_WI update and while 19 counties show a growing trajectory, another 10 show the percent case change shrinking. Thank you for doing your part to #StopTheSpread. Please continue to protect yourself and your community: https://t.co/R46klg8nRD pic.twitter.com/FTWetTjTaL
— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) December 9, 2020
DHS continued its message of caution on Twitter, saying that while 19 counties have shown a growing trajectory of coronavirus spread, 10 are shrinking. Health officials have echoed that message during COVID-19 briefings as well, warning that average cases remain well above 3,000, still considered a dangerous level of spread. Officials have also urged Wisconsin residents to abide by COVID-19 guidelines over the December holidays, including keeping visitors to festivities to a minimum.
Also on Wednesday, the DHS recorded 215 new hospitalizations related to the coronavirus and 54,599 active cases. At least 3,887 people have died from the virus in Wisconsin since the pandemic began. At least 363,504 people have recovered from the coronavirus.