DHS releases more info on COVID-19 outbreaks
The Department of Health Services released more information Wednesday on COVID-19 outbreaks, breaking down its investigations by region in the state.
DHS is currently investigating 187 facility-based outbreaks.
Most of the investigations are in southeastern Wisconsin, which has 113. There are 38 in southern Wisconsin and 30 in northeastern Wisconsin.
Western Wisconsin reported six outbreaks and the northern part of the state had none.
According to DHS, a single case in a long-term care facility will trigger a facility-wide public health investigation. Two or more cases in other group settings will lead to such an investigation.
The investigations include:
- 93 long-term care facilities like nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
- 48 workplace settings like manufacturing and production facilities, distribution facilities, offices and other indoor workplaces.
- 25 group housing facilities like correctional facilities, homeless shelters, dormitories and group homes.
- 11 healthcare facilities like hospitals, clinics, dialysis centers, hospice and in-home care.
- 10 other types of facility settings like day care centers, restaurants, event spaces and religious settings.
Among the investigations in long-term care facilities, 20 have a single confirmed case of COVID-19 and 25 have less than 5 confirmed cases.
The median number of confirmed cases is three, the average is six and the range is one to 54 confirmed cases.
“We want to share this information so that you can see the challenges facing our communities and our state as a whole and understand how that is informing our policy decisions,” DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm told reporters.
DHS reported 231 new cases Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 6,520 total cases.
The agency reported eight additional deaths, bringing the total to 308 deaths. There were 66,630 negative tests.
Palm said they’ve identified 52 Wisconsinites who have tested positive for COVID-19 who were either a poll worker or voted in-person on April 7. She noted the exposure could have come from voting or something else.
She said they’ll continue to ask the question through May 7 as part of the contact tracing interview. They don’t think it’s a necessary question after that time, she said.
Palm also said DHS will provide over $140 million in food benefits for families with children who receive free or reduced price lunches during the normal school year.
The funding comes from federal legislation aimed at fighting COVID-19. The money will be available through the first part of June.
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