Rock, Green Co. drop from high to low COVID-19 community levels

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The number of Wisconsin counties at high COVID-19 community levels fell by more than half this week as more counties drop to low levels Friday.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that just four counties- Lincoln, Marathon, Wood and Milwaukee- are at high levels. This is down from 11 counties that were at that level last week. Of those four, Milwaukee was the only one to also be at high last week.

Several counties in south central Wisconsin dropped from medium levels of disease activity to low this week, including Juneau, Sauk, Columbia, Marquette and Lafayette.

The counties of Rock and Green skipped medium and headed straight from high to low this week.

The Rock County Health Department encouraged residents to continue to take precautions against COVID-19 to keep the levels at where they are now.

“While the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to circulate throughout Wisconsin, Rock County’s Community Level may change rapidly as we saw these past two weeks,” the department stated. “While the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to circulate throughout Wisconsin, Rock County’s Community Level may change rapidly as we saw these past two weeks.”

Rock Co. citizens were advised to get tested for the virus if they have symptoms or were expose to someone with COVID-19, as well as stay home when sick and get treatment if they are at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness.

Overall in the state, 24 counties are at medium levels of COVID-19 community levels and the remaining 44 are at low levels.

The Department of Health Services also reported 1,355 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the seven-day rolling average down to 1,398. The seven-day rolling average for new cases has been consistently decreasing since June 7.

Overall, 1,501,470 cases have been confirmed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nine COVID-19 deaths were added by health officials to the agency’s dashboard Friday, marking 13,098 deaths total. The seven-day rolling average for new deaths ticked up slightly to nine Friday.