Serving Algoma, Casco, Kewaunee, Luxemburg and all of Kewaunee County
After several weeks of high — and in some cases, alarming — percentages of positive tests for the COVID-19 virus, those positivity rates plummeted over the past week in Kewaunee and Door counties, getting close to a figure health authorities say is a sign the spread of the virus is coming under control.
In Kewaunee County, nine of 134 tests for the coronavirus came back with a positive result between April 17 and 23, for a seven-day positivity rate of 6.7%, the county's lowest seven-day rate since it was 6.5% five weeks ago and 4% the week before that. The rate had spiked to 29.3% for the week before (27 positives from 92 tests), marking rates in double digits for three weeks in the past month.
Door County's seven-day rate also dipped into single digits, with eight positives out of 112 tests for a 7.1% rate. That's the lowest seven-day rate for the peninsula since last summer and the first time it's been in single digits in eight weeks, with rates ranging between 10.6% and 35.7% in that span.
The percentage of positive tests, or "positivity rate," over a given time is a metric used by many health organizations to gauge the spread of the virus in a community, and the World Health Organization has said that a rate of more than 5% is concerning because it means testing isn’t widespread enough to capture the spread of the virus among the general population.
Health officials across the country continue to remind the public that even in locations with declining positivity rates and with more people getting vaccinated against COVID-19, they should continue taking precautions against spreading or catching the virus until "herd immunity" is achieved.
On the vaccine front, the Door County Health and Human Services Department has re-opened online scheduling for people to make appointments to receive their vaccine from the department.
Online scheduling was shut down for about two weeks when the Wisconsin Department of Health Services ordered vaccination providers to stop using the single-dose vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson because of reports of severe blood clots as a side effect in a limited number of patients nationwide. That forced the Door County health department to reschedule people who were to receive the J&J vaccine and instead get first shots of the two-dose vaccine made by Pfizer/BioNTech.
The department resumed taking appointments on its website this week for first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be given at sites in Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay.
To schedule a vaccination, visit bookdcph.timetap.com; those who do not have access to internet, need assistance or have other questions can call 920-746-7180.
RELATED: Door County graduates show how they cope with COVID-19 pandemic in virtual performances
FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our homepage
FOR MORE KEWAUNEE COUNYT NEWS: Check out our homepage
Statistics as of April 26 (provided by the county and state health departments) are as follows:
Positive tests in past week:
Negative tests in past week:
Seven-day percentage of positive tests (positivity rate):
Total positive tests:
Total negative tests:
Cumulative positivity rate since testing began:
Positive tests per 100,000 residents over past week:
Deaths from COVID-19 complications:
Hospitalizations from the virus in past week:
Active cases:
Recovered cases:
Total vaccines given:
Vaccine doses given in past week:
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: COVID-19: Positive test rate plummets in Kewaunee, Door counties; Door County resumes online vaccine scheduling
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here