Kewaunee Co. has 'critically high' COVID-19 activity; Door, Kewaunee counties offering boosters

Kewaunee County is ranked with a "critically high" level of COVID-19 activity as of Sept. 28 by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, one of 10 counties in Northeast Wisconsin and 21 of the state's 72 counties overall. All of Wisconsin's 51 other counties, including Door, are rated "very high" for COVID-19 activity.

The designation comes as the number of positive cases of the COVID-19 virus, notably its delta variant, increasingly skyrocket across the state and country while rates of vaccination against the virus remain stagnant.

Meanwhile, some people who completed their series of shots at least six months ago for the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from the Door or Kewaunee county public health departments are eligible to make appointments for a booster vaccine.

The latest ratings by the state for COVID-19, covering the two weeks from Sept. 15 to 28, are based on the number of positive cases per 100,000 people in the county in that period, aka the burden, and the rate of change in the number of positive cases during that time, aka the  trajectory.

According to state data, Kewaunee County reported a burden of 1,172.3 positive cases per 100,000 people and its trajectory is growing. Door County reported a burden of 866.3 cases per 100,000 and its trajectory showed no significant change in cases. As recently as a month ago, no county in Wisconsin carried a "critically high" ranking, although every county was considered "very high" or "high."

In the four weeks from Sept. 3 to Oct. 4, Kewaunee County reported 403 new positive tests for the virus, an average of about 100 a week, including 152 in the week from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, the most the county has seen in a seven-day span since the pandemic broke out in March 2020. Door County averaged nearly 100 new cases a week over the past month, with 381 positives from Sept. 7 to Oct. 4.

The rate of positive tests, one of the main metrics used by health organizations to gauge the spread in a community, also rose dramatically in both counties over that time. Forty percent of tests from Kewaunee County came back positive for the virus since Sept. 3, skyrocketing past the previous weekly high of 37.3% in January, while Door County's rate rose from 22.1% at the start of September to 26.9% by the end.

As for the booster shots for the vaccine, the Door and Kewaunee county health departments announced in the past week they are taking appointments, following recommendations from the state health department.

Meant to strengthen a person's immunity to the virus, the boosters are for those who initially received their second and final dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. Those eligible are:

• People ages 65 and older;
• All long-term care residents;
• People ages 18 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions (such as cancer, chronic kidney or lung diseases, heart conditions, diabetes);
• And those with a weakened immune system.

Appointments are required. Door County residents seeking to make a booster appointment with the county can call 920-746-7180 or visit bookdcph.timetap.com. Kewaunee County residents can call 920-388-7160.

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Statistics as of Oct. 4 (provided by the county and state health departments) are as follows:

Positive tests:

• Kewaunee County, 403 since Sept. 3
• Door County, 381 since Sept. 7

Negative tests in the interval:

• Kewaunee, 531
• Door, 849

Percentage of positive tests (positivity rate):

• Kewaunee, 40%, up from 34%
• Door, 26.9%, up from 22.1%
• Wisconsin, 8.1%

Total positive tests:

• Kewaunee, 3,294, one in every 6.3 residents
• Door: 3,490, one in every 9.5 residents

Total negative tests:

• Kewaunee, 11,326
• Door: 17,449

Cumulative positivity rate since testing began:

• Kewaunee, 22.3% 
• Door, 15.3%

Weekly positive tests per 100,000 residents (average for September):

• Kewaunee, 432 (was 231)
• Door, 347 (was 100)

Deaths from COVID-19 complications:

• Kewaunee, 38, two in past four weeks
• Door, 31, one in past three weeks

Active cases:

• Kewaunee, 100; was 49 as of Sept. 3
• Door, 411; was 206 as of Sept. 7

Total vaccines given:

• Kewaunee (including other providers besides health department), 9,555 (46.8%) received at least one dose, 9,159 (44.8%) completed their cycles
• Door (including other providers besides health department), 19,831 (71.7%) received at least one dose, second-highest percentage in state (Dane 73.7%), 19,040 (68.8%) both doses, second-most in state (Dane 71%)
• Wisconsin, 3,303,426 (56.7%) at least one dose, 3,129,908 (53.8%) completed

Vaccines for ages 18 and older:

• Kewaunee, 9,045 (56.4%) received at least one dose, 8,692 (54.2%) completed
• Door, 18,924 (81.7%) received at least one dose, 18,222 (78.6%) completed

Vaccine doses given in past month:

• Kewaunee, 323 first doses, 426 completed total; for adults, 283 first doses, 374 completed
• Door, 500 first doses, 591 both doses; for adults, 431 first doses, 436 completed

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Kewaunee Co. has 'critically high' COVID-19 activity; Door, Kewaunee counties offering boosters