Front-line workers in Wisconsin are urging communities to take the pandemic seriously as statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths hit new highs, The Post-Crescent reports.
Wisconsin reported 27 COVID-19 deaths and 646 hospitalizations Sept. 30, with more than half of Wisconsin's 72 counties experiencing "very high" COVID-19 activity, said Andrea Palm, secretary-designee for the state health department, according to CNN. Three of the four U.S. metro areas with the most virus cases per capita are in northeast Wisconsin, reports The New York Times.
At least 8,114 Wisconsin healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Sept. 29, according to health department data cited by The Post-Crescent. Many front-line workers are urging their communities to take the dangers of the pandemic more seriously.
Hospitals can add more beds and create additional wards, but it doesn't matter if there aren't enough employees to care for patients, Michael Hooker, DO, vice president and CMO for acute care at Fox Valley, Wis.-based ThedaCare, told The Post-Crescent.
"I'm afraid of getting sick and needing to be off work for so long," said Paige Schonfelder, a nurse in Fox Valley. "That's going to really hurt."
Oshkosh Mayor Lori Palmeri said she favored implementing rules for bars and restaurants, which are currently operating at full capacity, but the city council was unlikely to agree on any measures to slow the virus's spread, according to the NYT.
"I'm honestly not sure that anything we do right now will make a difference," Ms. Palmeri said. "It's too late."
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