Now that vaccinations are widely available, Wisconsin is facing a new challenge: Convincing residents to get one. “We have over 200 appointments available right now, this week, at Festival Hall,” Racine Public Health Administrator Dottie-Kay Bowersox told the Journal Times. “And many of the other organizations within the city of Racine have appointments available … In order for us to get control of this, we need to be vaccinated.”
Tag: Coronavirus
Wisconsin Watch’s reporters and editors are investigating state and local impacts of the global pandemic and issues related to quality of life in Wisconsin. This page groups together all our original reporting, as well as our roundups of news from around the state and nation.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Herd immunity in peril as some Wisconsin counties see low vaccine rates — 4/19/21
David Wahlberg of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that some Wisconsin counties have high vaccination rates — including Bayfield, Dane and Door — where more than half of the population is vaccinated. But in other counties, including Clark, Rusk and Taylor, the rate is half as much.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Beloit worker sues over COVID-19 death — 4/16/21
A worker is suing ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods, alleging he got infected with COVID-19 at work and passed the disease on to his wife, who died of it.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause: Will it build trust or fuel hesitancy? — 4/15/21
Biden administration officials say Tuesday’s recommended pause in Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine should boost confidence that governments are closely scrutinizing potential side effects. That includes the severe type of blood clot — reported in just six out of 6.8 million nationwide injections — that prompted the pause for study. But some state officials worry the pause will only fuel vaccine hesitancy, thwarting efforts to contain more contagious variants of the coronavirus, POLITICO reports.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Wisconsin lags in vaccinating prisoners, but new COVID-19 infections have slowed — 4/14/21
Wisconsin has delivered at least one COVID-19 vaccination to just 17% of people incarcerated in state prisons, a pace that lags far behind the general population, according to state data. That’s despite Wisconsin prioritizing vaccinations in jails, prisons and other congregate settings where people are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Wisconsin pauses Johnson & Johnson vaccinations during federal study of serious clotting reported in 6 of 6.8 million doses — 4/13/21
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Tuesday instructed vaccine providers statewide to pause distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine during a federal review of potential rare side effects.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Michigan’s COVID-19 surge seen as warning for Wisconsin — 4/12/21
Even with vaccinations well underway, Michigan is suffering a surge of COVID-19 infections that has overwhelmed hospitals with more patients than seen during the fall peak of the pandemic. Conditions in Wisconsin are hardly as dire, but Michigan’s experience offers a warning of the dangers still possible at this stage of the pandemic.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
FEMA to reimburse funeral costs for those grieving COVID-19 deaths — 4/9/21
Those who are grieving loved ones lost to COVID-19 may qualify for federal assistance in paying for funeral expenses.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Wisconsin’s moratorium on utility shutoffs ends April 15. What’s next? — 4/8/21
Wisconsin’s moratorium on utility shutoffs is set to expire on April 15, leaving an estimated 93,000 homes and 4,000 businesses statewide at risk of disconnection. The expiring moratorium offered a reprieve to struggling residents throughout much of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Wisconsin schools expect at least $2.2 billion in federal pandemic relief — 4/7/21
Wisconsin school districts can expect at least a $2.2 billion boost from federal stimulus legislation, “a windfall that could make budgeting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic considerably easier,” Riley Vetterkind reports for the Wisconsin State Journal.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Next step in Wisconsin vaccine campaign: educating the hesitant — 4/6/21
Wisconsin may soon reach a turning point in its thus-far successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Demand has outstripped supply in the campaign’s first three-plus months, but that trend may reverse as more vaccines become available — shifting the state’s focus to persuading those who are hesitant to receive shots.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Racial disparities persist in Wisconsin’s vaccination rollout. Some groups are trying to change that. — 4/5/21
Wisconsin on Monday widened COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all residents ages 16 and older, aiming to accelerate an inoculation campaign that’s viewed as one of the most effective in the country.