Hospitals report drop in COVID patients
Federal courthouses require face coverings
The number of people hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 has fallen rapidly for weeks, with the Wisconsin Hospital Association reporting Monday that fewer people are hospitalized with coronavirus than at any point since April 4.
On Monday morning, 284 people were hospitalized with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Of those, 100 patients were in intensive care. Another 196 patients were awaiting test results.
The number of hospitalized patients rose steadily throughout May but has fallen in the weeks since. On May 31, 414 coronavirus patients were hospitalized.
The state Department of Health Services added two more people Monday to its official count of COVID-19 deaths. In total, 694 have died in Wisconsin, or 3% of known cases. Of the deaths, 318 have been in Milwaukee County.
Across Wisconsin, 22,932 people have tested positive for the virus with more than 9,500 of them in Milwaukee County. State health officials announced 174 new cases Monday — the second-lowest single-day increase in newly confirmed cases this month. The
lowest was on June 1 when 140 cases were announced.
Fewer tests also were reported Monday. The dip in newly reported tests has been common on Mondays and may reflect a decline in testing or reporting over the weekend. Of 6,255 tests, 2.8% were positive, which is roughly in line with the past 10 days and less than half the typical rate a month ago.
State health officials say 73% of those who tested positive for the coronavirus have recovered, meaning their symptoms have ended, they’ve been released from public health isolation, or it’s been 30 days since their symptom onset or diagnosis.
Global cases approached 8 million by mid-Monday, with 2.1 million cases in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 430,000 people had died of COVID-19 worldwide, including 115,000 in the U.S.
Ferry across Lake Michigan resumes service
After delaying trips across Lake Michigan because of the pandemic, the Lake Express ferry has launched its 2020 travel season. The ferry began makings trips between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan, last week as a soft opening.
The ferry is now making two daily round trips, which will continue through July 1. After that, additional crossings will be added. The high-speed ferry trip is about two and a half hours between Milwaukee and Muskegon. The ferry can carry cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pets.
To reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, the Lake Express is requiring passengers to wear face coverings, complete a self-assessment and temperature checks. New social distancing measures limit the number of passengers allowed on each trip. Some sections of seating are closed.
Face coverings required in federal courthouses
Anyone entering the federal courthouses in Milwaukee or Green Bay must now wear a mask — unless they have proof of a medical reason they can’t. This follows other local government orders like Milwaukee County’s “universal face mask policy.”
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Pepper announced the requirement in an order Monday, effective immediately. It applies to everyone — employees, vendors and visitors — in all public areas of the Milwaukee courthouse, including public restrooms.
The order affects the people who work there in offices of the U.S. Attorney, Federal Defender, Bankruptcy Court, the Marshals Service, Pretrial Services and Probation and other federal agencies. In Green Bay, the order applies to the clerk’s office and the courtroom, which are located in the Jefferson Court Building, along with other tenants, including a private law firm.
The buildings are closed to the public, and not set to reopen until July 1 at the earliest.
Sarah Hauer can be reached at shauer@journalsentinel.com or on Instagram @HauerSarah and Twitter @SarahHauer. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter Be MKE at jsonline.com/bemke.