Increased testing leads to COVID-19 uptick

By Jason Arndt
Editor

Expanded testing for COVID-19 has resulted in many more confirmed cases in Kenosha County since last week, according to the Division of Health, which attributed previous shortages in collection kits.

“Collection kits have been limited supply up until this point,” Environmental Health Manager Mark Melotik, of the Division of Health in last week’s answers to residents. “We are at a turning point of where we believe more testing will occur in the coming weeks in Kenosha County through both traditional and new channels.”

Kenosha County officials, meanwhile, reported nearly 100 new cases of COVID-19 from April 21 through this Tuesday.

Since April 21, confirmed cases went from 259 to 346, while adding three additional deaths to bring the total to six.

Additionally, health officials identified two Kenosha County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 had voted in the April 7 Spring Election.

“This only proves a correlation but does not prove causation,” said Melotik. “We cannot definitely state that they got COVID-19 as a result of voting in person.”

Slight municipality uptick
The Division of Health reported new cases of COVID-19 in the villages of Salem Lakes (3), Twin Lakes (2), Bristol (1) and the town of Wheatland (1).

Cumulative totals from each western Kenosha County municipality are as follows: Randall 3, Wheatland 2, Bristol 6, Paddock Lake 1, Salem Lakes 24 and Twin Lakes 4.

Elsewhere, in Racine County, officials said there have been 305 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 12 total deaths.

The Central Racine County Health Department, which saw 134 of its residents test positive, reported eight of 12 fatalities as of Monday.

Walworth County Public Health continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases, which are directly linked to increased testing like other counties, according to Carlo Nevicosi, deputy director at Health and Human Services.

Three outbreaks recently reported – at Birds Eye Foods in Darien, Geneva Lake Manor and Holton Manor – are major factors in the increased cases, he said.

“The cases at Birds Eye and our long-term care facilities triggered many new tests with, unsurprisingly, new confirmed diagnoses,” Nevicosi said.

The latest numbers, as of Sunday, reveal 140 confirmed cases in Walworth County, eight deaths, 41 recoveries, 87 currently isolated at their primary residence and four people hospitalized.

State glance
The state Department of Health of Services indicated on Monday there are 6,081 total confirmed cases in Wisconsin with 61,311 testing negative for COVID-19.

Furthermore, the state reports 1,415 of the 6,081 total have been hospitalized while 281 have died from COVID-19.

State officials, meanwhile, began reporting how many people have recovered from COVID-19 of last week.

On Monday, 2,882 have recovered, while another 2,917 have been diagnosed within the last 30 days.

For the latest information, visit the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov, the State Department of Health Services at dhs.wisconsin.gov or kenoshacounty.org.


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