Here & Now

The State's Stance on the Delta Variant Surge

Frederica Freyberg:

Now to COVID developments, state Deputy Health Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk says Wisconsin needs to get an 80% fully vaccinated rate in the fight against the Delta variant. Currently 50% of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated. Governor Tony Evers says the speed of the current surge makes vaccinations all the more important.

Tony Evers:

As of earlier this week, the 7-day average of new confirmed cases has increased 40% over the past week, and it is 11 times higher than it was a month ago. All 72 counties are experiencing high or very high disease activity and our healthcare providers are preparing for the worst. Folks, this Delta variant is no joke. It is highly infectious and is spreading more quickly than any other strain of the virus. We are no longer in the fight against COVID-19. This is now a fight against the Delta variant and all the potential variants that could follow. But Wisconsin, there is great news here, and that is that we have the answer. The answer is simple: get vaccinated. The vaccine is safe and effective. And getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19 and the Delta variant. It’s easy, it’s free, and anyone can get the vaccine regardless of immigration status or if you’ve had COVID before.

Julie Willems Van Dijk:

The Delta variant is a whole new game because it is highly contagious, much more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. Let me give you an example. With the original strain of COVID-19, an infected person was likely to infect two other people, who were then likely to infect two additional people for a total of six cases from one infection. With the Delta variant, an infected person is likely to infect five people, who are likely to infect 25 people, for a total of 30 cases from one infection. Six compared to 30. You can easily see how this variant will spread like wildfire. As the weather changes and more people move indoors, the virus will spread even more rapidly. If you are unvaccinated and exposed, it’s not a matter of if you’ll get it, it’s when. And we know that people who are unvaccinated are most at risk for getting very ill, hospitalized, and dying. With this surge, we’re a few weeks behind our southern states. What we’re seeing happen in Florida could happen here.