Weekly Update: January 18, 2022
ICYMI: Recent DHS Media Recap
DHS Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
 We strive to keep Dr. King’s words alive here at DHS. We believe your ability to be healthy is a right, and that it is our duty to ensure all Wisconsinites can live their best lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has cast harsh light on the health inequities present across the nation as well as right here in Wisconsin. The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but the data shows that Wisconsin’s Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
To see the data, visit the COVID-19: Racial and Ethnic Disparities page. And to learn more about how DHS is working to center equity in our work to reduce health disparities, visit the DHS Office of Health Equity home page.
Data Update: Illness After Vaccination Page
 DHS has updated the COVID-19 Illness After Vaccination data page with data for December 2021. To learn more, visit the DHS COVID-19: Illness After Vaccination data page. As the number of fully vaccinated individuals increase, and disease activity remains high due to the Omicron variant, we can expect to see an increase in the number of fully vaccinated individuals who test positive, are hospitalized, and die from COVID-19.
Even as cases continue to increase rapidly due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, vaccines and booster doses remain highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. It is critical to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and to stay up to date by getting a booster dose after 5 months (or 2 months if you received a J&J vaccine). The COVID-19 vaccines remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19. Vaccination locations can be found at vaccines.gov (https://vacunas.gov/) or by call 211.
Reminder: COVID-19 Testing Options
DHS reminds Wisconsinites to put their health first this new year. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please get tested, stay home, and take care of yourself. If you need to be around others, wear a well-fitting mask. If you are exposed to COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, wait 5-7 days before getting tested.
Demand for COVID-19 testing is high, but there are still many ways to get tested in Wisconsin. Trusted testing partners include local health departments, community testing sites, pharmacies, and health care providers. We encourage you to contact your doctor or primary health care provider to see if they offer testing.
We encourage you to plan ahead as much as possible and please be patient with staff at these sites. Rapid over-the-counter at-home test are available for purchase at many pharmacies and online. Wisconsinites can also request at-home collection kits, a type of at-home test, to be delivered to their home at no cost. The results of these tests are usually available in several days. See a list of products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If you need help finding a test, contact your local or tribal health department or call 211.
Starting January 18, Americans will be able to order free, at-home rapid COVID-19 tests online at COVIDTests.gov. This federal program ships tests directly to households within 7-12 days of ordering. To ensure broad access, the program will limit the number of tests sent to each residential address to four tests. To learn more, view the full statement online.
DHS also recommends that everyone continue to complete the appropriate quarantine or isolation guidance after being exposed to, or diagnosed with COVID-19. Due to the large numbers of cases, not everyone who has COVID-19 or is exposed will get a call from public health. Individuals can assist public health efforts by informing their close contacts who were exposed to COVID-19.
Critically High Case Activity: All 72 Wisconsin Counties
 As of January 12, all 72 Wisconsin counties are experiencing Critically High COVID-19 case activity. That means that over the previous two weeks they have reported more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 residents. Most counties are also showing a growing trajectory in cases, meaning their COVID-19 case rate has increased by at least 10 percent over the past week.
It is crucial that everyone do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19. That includes: getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a well-fitting mask in public indoor settings, and staying home if you are feeling sick.
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