Wisconsin now has 4,093 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 206 people have died, according the state and county data.
About 28 percent of those infected have required hospitalization, but the number of people currently hospitalized has declined over the course of this week. As of Friday afternoon, 361 people are hospitalized, down from 394 on Thursday, 406 on Wednesday and 432 on Tuesday.
Of those hospitalized, the vast majority — 88 percent — have required mechanical ventilators to help them breathe.
On Thursday, Gov. Tony Evers said the “Safer at Home” order is working and will be extended through May 26, with some easing of restrictions.
In his media briefing Thursday, Evers said the order, which was originally set to expire April 24, has saved at least 300 and perhaps as many as 1,400 lives. He did not elaborate on the source of that data.
“It’s not like flipping a switch,” he said of any attempts to lift distancing orders. “It’s like turning a dial. The more disciplined we are, the faster we can turn the dial.”
