Dane County Executive Parisi Statement: Greater Numbers Presenting in Hospital Emergency Rooms with Covid Symptoms

October 12, 2020
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi issued the following statement regarding new data that shows increasing evidence of the prevalence of Covid-19 in the community:

"There's been a marked, deeply concerning increase this week in the number of folks getting sick enough from Covid-19 that they went to the hospital. According to data, yesterday alone almost one of every five people who walked into a hospital emergency room in Dane County presented with symptoms related to the pandemic. More people are not only contracting Covid, they're getting really sick from it.

"This virus doesn't care how old you are or where you live. Every age demographic other than 18-22 saw more positive cases this week than the week before. As of this morning, we now have 64 people hospitalized for Covid in Dane County - including two pediatric patients. 16 individuals are in intensive care. Higher numbers of people potentially with Covid coming through the doors of our emergency rooms could very well be an early warning of even higher numbers of hospitalizations in the weeks ahead. 

"We are in the full throes of a public health crisis. This is placing an enormous demand - and risk - on our entire health care system: nurses, doctors and public safety officials. They are making great sacrifices right now in difficult, scary, and often lonely situations. They have families to go home to as well. We all need to come together to do all we can to ease what I fear could be an overwhelming burden on the folks we rely upon for medical care when we need it most."