COVID-19 surge stretches Wisconsin hospitals to the limit

With COVID-19 surging in Wisconsin, health care leaders say their hospitals across the state are at or near capacity.

The seven-day average for new infections in Wisconsin is more than 3,500, which is the highest it’s been in a year, according to state health officials and data.

“We are full. Period,” Eric Conley, CEO of Milwaukee’s Froedtert Hospital, told WISN.

Hospital administrators say they have had to turn some patients away even when they needed emergency care.

According to the Wisconsin Hospital Association COVID-19 dashboard, there were 1,630 people in the state hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon. That’s an increase of 212 over the past week. 418 of those patients are in intensive care units, which are in short supply. Statewide, only 37 ICU beds were available.