(Beaver Dam) Marshfield Medical Center – Beaver Dam is asking the community to work together to combat the surging COVID-19 pandemic in Dodge County. Hospital officials say attacking the health crises on all fronts and utilizing a multi-faceted approach to minimizing the spread is critical to maximizing the wellness of the public. They say they have all watched anxiously as the number of Dodge County COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths have steadily risen over the past several weeks.
The hospital cites recently compiled data from the New York Times that says Beaver Dam was 12th in the nation in new coronavirus cases per 100-thousand over the previous two weeks. County hospitalization rates have also increased over the last 10 days to 52-percent; the rate was around seven-percent during the first seven months of the pandemic. Over the past two weeks, the Beaver Dam hospital has seen inpatient census surge to greater than 90-percent of capacity and has experienced 180-percent of the average daily census from just a year earlier.
Hospital officials say they stand with public health officers in their evidence-based efforts to keep communities safe. They say following the guidance of public health agencies by wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, washing hands, avoiding high-risk situations and staying home while sick, can all make a significant difference.