COVID starts to trend back down in Wisconsin, but some places still aren't vaxxing enough

As this new week begins, things are looking a little better on the COVID front in Wisconsin. After see new cases exceed 5,000 for the prior two weeks, we saw a nice drop last week of 1,100 cases below the peak of 2 weeks ago, hopefully indicating that things are calming down after Spring Break.

Perhaps that also reflects that more Wisconsinites continue to be vaccinated, as last week also saw the Evers Administration celebrating the 4 millionth dose of COVID vaccine going into the arms of Sconnies.

VACCINATION UPDATE: More than 4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Wisconsin, according to the latest data from the Department of Health Services. https://t.co/4tKbW9LEBR

— News 3 Now / Channel 3000 (@WISCTV_News3) April 22, 2021

I am glad to say that I am the recipient of 2 of those shots, with the second coming last Thursday. Can't wait to have my 2 weeks end, and to feel I can safely do more things, such as attending my first Brewer game in the 2020s on May 15.

It's also nice to live in an area where we respect the science and the damage that COVID can do. The 65+ population is well into herd immunity in Dane County, and roughly half of people 35-64 also have completed their set of vaccinations.

Although I'll look to see if cases bump up in the 18-24 group in the Mad City after yesterday.

The Mifflin Street Block Party made its return Saturday — albeit under COVID-19 restrictions — with thousands of revelers around by late afternoon after the event hit pause last year due to the pandemic. https://t.co/eHmxYB7mvG

— madison.com (@madisondotcom) April 24, 2021

Hey, I get it. Mifflin is Mifflin. And especially after what has to be a craptastic year to be a college student. But still not the best thing to hear when we're trying to make sure cases are back under control.

However, mask-wearing, regular testing and vaccinations are also still happening around campus, and any effect from yesterday's revelry will likely be short-lived. The bigger concern long-term is what's happening outstate, where cases are higher and vaccinations are a lot lower. Yes, cases shrunk in a lot of places last week, but look at NW Wisconsin in particular, and the differences are quite clear.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel took a look at these disparities, particularly in outstate Wisconsin, and talked to people in one of the lowest-vaccinated counties to paint a picture why.

Some folks in Clark County haven't gotten the vaccine because, so far, no one in their family has been affected by COVID, said Sheila Nyberg, the county's economic development director.

"Maybe they’re thinking 'let everybody else get it first,'" Nyberg said.

Early in the pandemic, some Clark County residents strongly objected to Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order.

"Think of COVID-19 as the Devil. We are not supposed to fear the Devil; faith in God should prevail," Abbotsford Police Chief Jason Bauer wrote in a letter to the governor last spring, protesting the safer-at-home order in place at the time.

"I do not fear the Devil, nor COVID-19. I believe COVID-19 has some politicians scared, resulting in bad decisions."

And yes, there is a political correlation to some of this, as GOP counties are less likely to vax up than Dem-voting ones, especially if those GOP counties are lower-educated.

I know us overeju-kay-ted urban liberals are not supposed to talk down to rurals, so the "real Wisconsinites" don't become even more resentful. But at this point, don't those of us who did our part in controlling the virus and getting ourselves vaccinated have a right to be resentful ourselves? The best way for the economy to open back up and to have many small businesses be able to get by for the future is to crush COVID and make it safer to go out in the first place, and these non-vaccinated areas and their rube leaders are keeping that last step from happening.

No surprise, but guess who is "representing" Rusk and Taylor Counties in the State Legislature.

Yes, COVID-19 vaccines are safe despite the quick timeline.

We take a deep dive into how the vaccine got here so quickly, addressing a Republican lawmaker's distrust he based on a drug-related death. https://t.co/1iaz5n1aLW pic.twitter.com/QIbKTKnIiJ

— PolitiFact Wisconsin (@PolitiFactWisc) March 26, 2021

These superstitious, dopey clingers are allowing the virus to remain impactful on our because of their selfishness, and I'm frankly tired of them holding the rest of us back. So when it comes time to make your warm-weather getaway plans in Wisconsin, maybe you should check the COVID charts first, and if an area is still showing " weak-minded jackassery vaccine hesitancy," then maybe you shouldn't go to those places or spend your money there. Too risky, ya knoooow.