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As communities across Wisconsin lift their pandemic orders, David Wahlberg of the Wisconsin State Journal reports on a fully vaccinated 75-year-old Madison woman with underlying health conditions who has died from COVID-19. Her sons blame immunosuppressant drugs and chronic diseases for making her more vulnerable to infection. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that research shows the vaccine offers little protection to some immunocompromised people, such as those with transplants or blood cancers.
Top stories
Vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are seen during a free vaccination clinic on March, 9, 2021, run by The Hmong Institute at Life Center in Madison, Wis. Credit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch
Madison woman dies from COVID-19 she contracted after full vaccination — Wisconsin State Journal
Dane County to end mask mandate, limits on gatherings starting June 2 — WPR
Milwaukee mask mandate, COVID order end June 1 — Fox6 News
Businesses could keep mask requirements in place, even without county mandate — News3 Now
KUSD School Board to review mask policy; city ordinance remains intact until May 27 — Kenosha News
Mask mandate lifted in Beaver Dam city buildings, though not without concern — Beaver Dam Daily Citizen
Local consumers, businesses easing into ‘mask-free’ era — Janesville Gazette
Vaccinated people can return to many mask-free activities in Douglas County — Superior Telegram
Remote work could be here to stay. What should that mean for Madison workplaces? — Cap Times
Republican lawmakers introduce legislation ending enhanced unemployment programs in Wisconsin — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Meet the four kinds of people holding us back from full vaccination — The New York Times
Quotable
“The overwhelming majority of transplant patients, even after a second dose of the vaccine, appear to have suboptimal protection — if any protection — from the vaccine, which is frightening, disappointing and a bit surprising.”
Dorry Segev, a researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in an interview with The Washington Post about how some immunocompromised people remain at risk of COVID-19 even after full vaccination
“People need to be careful, even if they don’t have serious underlying health conditions and even if they’re not immunocompromised, because if you spread it, you might spread it to somebody who is.”
Luke Kingree, a Madison attorney whose mother, Olivia Kingree, died of COVID-19 Sunday after being fully vaccinated
Data to note
Here’s a look at the Department of Health Services’ vaccine dashboard, which showed Tuesday that 45.5% of Wisconsinites have received at least one vaccine dose, including 82.9% of those ages 65 and older. Meanwhile, 39.6% of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated, including 78.1% of those older than 65. Racial disparities persist in distributing vaccines. The shares of Black, Hispanic and Native American residents to receive a dose remain below that of white residents.
On Tuesday, the state DHS reported a seven-day average of 419 new daily infections, part of a long-term downward trend in new cases. The state also reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the full toll to 6,971.
WisContext offers this visualization:
Find a vaccine site near you
DHS and the federal government have partnered with Vaccine Finder to help Wisconsinites find vaccinations. Vaccinations are often by appointment, but providers are increasingly offering walk-in options. In addition, people seeking COVID-19 shots can text their ZIP code to 438829 to find nearby vaccine providers.
COVID-19 fact-checking
Not sure if something you heard about COVID-19 is true? FactCheck.org offers this page full of explainers — and debunking of common distortions — about the disease to help you sort out fact from fiction.
Resilient Wisconsin
People helping others and showing resilience during this time of anxiety. Send suggestions by tagging us on social media — @wisconsinwatch — or emailing us: tips@wisconsinwatch.org.
‘Por Mi Familia’ campaign strives to overcome vaccination barriers in Wisconsin’s Latino community — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Vaccinated Madison woman with underlying conditions dies of virus — 5/18/21 is a post from WisconsinWatch.org, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.