The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) launched a new data dashboard today designed to give Wisconsinites the tools they need to most effectively respond to COVID-19.

“Our fight against COVID-19 isn’t over. Folks need to remember that this virus continues to spread in our state,” said Governor Tony Evers. “We want to make sure Wisconsinites have accurate information about the status of COVID-19 in their communities. That’s why the next generation of Badger Bounce Back, a new data dashboard assessing COVID-19 activity level, is so critically important.”

The data dashboard consists of maps and tables that toggle between counties and Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition (HERC) regions. The counties and regions are color-coded to indicate overall COVID-19 activity status: low, medium, or high. Overall activity status is a summary indicator based on two data points: the burden of cases and the trajectory of cases. Burden, also defined as case rate, is the total number of cases a county or region has per 100,000 Wisconsin residents in the past two weeks, and is described as low, moderate, moderately high, or high. Trajectory, also defined as case change, refers to the percent change of cases in the past two weeks, and is described as shrinking, growing, or having no significant change.

“The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a nimble response,” said DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. “This data dashboard makes it possible for local leaders, businesses, and individual Wisconsinites to better understand the level of COVID-19 activity they face in their communities and to take precautions accordingly.”

County and regional data should be used to inform decisions within each community. DHS continues to advise against travel between different areas of the state.

DHS plans to expand the dashboard in upcoming weeks to include data on additional indicators related to disease surveillance, health care capacity, and public health response. The dashboard will be updated by 2 p.m. every Wednesday.

Please monitor the DHS website for updates, and follow @DHSWI on Facebook(link is external) and Twitter(link is external), or dhs.wi on Instagram(link is external).