Doctors in the region’s top hospitals are just as tired as you are when it comes to dealing with COVID-19. Doctors and other officials from several healthcare agencies including Door County Medical Center and Bellin Health expressed their frustrations with the growing positive case counts in the state during an online forum held in conjunction with the Brown County Public Health Department. The rapid spread of the Delta variant has also caused the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths to sharply increase. It has since led the state to introduce incentive programs to get more people vaccinated and public and private employers considering vaccine verification information.  Door County Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Heise said he does not know what else to say or what other data to present to get more people vaccinated.

Heise considers the incentives being offered to get more people vaccinated not as a bribe, but as another tool being used to promote how safe and effective they are to receive. Dr. Michael Landrum from Bellin Health admitted that the virus that causes COVID-19 will likely stick around for the long term, but said its impact could be limited the more people are vaccinated. On Thursday, Door County Public Health announced 26 new positive cases and one hospitalization since its last report on Monday.