April 8: Weekly Driftless Region COVID-19 update Editors note: this story is updated as of Tuesday, April 6, in the COVID variants section to reflect growth in numbers. Over the past week COVID-19, diagnoses statewide increased from 576,044 on Monday, Mar. 29 to 576,044 on Monday, Apr. 5. That is a statewide increase of 4,140 cases. The number of deaths increased from 6,601 to 6,640, an additional 39 deaths, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has updated the Staying Safe in Your Community webpage to include recommendations for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The webpage now includes guidance for a variety of spring and summer activities, as well as guidelines for attending or hosting gatherings.