WISCONSIN — It's been three years since the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in some Wisconsin communities, particularly areas in-and-around northeastern Wisconsin.

"It's hard to imagine what was going on then to now and what we've been through," said Dr. Mark Cockley, ThedaCare's chief clinical officer. "The first few cases was like, 'Alright, let's prepare what we need to do [and] learn from this,' but it wasn't the significant numbers that we then experienced later on."

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has reported that 14,339 Wisconsinites with COVID-19 died in the past three years.

Although, the threat from COVID-19 has decreased, in part, because more than 65% of Wisconsinites have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

"I think it's always best to err on the side of caution," Cockley said. "Vaccination has shown to be safe and effective at reducing the severity of illness, so if you haven't been vaccinated, or you've been vaccinated and are in need of a booster, it is important to get that."

Watch the full interview above.