DHS: Wisconsin Sets Record Of New COVID-19 Cases For Third Day In A Row

Wisconsin has set a new record for the highest number of people testing positive for COVID-19 according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

DHS reported 926 new cases of the virus on Saturday, which is higher than previous numbers recorded on Thursday and Friday. Saturday’s total brings the average for the past seven days to 661 daily cases.

One week ago, the average was 538 daily cases. Daily new cases have been rising since Tuesday, July 7, when the average was 557. Saturday’s new case total is the highest that figure has been since the outbreak began.

DHS reported 845 new cases of the virus on Friday.

The latest figures bring the overall total of positive cases in Wisconsin to 35,679, according to DHS. A total of 821 people in Wisconsin have died from COVID-19, with seven new deaths reported on Saturday.

DHS says that 7.7 percent of all tests results reported on Saturday were positive for COVID-19, bringing the average percentage of positive tests over the past seven days to 7 percent. The seven-day average a week ago was 6 percent.

The percentage of positive tests is often read by public health officials as a measure of overall testing levels. A high rate could indicate that testing in the state is limited, and skewed toward those already flagged as potentially having the virus. A lower rate could indicate testing is more widespread.

Changes in the test positivity rate can also speak to a virus’ spread, if the size and makeup of the testing pool stays consistent.

Wisconsin’s daily testing capacity — based on the availability of test supplies and adequate staffing — has grown from 120 available lab tests in early March to 19,362 as of Saturday. The number of actual tests reported on Saturday was 12,019.

Overall, DHS has recorded a total of 682,183 tests over the course of the pandemic. 646,504 have come back negative.

The DHS website says that “multiple tests per person are not included in these summary statistics.”

COVID-19 activity varies heavily from county to county. The latest coronavirus activity data from DHS, released once per week each Wednesday, showed that 47 counties had a “high level” of coronavirus activity. Activity level designations are based on “burden,” or the number of new cases per a county’s population over a 14-day period, as well as whether there’s an upward or downward trend in new cases.

On Wednesday, counties with the highest case rates per capita included Dane, Milwaukee and Trempealeau. The counties with the most significant upward trends included Marquette, Monroe and Sheboygan.

There have been confirmed cases in all 72 of Wisconsin’s counties, although according to DHS, four counties have had no new cases over the past two weeks.

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DHS still has a dashboard showing Wisconsin’s progress on gating criteria under the now-defunct Badger Bounce Back Plan. Those gating criteria would have been used to determine when it would be safe to begin reopening the state, prior to the state Supreme Court ruling that ended a statewide stay-at-home order. The state has never met all six of the criteria at once.

Two of the criteria are a statistically significant 14-day downward trend in COVID-like cases reported in emergency departments, and a similar downward trend for influenza-like cases in emergency departments. Neither of those criteria had been met as of Saturday.

According to DHS, 3,797 people have been hospitalized because of the virus as of Saturday. That means at least 11 percent of people who have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the state have been hospitalized, while 58 percent have not. DHS officials said they don’t know the hospitalization history of 11,221 people, or 31 percent.

Of the 35,679 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak, DHS reports that 27,909, or 78 percent, have recovered.