A sharp increase in deaths due to coronavirus infection continued Wednesday as 27 more fatalities were reported — the most reported in a single day — following 17 being reported Tuesday. That brings the death toll to 1,327.
Wisconsin has averaged 9.71 deaths per day over the past week and 7.38 per day over the past two weeks.
Three deaths were reported in Racine and Milwaukee Counties; two were reported in Brown, Sheboygan and Washington Counties; and one each in Barron, Calumet, Dane, Dunn, Kenosha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Outagamie, Sauk, St. Croix, Waukesha, Waushara and Winnebago Counties.
Additionally, hospitalizations also set a record with 683 currently hospitalized, an increase of 37 since Tuesday and 174 from a week ago. Of those, 198 are in intensive care units, seven fewer than Tuesday but 58 more than a week ago.
Meanwhile, the state confirmed 2,319 new coronavirus cases Wednesday on just under 11,800 tests, for a positive test rate of 19.7 percent. Those results bring the total case count to 122,274, of which more than 21,000 are considered active, about 1,500 more than yesterday.
Today is the 26th day of the past 27 that the positive test rate has been over 10 percent, and the first day under 20 since Friday.
Wisconsin’s positive test rate for the past seven days is now 20.16 percent, and the 14-day rate is up slightly to 19.31 percent. Today’s data brings the seven-day average of new cases to 2,335 and the 14-day average to 2,118.
The highest local new case count came in Brown County, with 313 new cases and 65.6 percent positive tests.
Other localities with higher case totals and positive tests rates include:
Calumet County: 46 new cases, 34.33 percent positive tests
Chippewa County: 18 new cases, 16.51 percent positive tests
Columbia County: 22 new cases, 20 percent positive tests
Dane County: 272 new cases*, 21.76 percent positive tests
Dodge County: 28 new cases, 22.22 percent positive tests
Door County: 16 new cases, 61.54 percent positive tests
Dunn County: 19 new cases, 67.86 percent positive tests
Eau Claire County: 31 new cases, 17.03 percent positive tests
Fond du Lac County: 51 new cases, 21.25 percent positive tests
Grant County: 29 new cases, 19.08 percent positive tests
Green County: 20 new cases, 14.81 percent positive tests
Jefferson County: 29 new cases, 15.76 percent positive tests
Juneau County: 23 new cases, 24.73 percent positive tests
Kenosha County: 40 new cases, 66.67 percent positive tests
Kewaukee County: 17 new cases, 18.48 percent positive tests
La Crosse County: 35 new cases, 12.41 percent positive tests
Lafayette County: 10 new cases, 17.54 percent positive tests
Langlade County: 23 new cases, 35.94 percent positive tests
Lincoln County: 10 new cases, 9.52 percent positive tests
Manitowoc County: 17 new cases, 8.67 percent positive tests
Marathon County: 89 new cases, 35.89 percent positive tests
Marinette County: 28 new cases, 32.18 percent positive tests
Marquette County: 23 new cases, 63.89 percent positive tests
Milwaukee County: 215 new cases, 17.13 percent positive tests
Monroe County: 18 new cases, 54.55 percent positive tests
Oconto County: 50 new cases, 42.74 percent positive tests
Oneida County: 29 new cases, 22.66 percent positive tests
Outagamie County: 121 new cases, 18.14 percent positive tests
Portage County: 31 new cases, 13.9 percent positive tests
Racine County: 29 new cases, 3.23 percent positive tests
Rock County: 18 new cases, 5.86 percent positive tests
Sauk County: 16 new cases, 34.04 percent positive tests
Shawano County: 46 new cases, 39.32 percent positive tests
Sheboygan County: 104 new cases, 38.24 percent positive tests
St Croix County: 13 new cases, 9.35 percent positive tests
Trempeleau County: 14 new cases, 13.59 percent positive tests
Vilas County: 10 new cases, 21.74 percent positive tests
Walworth County: 11 new cases, 7.86 percent positive tests
Washington County: 35 new cases, 12.28 percent positive tests
Waukesha County: 75 new cases, 7.37 percent positive tests
Waupaca County: 30 new cases, 43.48 percent positive tests
Waushara County: 13 new cases, 36.11 percent positive tests
Winnebago County: 77 new cases, 39.29 percent positive tests
Wood County: 26 new cases, 19.7 percent positive tests
*Dane County reported only 106 new cases this morning. We anticipate this discrepancy will be resolved in tomorrow’s reported statistics.
