A sharp increase in hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection continued Tuesday as the total number hospitalized rose to 646, six more than Monday and 172 more than a week ago. Of those, 205 are in intensive care, 32 more than Monday.
Meanwhile, the state confirmed 2,367 new coronavirus cases Tuesday on just under 10,800 tests, for a positive test rate of 21.9 percent. Those results bring the total case count to 117,588, of which more than 19,500 are considered active, about the same number as Monday.
Today is the 25th day of the past 26 that the positive test rate has been over 10 percent, and the fourth consecutive over 20.
Wisconsin’s positive test rate for the past seven days is now 19.37 percent, and the 14-day rate is up slightly to 19.16 percent. Today’s data brings the seven-day average of new cases to 2,255 and the 14-day average to 2,096.
Seventeen new fatalities were reported today — two each in Forest, Kenosha, Portage and Waukesha County, and one each in Brown, Calumet, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Monroe, Vernon and Winnebago Counties — bringing the total death toll to 1,300. It was the first covid-19 fatality in Vernon County.
Wisconsin has averaged seven deaths per day over the past week and 5.54 per day over the past two weeks.
The highest local new case count came in Winnebago County, with 248 new cases and 63.1 percent positive tests. Close behind are Milwaukee County, with 242 new cases and 27.44 percent positive tests, and Brown County, with 238 new cases and 36.06 percent positive tests.
Other localities with higher case totals and positive tests rates include:
Calumet County: 53 new cases, 26.17 percent positive tests
Chippewa County: 14 new cases, 13.63 percent positive tests
Columbia County: 12 new cases, 8.82 percent positive tests
Dane County: 94 new cases, 9.87 percent positive tests
Dodge County: 47 new cases, 77.05 percent positive tests
Door County: 14 new cases, 93.33 percent positive tests
Dunn County: 37 new cases, 27.21 percent positive tests
Eau Claire County: 29 new cases, 28.43 percent positive tests
Fond du Lac County: 50 new cases, 20.49 percent positive tests
Forest County: 15 new cases, 34.88 percent positive tests
Grant County: 14 new cases, 36.84 percent positive tests
Green County: 10 new cases, 17.54 percent positive tests
Green Lake County: 10 new cases, 23.26 percent positive tests
Jefferson County: 56 new cases, 25.57 percent positive tests
Kenosha County: 27 new cases, 54 percent positive tests
Kewaukee County: 45 new cases, 29.22 percent positive tests
La Crosse County: 40 new cases, 31.01 percent positive tests
Lafayette County: 10 new cases, 24.39 percent positive tests
Manitowoc County: 65 new cases, 78.31 percent positive tests
Marathon County: 24 new cases, 23.3 percent positive tests
Marinette County: 32 new cases, 32 percent positive tests
Oconto County: 35 new cases, 46.67 percent positive tests
Oneida County: 12 new cases, 13.48 percent positive tests
Outagamie County: 156 new cases, 38.52 percent positive tests
Ozaukee County: 30 new cases, 46.15 percent positive tests
Portage County: 17 new cases, 3.41 percent positive tests
Racine County: 39 new cases, 4.44 percent positive tests
Rock County: 28 new cases, 17.95 percent positive tests
Shawano County: 46 new cases, 25.41 percent positive tests
Sheboygan County: 116 new cases, 30.45 percent positive tests
St Croix County: 13 new cases, 15.48 percent positive tests
Vilas County: 10 new cases, 13.89 percent positive tests
Walworth County: 34 new cases, 40.96 percent positive tests
Washington County: 58 new cases, 29.15 percent positive tests
Waukesha County: 131 new cases, 19.82 percent positive tests
Waupaca County: 27 new cases, 44.26 percent positive tests
Waushara County: 14 new cases, 33.33 percent positive tests
While much of the growth in new cases continues to be driven by infections in younger people, the trend is shifting. In the week from Sept 6 – 13, new cases in those aged 18-24 went down by 18.7 percent, while every other age group increased — those aged 0-17 went up by 38.7 percent in that week, 25-24 went up 35 percent, 45-54 went up 32.76 percent, 55-64 went up 30.54 percent and those aged 65 and older went up 27.5 percent.
