The percentage of coronavirus tests that came back positive in the past 24 hours fell from eight to 6.5 percent from Sunday to Monday, giving the average over the past 14 days enough downward trajectory to begin opening the state, if other measures also improve.
Governor Tony Evers’ “Badger Bounce Back” plan requires a 14-day decline in that measure, along with other indicators, before more businesses are allowed to open and groups can begin to gather. The number of people presenting at hospitals with flu and covid-like symptoms has not show an adequate decrease, nor has the number of health care workers who are infected or showing symptoms. Up-to-date information is on the DHS Website.
Wisconsin now has had a total of 10,448 cases, according to Department of Health Services and county public health data — an increase of 198.
Overall since the crisis began, 8.8 percent of all tests have come back positive. That’s slightly lower than it was yesterday, when it was 8.86 percent.
The largest increase in new cases today come from Milwaukee County, which increased by 70, and Brown County, with an increase of 23. The outbreak in Brown County seems to have slowed down at least for the day, as 15 percent of tests came back positive — down from More than 59 percent yesterday. An outbreak at a meat packing plant in Green Bay has significantly increased the number of positive cases in Brown County, which have now reached 1,897 in the county. That’s a rate of 740 cases per 100,000 residents — far higher than the second-highest rate, 414 in Milwaukee County.
The other hotspot county that have shown no sign of cooling off is Racine County, which increased by 20 cases as a staggering 91 percent of tests — 20 out of 22 — came back positive.
A number of rural counties are also showing what could be small flare-ups, including Fond du Lac County, which only processed 11 tests but had eight come back positive — a 73 percent rate.
The statewide death toll is now 409, with nine more fatalities since Friday afternoon.
The number of people hospitalized remained steady — 340 people are currently hospitalized, just one more than Sunday, with 116 in intensive care, up six from Sunday. Additionally, 198 are hospitalized awaiting test results. Of those, 243 are in Southeastern Wisconsin, and 40 are in Northeastern Wisconsin.
The rate of disparity in Latino populations continues to rise — 30 percent of total cases are now Latino people, and 32 percent of the new cases identified today. Latinos make up just seven percent of the state’s overall population.
Similarly, 21 percent of all cases are Black people, who also make up just under 30 percent of deaths. Black people make up just 6 percent of the state’s population.
Racial disparities also increased in Dane County, where Black people make up five percent of the population but 14 percent of coronavirus cases, and Latinos make up six percent of the population and 11 percent of coronavirus cases.
DHS also reports that 48 percent of those confirmed to have been infected have recovered and four percent have died.
