Even as the most-ever coronavirus tests were reported today — over 13,000 — the percentage of tests that came back positive creeped up to 5.3 percent, up from 4.8 percent yesterday.
Wisconsin DHS reports the highest-ever positive case increase of 733 cases, bringing the total to 17,784. Part of that increase, though, has to do with a shift in timing: until today, Milwaukee County reported its data daily at 2:30 pm, 30 minutes after the state Department of Health Services. Today, Milwaukee County shifted to reporting every day at 1:30 pm. As a result, today’s DHS count includes both today’s and yesterday’s Milwaukee County data.
Madison365 has reported a daily total that includes Milwaukee County’s 2:30 data. Yesterday’s total that we reported — 17,211 — included yesterday’s Milwaukee County data. As a result, our daily count today reflects an increase of 573.
Additionally, 19 people succumbed to COVID19 since this time Wednesday, bringing the total death toll to 569. Nine of those were in Racine County, which remains in the grips of a rapidly spreading outbreak.
The largest local increase in new cases today comes from Milwaukee County, with 316 new cases and 15 percent of tests coming back positive.
Racine County saw more positive cases today, 47, with 6.9 percent of tests coming back positive. That’s higher than yesterday but still a marked improvement from Wednesday, when 184 new cases were identified there, with nearly 15 percent of tests returning positive results.
Kenosha County also saw an uptick in new cases after a few days of lower numbers; 8.3 percent of tests today came back positive, adding 43 new cases.
Similarly, a smaller outbreak continues in Dane County, which shows 27 new cases today, and more than 100 over the past week. The county’s positive test rate remains low at about four percent, but the county has consistently seen single-digit daily case increases and positive tests rates of one percent or lower.
Dane County began its first phase of “reopening” Tuesday.
Hospitalizations have risen again as 423 people are hospitalized, the most since April 14. Of those currently hospitalized, 144 require intensive care. Additionally, 243 people are hospitalized and awaiting test results.
The rate of disparity in Latino populations continues to stand out — 33.5 percent of total cases are now Latino people, and 37 percent of today’s new cases. Latinos make up just seven percent of the state’s overall population.
Similarly, 19 percent of all cases are Black people, who also make up 26 percent of deaths. Black people make up just six percent of the state’s population.
DHS also reports that 61 percent of those confirmed to have been infected have recovered and 3.3 percent have died, leaving about 6,250 active, confirmed infections in the state.
