The rate of coronavirus tests returning positive results rose to 6.9 percent — up from 4.9 — as more than 15,000 tests returned 1,052 positive results, according to state and county public health data. That brings the total case count for Wisconsin to 45,899. Of those, just over 9,500 are considered active — about 200 more than Wednesday.
Additionally, 13 more fatalities were reported today — five in Milwaukee County, two each in Brown and Kenosha Counties, and one each in Eau Claire, Outagamie, Winnebago and Walworth Counties — bringing the statewide death toll to 865.
The largest local increase was in Milwaukee County – including their latest posted numbers at 1:30 pm today – with 420 new cases and 13.62 percent of tests coming back positive.
Several other counties saw double-digit increases and high positive test rates, including:
Brown County: 38 new cases, 8.58 percent positive tests
Dane County: 36 new cases, 1.83 percent positive tests
Eau Claire County: 12 new cases, 2.56 percent positive tests
Jefferson County: 12 new cases, 5.94 percent positive tests
Kenosha County: 42 new cases, 23.33 percent positive tests
La Crosse County: 12 new cases, 33.33 percent positive tests
Marathon County: 22 new cases, 10.58 percent positive tests
Outagamie County: 25 new cases, 6.93 percent positive tests
Ozaukee County: 18 new cases, 7.83 percent positive tests
Racine County: 55 new cases, 4.26 percent positive tests
Rock County: 16 new cases, 3.38 percent positive tests
Sheboygan County: 14 new cases, 6.28 percent positive tests
St Croix County: 10 new cases, 8.47 percent positive tests
Walworth County: 10 new cases, 16.13 percent positive tests
Washington County: 23 new cases, 13.94 percent positive tests
Waukesha County: 92 new cases, 5.78 percent positive tests
Waupaca County: 11 new cases, 5.47 percent positive tests
Winnebago County: 17 new cases, 11.11 percent positive tests
Wood County: 12 new cases, 7.23 percent positive tests
Statewide hospitalization data was not available today as the Wisconsin Hospitalization Association and Department of Health Services were changing the way they report data to comply with new federal guidelines. However, it was reported that 48 people were admitted to a hospital in the past 24 hours — nine of them in their 60s, 15 of them in their 70s and seven in their 80s.
The rate of disparity in Latino populations continues to stand out. Twenty-six percent of total cases are now Latino people, as are 12 percent of deaths. Latinos make up just seven percent of the state’s overall population.
Similarly, 16 percent of all cases are Black people, as are 23 percent of total COVID-19 related deaths in the state. Black people make up just six percent of the state’s population.
DHS also reports that just under 77 percent of those confirmed to have been infected have recovered and two percent have died.
