Wisconsin’s COVID-19 Testing Capacity Doubles In Past Week
Twenty-nine labs can now process a total of 7,578 tests per day
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
Wisconsin’s COVID-19 testing capacity has more than doubled in the past week.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said there are now 29 labs in the state processing COVID-19 tests and that as of Thursday they can process 7,578 tests per day. That’s up from the 3,756 cases Palm said 20 labs could process last week.
But it’s still not enough. She said the capacity does not exist to test everyone that comes into contact someone that tests positive for the disease or those that are suspected of having it. “This is a critical and fundamental tool as we work to get to the next phase of our response,” said Palm of contact tracing and testing capacity.
But Palm is happy that state practices to date have slowed the spread of the disease. “The data tells us ‘safer at home’ is working,” said Palm. The number of cases is growing, but the rate at which it is doubling continues to slow.
The news comes as Governor Tony Evers extended the “safer at home” order through May 26th. Included in that extension are a loosening of restrictions on certain activities.
DHS reported 1,802 Wisconsin residents had tests processed over the past 24 hours. That includes 154 new positive cases, bringing the state total to 3,875.
Over half of those cases are in Milwaukee County. According to state data, 1,947 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for the disease. That’s the highest number and rate in the state at 204 cases per 100,000 residents.
Kenosha County has the second-highest case rate with 123.6 cases per 100,000 residents.
The death toll continues to grow. The state reported 15 new deaths, bringing the total to 197. Of those, 114 have occurred in Milwaukee County.
Cumulatively, 1,121 people testing positive for the disease have required hospitalization (29 percent).
The state has 517 intensive care unit beds available, the highest total reported since the data became available on April 9th.
Charts and Maps
Wisconsin COVID-19 summary
| Status | Number (%) of People as of 4/16/2020 |
|---|---|
| Negative Test Result | 40,974 |
| Positive Test Result | 3,875 |
| Hospitalizations | 1121 (29%) |
| Deaths | 197 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitilization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 4/16/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 4/16/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 1,121 | 29% |
| Never hospitalized | 2,010 | 52% |
| Unknown | 744 | 19% |
| Total | 3,875 | 100% |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race
| Race | Number of cases as of 4/16/2020 | Percent of cases as of 4/16/2020 | Number of deaths as of 4/16/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 4/16/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 34 | 1% | 2 | 1% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 95 | 2% | 5 | 3% |
| Black | 965 | 25% | 76 | 39% |
| White | 1,987 | 51% | 112 | 57% |
| Multiple or Other races | 113 | 3% | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown | 681 | 18% | 2 | 1% |
| Total | 3,875 | 100% | 197 | 100% |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number of cases as of 4/16/2020 | Percent of cases as of 4/16/2020 | Number of deaths as of 4/16/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 4/16/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 501 | 13% | 10 | 5% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 2,612 | 67% | 184 | 93% |
| Unknown | 762 | 20% | 3 | 2% |
| Total | 3,875 | 100% | 197 | 100% |
Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group
| Age Group (Years) | Cases as of 4/16/2020 | Ever hospitalized as of 4/16/2020 | Any Intensive Care as of 4/16/2020 | Deaths as of 4/16/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <10 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19 | 47 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 20-29 | 443 | 35 | 4 | 0 |
| 30-39 | 553 | 76 | 17 | 4 |
| 40-49 | 617 | 117 | 28 | 6 |
| 50-59 | 760 | 202 | 52 | 20 |
| 60-69 | 676 | 254 | 87 | 38 |
| 70-79 | 424 | 243 | 68 | 59 |
| 80-89 | 248 | 151 | 35 | 44 |
| 90+ | 91 | 36 | 8 | 26 |
| Total | 3,875 | 1,121 | 299 | 197 |
Results by county
| Wisconsin County | Positive as of 4/16/2020 | Negative as of 4/16/2020 | Deaths as of 4/16/2020 | Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 4/16/2020 | Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 4/16/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 3 | 97 | 1 | 14.9 | 33% |
| Ashland | 2 | 69 | 0 | 12.7 | 0% |
| Barron | 6 | 516 | 0 | 13.3 | 0% |
| Bayfield | 3 | 95 | 0 | 20.0 | 0% |
| Brown | 139 | 1,032 | 1 | 53.5 | 1% |
| Buffalo | 4 | 120 | 1 | 30.4 | 25% |
| Burnett | 0 | 58 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Calumet | 5 | 217 | 0 | 10.0 | 0% |
| Chippewa | 20 | 641 | 0 | 31.4 | 0% |
| Clark | 10 | 118 | 0 | 29.0 | 0% |
| Columbia | 27 | 503 | 1 | 47.4 | 4% |
| Crawford | 3 | 137 | 0 | 18.4 | 0% |
| Dane | 352 | 6,224 | 16 | 66.4 | 5% |
| Dodge | 19 | 563 | 1 | 21.6 | 5% |
| Door | 9 | 100 | 1 | 32.8 | 11% |
| Douglas | 7 | 349 | 0 | 16.1 | 0% |
| Dunn | 9 | 620 | 0 | 20.2 | 0% |
| Eau Claire | 22 | 1,287 | 0 | 21.4 | 0% |
| Florence | 2 | 9 | 0 | 46.1 | 0% |
| Fond du Lac | 59 | 964 | 3 | 57.7 | 5% |
| Forest | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Grant | 10 | 302 | 1 | 19.3 | 10% |
| Green | 9 | 212 | 0 | 24.4 | 0% |
| Green Lake | 1 | 111 | 0 | 5.3 | 0% |
| Iowa | 5 | 163 | 0 | 21.2 | 0% |
| Iron | 2 | 23 | 1 | 35.0 | 50% |
| Jackson | 11 | 144 | 1 | 53.6 | 9% |
| Jefferson | 24 | 537 | 0 | 28.4 | 0% |
| Juneau | 7 | 223 | 1 | 26.5 | 14% |
| Kenosha | 208 | 1,286 | 5 | 123.6 | 2% |
| Kewaunee | 6 | 71 | 1 | 29.5 | 17% |
| La Crosse | 25 | 1,350 | 0 | 21.2 | 0% |
| Lafayette | 3 | 61 | 0 | 17.9 | 0% |
| Langlade | 0 | 61 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Lincoln | 0 | 118 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Manitowoc | 5 | 191 | 0 | 6.3 | 0% |
| Marathon | 14 | 441 | 1 | 10.4 | 7% |
| Marinette | 4 | 170 | 1 | 9.9 | 25% |
| Marquette | 3 | 108 | 0 | 19.7 | 0% |
| Menominee | 1 | 9 | 0 | 21.8 | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 1,947 | 8,316 | 114 | 204.0 | 6% |
| Monroe | 12 | 470 | 0 | 26.4 | 0% |
| Oconto | 4 | 174 | 0 | 10.7 | 0% |
| Oneida | 6 | 191 | 0 | 17.0 | 0% |
| Outagamie | 31 | 733 | 2 | 16.8 | 6% |
| Ozaukee | 77 | 633 | 9 | 87.2 | 12% |
| Pepin | 0 | 80 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Pierce | 7 | 285 | 0 | 16.8 | 0% |
| Polk | 3 | 152 | 0 | 6.9 | 0% |
| Portage | 4 | 208 | 0 | 5.7 | 0% |
| Price | 1 | 46 | 0 | 7.4 | 0% |
| Racine | 143 | 1,150 | 6 | 73.2 | 4% |
| Richland | 7 | 165 | 1 | 39.9 | 14% |
| Rock | 63 | 1,108 | 4 | 38.9 | 6% |
| Rusk | 3 | 81 | 0 | 21.2 | 0% |
| Sauk | 31 | 467 | 3 | 48.7 | 10% |
| Sawyer | 2 | 159 | 0 | 12.2 | 0% |
| Shawano | 6 | 204 | 0 | 14.6 | 0% |
| Sheboygan | 37 | 589 | 2 | 32.1 | 5% |
| St. Croix | 11 | 284 | 0 | 12.5 | 0% |
| Taylor | 0 | 65 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Trempealeau | 1 | 319 | 0 | 3.4 | 0% |
| Vernon | 0 | 244 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Vilas | 4 | 83 | 0 | 18.5 | 0% |
| Walworth | 71 | 440 | 3 | 68.9 | 4% |
| Washburn | 1 | 106 | 0 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Washington | 79 | 1,183 | 3 | 58.7 | 4% |
| Waukesha | 245 | 2,369 | 11 | 61.4 | 4% |
| Waupaca | 4 | 231 | 1 | 7.8 | 25% |
| Waushara | 2 | 89 | 0 | 8.3 | 0% |
| Winnebago | 32 | 727 | 1 | 18.8 | 3% |
| Wood | 2 | 289 | 0 | 2.7 | 0% |
| Total | 3,875 | 40,974 | 197 | 67.1 | 5% |
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