COVID-19 Testing Up 31% in Wisconsin
State reports over 5,000 tests in a day for first time. Positive test rate drops to record low.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
The number of people being tested for COVID-19 in Wisconsin continues to reach new highs. The Department of Health Services (DHS) reported Thursday afternoon that 5,523 tests were processed in the past 24 hours, the third day in a row the state has set a single-day testing record. Thursday’s total was up 31 percent from yesterday’s 4,194 tests and 44 percent from Tuesday’s 3,830 tests.
After averaging 1,957 tests per day in April, the state has recorded an average of 3,715 tests per day in May.
The surge could be due in part to a DHS plan to test all residents and workers at long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Governor Tony Evers said it would require 10,000 tests per week through the end of May.
But the figures are still short of the Badger Bounce Back plan’s goal of 85,000 tests per week (approximately 12,100 per day). For the second day in a row, DHS reported the 51 labs processing tests across the state have the capacity to process 14,797 tests per day.
One of the criteria tracked in the Badger Bounce Back, the percentage of tests coming back positive appears to be moving in the right direction. The rate has fallen for four days in a row and reached a record low of 5.69 percent on Thursday. Even as testing expands, state officials said the number needs to continue to trend downward.
The hospitalization rate for the disease over the length of the outbreak stands at 19 percent (1,732), though the state does not have hospitalization data in 22 percent (2,036) of cases.
The death toll from the virus has reached 374, with 12 newly-confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours. DHS reports that 212 of the deaths have occurred in Milwaukee County. The county’s residents represent 3,573 of the 9,215 confirmed cases according to state data.
But on a per-capita basis, Brown County has far more cases and the gap between the two continues to grow.
Brown County, which is anchored by Green Bay, now has 656.7 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 636.3 yesterday). Milwaukee County has 374.4 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 363.5). On April 16th, Brown County had only 53.5 cases per 100,000 residents while Milwaukee had 204. Brown County now has 11 confirmed deaths and 1,706 confirmed cases.
Kenosha County has the third-highest rate at 362.4 cases per 100,000 residents. Racine (301.9), Walworth (219.4), Rock (200.3), Kewaunee (122.8), Grant (127.3), Ozaukee (112.1) and Sauk (108.5) are the only other counties with more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents. The statewide average has risen to 159.5 (up from 154).
There are currently 949 ventilators and 405 intensive care unit beds available across the state according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. Since the data became publicly available on April 10th, WHA has reported an average of 928 ventilators and 442 intensive care unit beds as available.
Charts and Maps
Wisconsin COVID-19 summary
| Status | Number (%) of People as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|
| Negative Test Results | 93,035 |
| Positive Test Results | 9,215 |
| Hospitalizations | 1,732 (19%) |
| Deaths | 374 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitilization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 5/7/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 1,732 | 19% |
| Never hospitalized | 5,447 | 59% |
| Unknown | 2,036 | 22% |
| Total | 9,215 | 100% |
Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group
| Age Group (Years) | Cases as of 5/7/2020 | Ever hospitalized as of 5/7/2020 | Any Intensive Care as of 5/7/2020 | Deaths as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <10 | 118 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19 | 344 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 20-29 | 1452 | 74 | 12 | 4 |
| 30-39 | 1562 | 117 | 20 | 5 |
| 40-49 | 1595 | 191 | 48 | 11 |
| 50-59 | 1627 | 300 | 81 | 33 |
| 60-69 | 1214 | 386 | 125 | 57 |
| 70-79 | 685 | 338 | 87 | 110 |
| 80-89 | 424 | 225 | 46 | 91 |
| 90+ | 194 | 79 | 15 | 63 |
| Total | 9,215 | 1,732 | 435 | 374 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths by gender
| Gender | Confirmed Cases as of 5/7/2020 | Deaths as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 50% | 42% |
| Male | 50% | 58% |
| Unknown | 0% | 0% |
| Total Number | 9,215 | 374 |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race
| Race | Number of cases as of 5/7/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/7/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/7/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 100 | 1% | 4 | 1% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 335 | 4% | 6 | 2% |
| Black | 1,956 | 21% | 112 | 30% |
| White | 5,009 | 54% | 244 | 65% |
| Multiple or Other races | 931 | 10% | 3 | 1% |
| Unknown | 884 | 10% | 5 | 1% |
| Total | 9,215 | 100% | 374 | 100% |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number of cases as of 5/7/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/7/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/7/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,699 | 29% | 32 | 9% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 5,589 | 61% | 335 | 90% |
| Unknown | 927 | 10% | 7 | 2% |
| Total | 9,215 | 100% | 374 | 100% |
Number of positive cases and deaths by county
| Wisconsin County | Positive as of 5/7/2020 | Negative as of 5/7/2020 | Deaths as of 5/7/2020 | Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 5/7/2020 | Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 5/7/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 4 | 237 | 1 | 19.9 | 25% |
| Ashland | 2 | 167 | 0 | 12.7 | 0% |
| Barron | 7 | 978 | 0 | 15.5 | 0% |
| Bayfield | 3 | 215 | 1 | 20.0 | 33% |
| Brown | 1,706 | 5,339 | 12 | 656.7 | 1% |
| Buffalo | 5 | 376 | 1 | 38.0 | 20% |
| Burnett | 0 | 130 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Calumet | 22 | 478 | 0 | 44.2 | 0% |
| Chippewa | 27 | 1,218 | 0 | 42.4 | 0% |
| Clark | 23 | 311 | 4 | 66.7 | 17% |
| Columbia | 32 | 1,017 | 1 | 56.2 | 3% |
| Crawford | 16 | 273 | 0 | 98.2 | 0% |
| Dane | 447 | 13,032 | 22 | 84.4 | 5% |
| Dodge | 46 | 1,203 | 1 | 52.4 | 2% |
| Door | 18 | 302 | 3 | 65.6 | 17% |
| Douglas | 10 | 593 | 0 | 23.0 | 0% |
| Dunn | 14 | 1,146 | 0 | 31.5 | 0% |
| Eau Claire | 47 | 2,307 | 0 | 45.6 | 0% |
| Florence | 2 | 29 | 0 | 46.1 | 0% |
| Fond du Lac | 84 | 1,666 | 3 | 82.1 | 4% |
| Forest | 1 | 102 | 0 | 11.1 | 0% |
| Grant | 66 | 971 | 7 | 127.3 | 11% |
| Green | 21 | 465 | 0 | 57.0 | 0% |
| Green Lake | 5 | 231 | 0 | 26.7 | 0% |
| Iowa | 10 | 329 | 0 | 42.3 | 0% |
| Iron | 2 | 48 | 1 | 35.0 | 50% |
| Jackson | 12 | 420 | 1 | 58.5 | 8% |
| Jefferson | 50 | 1,165 | 0 | 59.1 | 0% |
| Juneau | 20 | 463 | 1 | 75.7 | 5% |
| Kenosha | 610 | 2,964 | 14 | 362.4 | 2% |
| Kewaunee | 25 | 208 | 1 | 122.8 | 4% |
| La Crosse | 32 | 2,588 | 0 | 27.2 | 0% |
| Lafayette | 9 | 188 | 0 | 53.8 | 0% |
| Langlade | 0 | 161 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Lincoln | 1 | 232 | 0 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Manitowoc | 17 | 573 | 1 | 21.4 | 6% |
| Marathon | 21 | 981 | 1 | 15.5 | 5% |
| Marinette | 13 | 534 | 1 | 32.1 | 8% |
| Marquette | 3 | 219 | 1 | 19.7 | 33% |
| Menominee | 2 | 90 | 0 | 43.7 | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 3,573 | 18,806 | 212 | 374.4 | 6% |
| Monroe | 14 | 1,129 | 1 | 30.8 | 7% |
| Oconto | 26 | 513 | 0 | 69.2 | 0% |
| Oneida | 6 | 361 | 0 | 17.0 | 0% |
| Outagamie | 93 | 1,853 | 2 | 50.3 | 2% |
| Ozaukee | 99 | 1,142 | 9 | 112.1 | 9% |
| Pepin | 0 | 187 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Pierce | 12 | 525 | 0 | 28.8 | 0% |
| Polk | 5 | 476 | 0 | 11.5 | 0% |
| Portage | 7 | 473 | 0 | 9.9 | 0% |
| Price | 1 | 126 | 0 | 7.4 | 0% |
| Racine | 590 | 3,283 | 16 | 301.9 | 3% |
| Richland | 13 | 316 | 2 | 74.1 | 15% |
| Rock | 324 | 2,847 | 12 | 200.3 | 4% |
| Rusk | 4 | 151 | 0 | 28.2 | 0% |
| Sauk | 69 | 1,322 | 3 | 108.5 | 4% |
| Sawyer | 4 | 313 | 0 | 24.4 | 0% |
| Shawano | 17 | 495 | 0 | 41.5 | 0% |
| Sheboygan | 65 | 1,212 | 2 | 56.4 | 3% |
| St. Croix | 23 | 788 | 0 | 26.2 | 0% |
| Taylor | 0 | 141 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Trempealeau | 5 | 636 | 0 | 17.0 | 0% |
| Vernon | 2 | 507 | 0 | 6.6 | 0% |
| Vilas | 4 | 187 | 0 | 18.5 | 0% |
| Walworth | 226 | 1,198 | 9 | 219.4 | 4% |
| Washburn | 1 | 209 | 0 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Washington | 113 | 2,099 | 4 | 84.0 | 4% |
| Waukesha | 380 | 4,733 | 22 | 95.3 | 6% |
| Waupaca | 10 | 505 | 1 | 19.4 | 10% |
| Waushara | 4 | 229 | 0 | 16.6 | 0% |
| Winnebago | 88 | 1,678 | 1 | 51.8 | 1% |
| Wood | 2 | 646 | 0 | 2.7 | 0% |
| Total | 9,215 | 93,035 | 374 | 159.5 | 4% |
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- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
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- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
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- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
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- Nearly All Wisconsinites Age 6 Months and Older Now Eligible for Updated COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 15th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Bi-Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Dec 9th, 2022
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