COVID-19 Testing Up But Racial Disparities Still Stark
Latino and African American communities still suffer from higher rates of cases, deaths.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
Substantial racial and ethnic disparities remain in which Wisconsin residents are contracting COVID-19 even as testing capacity expands across the state.
Only 6.7 percent of Wisconsin residents identify as black, but at least 21 percent of confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been involved state’s black population. That’s down from 26 percent on April 10th when the outbreak was primarily clustered in Milwaukee and Dane counties.
But as the outbreak has grown across the state, clustered around outbreaks at food processing plants, another minority community now has an even bigger disparity. Over 30 percent of cases involve individuals identifying as Hispanic or Latino. On April 10th, Hispanics and Latinos represented 10 percent of COVID-19 cases. The group represents 6.9 percent of the state’s population.
The state does not have race data in 10 percent of cases, down from 18 percent at this point last month.
The data gets starker for the black community when looking at deaths. The Department of Health Services reports 29 percent of those that died from the disease have identified as black. The Hispanic or Latino community represents eight percent of deaths.
Deaths continue to be concentrated among the oldest Wisconsin residents while those with confirmed cases are more evenly distributed. Over 71 percent of those that have died from the disease have been 70 or older, while the same age group represents only 14 percent of cases. Approximately 43% have lived in long-term care facilities.
DHS reported Saturday that 5,019 people were tested in the past 24 hours, with 6.95 percent being confirmed as positive (349). The percent of people testing positive in the past 14 days has trended downward, but on the Badger Bounce Back plan dashboard the state reports that figure has not been statistically significant.
The hospitalization rate for the disease over the length of the outbreak stands at 18 percent (1,767), though the state does not have hospitalization data in 23 percent (2,171) of cases.
The death toll from the virus has reached 398, with 14 newly-confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours. DHS reports that 224 of the deaths have occurred in Milwaukee County. The county’s residents represent 3,854 of the 9,939 confirmed cases according to state data.
Two free, no-appointment testing sites will open at 8 a.m. Monday in Milwaukee.
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 706 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 684 yesterday). Milwaukee County has 403.9 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 390.1). On April 16th, Brown County had only 53.5 cases per 100,000 residents while Milwaukee had 204. Brown County now has 18 confirmed deaths and 1,834 confirmed cases.
Kenosha County has the third-highest rate at 386.7 cases per 100,000 residents. Racine (324.5), Walworth (222.3), Rock (214.5), Kewaunee (137.5), Grant (129.3), Ozaukee (117.8), Sauk (111.6) and Crawford (104.4) are the only other counties with more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents. The statewide average has risen to 172 (up from 166).
There are currently 913 ventilators and 382 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 927 ventilators and 440 intensive care unit beds as available.
Charts and Maps
Wisconsin COVID-19 summary
| Status | Number (%) of People as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|
| Negative Test Results | 101,935 |
| Positive Test Results | 9,939 |
| Hospitalizations | 1,806 (18%) |
| Deaths | 398 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitilization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 5/9/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 1,806 | 18% |
| Never hospitalized | 5,878 | 59% |
| Unknown | 2,255 | 23% |
| Total | 9,939 | 100% |
Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group
| Age Group (Years) | Cases as of 5/9/2020 | Ever hospitalized as of 5/9/2020 | Any Intensive Care as of 5/9/2020 | Deaths as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <10 | 136 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19 | 403 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 20-29 | 1603 | 80 | 14 | 4 |
| 30-39 | 1692 | 122 | 21 | 5 |
| 40-49 | 1714 | 201 | 52 | 11 |
| 50-59 | 1718 | 310 | 86 | 33 |
| 60-69 | 1290 | 408 | 126 | 61 |
| 70-79 | 724 | 352 | 91 | 117 |
| 80-89 | 446 | 228 | 46 | 96 |
| 90+ | 213 | 83 | 15 | 71 |
| Total | 9,939 | 1,806 | 452 | 398 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths by gender
| Gender | Confirmed Cases as of 5/9/2020 | Deaths as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 50% | 42% |
| Male | 50% | 58% |
| Unknown | 0% | 0% |
| Total Number | 9,939 | 398 |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race
| Race | Number of cases as of 5/9/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/9/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/9/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 114 | 1% | 5 | 1% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 357 | 4% | 6 | 2% |
| Black | 2,076 | 21% | 116 | 29% |
| White | 5,377 | 54% | 265 | 67% |
| Multiple or Other races | 1,020 | 10% | 2 | 1% |
| Unknown | 995 | 10% | 4 | 1% |
| Total | 9,939 | 100% | 398 | 100% |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number of cases as of 5/9/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/9/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/9/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,980 | 30% | 32 | 8% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 5,924 | 60% | 360 | 90% |
| Unknown | 1,035 | 10% | 6 | 2% |
| Total | 9,939 | 100% | 398 | 100% |
Number of positive cases and deaths by county
| Wisconsin County | Positive as of 5/9/2020 | Negative as of 5/9/2020 | Deaths as of 5/9/2020 | Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 5/9/2020 | Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 5/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 4 | 259 | 1 | 19.9 | 25% |
| Ashland | 2 | 170 | 0 | 12.7 | 0% |
| Barron | 10 | 1,053 | 0 | 22.1 | 0% |
| Bayfield | 3 | 229 | 1 | 20.0 | 33% |
| Brown | 1,834 | 5,805 | 18 | 706.0 | 1% |
| Buffalo | 5 | 406 | 1 | 38.0 | 20% |
| Burnett | 0 | 208 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Calumet | 35 | 521 | 0 | 70.3 | 0% |
| Chippewa | 29 | 1,309 | 0 | 45.6 | 0% |
| Clark | 24 | 342 | 4 | 69.6 | 17% |
| Columbia | 32 | 1,101 | 1 | 56.2 | 3% |
| Crawford | 17 | 297 | 0 | 104.4 | 0% |
| Dane | 465 | 13,720 | 22 | 87.8 | 5% |
| Dodge | 55 | 1,295 | 1 | 62.7 | 2% |
| Door | 20 | 344 | 3 | 72.9 | 15% |
| Douglas | 11 | 739 | 0 | 25.3 | 0% |
| Dunn | 14 | 1,230 | 0 | 31.5 | 0% |
| Eau Claire | 54 | 2,472 | 0 | 52.4 | 0% |
| Florence | 2 | 30 | 0 | 46.1 | 0% |
| Fond du Lac | 86 | 1,854 | 3 | 84.1 | 3% |
| Forest | 1 | 109 | 0 | 11.1 | 0% |
| Grant | 67 | 1,227 | 7 | 129.3 | 10% |
| Green | 33 | 610 | 0 | 89.5 | 0% |
| Green Lake | 7 | 245 | 0 | 37.3 | 0% |
| Iowa | 10 | 362 | 0 | 42.3 | 0% |
| Iron | 2 | 53 | 1 | 35.0 | 50% |
| Jackson | 12 | 479 | 1 | 58.5 | 8% |
| Jefferson | 50 | 1,245 | 2 | 59.1 | 4% |
| Juneau | 21 | 506 | 1 | 79.5 | 5% |
| Kenosha | 651 | 3,334 | 15 | 386.7 | 2% |
| Kewaunee | 28 | 242 | 1 | 137.5 | 4% |
| La Crosse | 32 | 2,707 | 0 | 27.2 | 0% |
| Lafayette | 13 | 257 | 0 | 77.7 | 0% |
| Langlade | 0 | 184 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Lincoln | 1 | 257 | 0 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Manitowoc | 19 | 631 | 1 | 23.9 | 5% |
| Marathon | 24 | 1,106 | 1 | 17.7 | 4% |
| Marinette | 16 | 587 | 1 | 39.5 | 6% |
| Marquette | 3 | 242 | 1 | 19.7 | 33% |
| Menominee | 2 | 111 | 0 | 43.7 | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 3,854 | 20,857 | 224 | 403.9 | 6% |
| Monroe | 14 | 1,222 | 1 | 30.8 | 7% |
| Oconto | 28 | 585 | 0 | 74.6 | 0% |
| Oneida | 7 | 395 | 0 | 19.8 | 0% |
| Outagamie | 111 | 2,072 | 2 | 60.1 | 2% |
| Ozaukee | 104 | 1,233 | 9 | 117.8 | 9% |
| Pepin | 0 | 246 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Pierce | 12 | 563 | 0 | 28.8 | 0% |
| Polk | 5 | 544 | 0 | 11.5 | 0% |
| Portage | 7 | 538 | 0 | 9.9 | 0% |
| Price | 1 | 141 | 0 | 7.4 | 0% |
| Racine | 680 | 3,675 | 16 | 348.0 | 2% |
| Richland | 13 | 340 | 2 | 74.1 | 15% |
| Rock | 347 | 3,105 | 13 | 214.5 | 4% |
| Rusk | 4 | 169 | 0 | 28.2 | 0% |
| Sauk | 71 | 1,412 | 3 | 111.6 | 4% |
| Sawyer | 4 | 365 | 0 | 24.4 | 0% |
| Shawano | 20 | 538 | 0 | 48.8 | 0% |
| Sheboygan | 65 | 1,292 | 2 | 56.4 | 3% |
| St. Croix | 27 | 906 | 0 | 30.7 | 0% |
| Taylor | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Trempealeau | 5 | 683 | 0 | 17.0 | 0% |
| Vernon | 3 | 536 | 0 | 9.8 | 0% |
| Vilas | 4 | 206 | 0 | 18.5 | 0% |
| Walworth | 229 | 1,298 | 10 | 222.3 | 4% |
| Washburn | 1 | 256 | 0 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Washington | 116 | 2,254 | 4 | 86.2 | 3% |
| Waukesha | 396 | 5,116 | 23 | 99.3 | 6% |
| Waupaca | 13 | 566 | 1 | 25.3 | 8% |
| Waushara | 4 | 248 | 0 | 16.6 | 0% |
| Winnebago | 98 | 1,825 | 1 | 57.7 | 1% |
| Wood | 2 | 716 | 0 | 2.7 | 0% |
| Total | 9,939 | 101,935 | 398 | 172.0 | 4% |
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- Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic - County Executive David Crowley - May 9th, 2023
- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
- Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 17th, 2023
- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
- DHS Expands Free COVID-19 Testing Program - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 10th, 2023
- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
- Not Enough Getting Bivalent Booster Shots, State Health Officials Warn - Gaby Vinick - Dec 26th, 2022
- 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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