COVID-19 Testing Continues to Fall, Case Rate Continues to Climb
Positive case rate has climbed for 17 straight days.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
The state Department of Health Services reported 4,996 COVID-19 tests were processed in the past 24 hours, well below the 30-day average of 9,763, but not a surprise.
Much of the data reported Sunday afternoon reflects tests work done the day prior, and yesterday was a national holiday. The community testing sites staffed by the Wisconsin National Guard in Milwaukee and other locations have also been closed since July 2nd, temporarily slowing the supply of new samples needing processing.
But while testing fell, the number of new cases didn’t drop in lockstep. For the second day in a row the positive case rate, the percentage of tests that registered a positive result, was in excess of 10 percent. The last time the state recorded back-to-back days in excess of 10 percent was May 3rd when almost half as many tests were processed.
A total of 522 Wisconsin residents were newly confirmed to have the disease in the past 24 hours, the sixth straight day in excess of 500 cases and the longest such stretch over the length of the outbreak.
The 14-day positive case rate, a metric state and federal officials identified as one indicator of how the fight against the disease is going, has now increased for 17 straight days.
It now stands at 5.18 percent, up from a low of 2.69 percent. The percentage was last higher on May 30th. The seven-day average is 5.79 percent.
For the second day in a row and the fifth time in the last 10 days no new deaths were confirmed. The statewide total stands at 796 with an average of 5.43 deaths per day reported over the past 30 days.
Officials have pointed at a number of figures to explain the disconnect between new cases and hospitalizations (and ultimately deaths). Most notably, hospitalizations and deaths are lagging indicators of the spread of the disease with medical services often not required immediately after a positive case is confirmed.
The age of those getting the disease in recent weeks is believed to be a contributing factor as well. The age group with the biggest number of confirmed cases is individuals 20 to 29 years old and the gap between the group and all others is growing. The hospitalization and death rate increase with age.
New outbreak hot spots continue to emerge, including Dane and La Crosse counties. While Milwaukee County has had the largest outbreak over the length of the pandemic, La Crosse County has recorded 260 more cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks (last measured July 1st). Milwaukee at 190 cases per 100,000 residents is 10 ahead of both Lafayette and Dane counties over the past 14 days. Eight counties have recorded 100 or more cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks according to DHS.
According to DHS data, 1,282 out of every 100,000 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 (up from 1,266.3) since the outbreak began. Brown County, which is anchored by Green Bay, has 1,161.7 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 1,153.6). Racine County has 1,134.6 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 1,123.9).
Kenosha (942.2), Walworth (668.8), Rock (555.7), Dodge (550.3), Lafayette (454.1), Dane (450.3), Trempealeau (445), La Crosse (437), Forest (432.5) and Winnebago (418.4) are the only other counties with more than 350 cases per 100,000 residents.
The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents rose to 546.5 (up from 537.4 yesterday)
There are currently 983 ventilators and 361 intensive care unit (ICU) 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 944 ventilators and 393 ICU beds as available.
Correction: An earlier version of this article understated the number of new cases, it is 522 not 502. We regret the error.
Charts and Maps
Data from DHS.
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitalization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 7/5/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 7/5/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 3,586 | 11% |
| Never hospitalized | 18,292 | 58% |
| Unknown | 9,699 | 31% |
| Total | 31,577 | 100% |
Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group
Data from DHS.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by gender
Data from DHS.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race
Data from DHS.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity
Data from DHS.
Number of positive cases and deaths by county
| Wisconsin County | Positive as of 7/5/2020 | Negative as of 7/5/2020 | Deaths as of 7/5/2020 | Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 7/5/2020 | Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 7/5/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 32 | 1,673 | 2 | 159.4 | 6% |
| Ashland | 3 | 914 | 0 | 19.1 | 0% |
| Barron | 36 | 3,841 | 1 | 79.6 | 3% |
| Bayfield | 3 | 1,125 | 1 | 20.0 | 33% |
| Brown | 3,018 | 33,065 | 42 | 1161.7 | 1% |
| Buffalo | 8 | 1,038 | 2 | 60.8 | 25% |
| Burnett | 4 | 917 | 1 | 26.2 | 25% |
| Calumet | 118 | 3,705 | 2 | 236.9 | 2% |
| Chippewa | 102 | 5,338 | 0 | 160.3 | 0% |
| Clark | 87 | 2,268 | 7 | 252.2 | 8% |
| Columbia | 101 | 6,259 | 1 | 177.3 | 1% |
| Crawford | 41 | 2,478 | 0 | 251.7 | 0% |
| Dane | 2,386 | 72,153 | 32 | 450.3 | 1% |
| Dodge | 483 | 11,147 | 5 | 550.3 | 1% |
| Door | 45 | 2,916 | 3 | 164.0 | 7% |
| Douglas | 41 | 2,491 | 0 | 94.5 | 0% |
| Dunn | 43 | 3,713 | 0 | 96.6 | 0% |
| Eau Claire | 284 | 8,552 | 1 | 275.8 | 0% |
| Florence | 4 | 442 | 0 | 92.2 | 0% |
| Fond du Lac | 320 | 10,330 | 6 | 312.8 | 2% |
| Forest | 39 | 594 | 3 | 432.5 | 8% |
| Grant | 175 | 5,818 | 13 | 337.7 | 7% |
| Green | 96 | 3,097 | 1 | 260.4 | 1% |
| Green Lake | 37 | 1,769 | 0 | 197.3 | 0% |
| Iowa | 37 | 2,613 | 0 | 156.6 | 0% |
| Iron | 8 | 412 | 1 | 140.0 | 13% |
| Jackson | 27 | 2,827 | 1 | 131.7 | 4% |
| Jefferson | 285 | 7,176 | 4 | 336.7 | 1% |
| Juneau | 43 | 3,100 | 1 | 162.8 | 2% |
| Kenosha | 1,586 | 18,377 | 44 | 942.2 | 3% |
| Kewaunee | 63 | 1,602 | 1 | 309.4 | 2% |
| La Crosse | 515 | 12,795 | 0 | 437.0 | 0% |
| Lafayette | 76 | 1,418 | 0 | 454.1 | 0% |
| Langlade | 11 | 1,427 | 0 | 57.4 | 0% |
| Lincoln | 15 | 1,903 | 0 | 53.9 | 0% |
| Manitowoc | 114 | 6,614 | 1 | 143.6 | 1% |
| Marathon | 210 | 7,264 | 1 | 155.3 | 0% |
| Marinette | 65 | 4,518 | 3 | 160.3 | 5% |
| Marquette | 24 | 1,171 | 1 | 157.8 | 4% |
| Menominee | 7 | 1,233 | 0 | 152.9 | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 12,233 | 111,388 | 391 | 1282.0 | 3% |
| Monroe | 81 | 4,945 | 1 | 178.0 | 1% |
| Oconto | 65 | 3,693 | 0 | 173.1 | 0% |
| Oneida | 20 | 2,580 | 0 | 56.6 | 0% |
| Outagamie | 540 | 16,248 | 9 | 292.3 | 2% |
| Ozaukee | 260 | 7,143 | 15 | 294.5 | 6% |
| Pepin | 1 | 577 | 0 | 13.8 | 0% |
| Pierce | 75 | 2,846 | 0 | 180.3 | 0% |
| Polk | 60 | 3,822 | 1 | 138.4 | 2% |
| Portage | 192 | 5,712 | 0 | 272.0 | 0% |
| Price | 2 | 966 | 0 | 14.8 | 0% |
| Racine | 2,217 | 27,443 | 65 | 1134.6 | 3% |
| Richland | 15 | 1,619 | 4 | 85.5 | 27% |
| Rock | 899 | 15,761 | 24 | 555.7 | 3% |
| Rusk | 11 | 794 | 0 | 77.6 | 0% |
| Sauk | 123 | 7,233 | 3 | 193.4 | 2% |
| Sawyer | 12 | 1,875 | 0 | 73.3 | 0% |
| Shawano | 86 | 4,212 | 0 | 209.7 | 0% |
| Sheboygan | 229 | 9,203 | 4 | 198.8 | 2% |
| St. Croix | 205 | 6,623 | 1 | 233.2 | 0% |
| Taylor | 15 | 1,056 | 0 | 73.7 | 0% |
| Trempealeau | 131 | 3,544 | 0 | 445.0 | 0% |
| Vernon | 38 | 2,533 | 0 | 124.5 | 0% |
| Vilas | 10 | 1,242 | 0 | 46.3 | 0% |
| Walworth | 689 | 9,512 | 18 | 668.8 | 3% |
| Washburn | 4 | 1,183 | 0 | 25.5 | 0% |
| Washington | 430 | 9,561 | 16 | 319.6 | 4% |
| Waukesha | 1,379 | 27,854 | 39 | 345.7 | 3% |
| Waupaca | 135 | 5,079 | 10 | 262.4 | 7% |
| Waushara | 33 | 3,705 | 0 | 136.8 | 0% |
| Winnebago | 711 | 18,675 | 13 | 418.4 | 2% |
| Wood | 84 | 5,391 | 1 | 114.6 | 1% |
| Total | 31,577 | 584,111 | 796 | 546.5 | 3% |
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