Milwaukee County Now Has 34th Worst COVID-19 Outbreak
Fastest growing outbreak centered on Fox Valley, northeastern corner of Wisconsin.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
Here’s the good news: Over the past two weeks Milwaukee County’s COVID-19 spread ranks 34th of out 72 counties.
Here’s the bad news: The actual rate in Milwaukee has only slightly slowed, going from 170 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents to 158.8. Milwaukee’s fall out of the top 20 (it still has the worst rate over the length of the pandemic) has been driven by growing spreads elsewhere.
Washington and Ozaukee county, with 226.8 and 181.1 cases per 100,000 residents, are the only counties that border Milwaukee with a higher rate. But Washington’s rate places it 20th in the state.
Waukesha’s rate has fallen to 133.7. Racine stands at 151.6.
Dane County, site of 1,280 new cases in the past two weeks, is 18th on the list with 242.2 cases per 100,000 residents. University of Wisconsin students have represented over 600 new cases in the past two weeks.
A total of 52 of the 72 Wisconsin counties have a two-week burden in excess of 100 cases per 100,000 residents. The state average is 191.6.
The data comes from the Department of Health Services activity level report that is updated every Wednesday.
Wednesday’s standard data release of 857 cases from 8,871 tests sent the positive case rate, a measure of the percentage of tests confirming a new case, upward again. The seven- and 14-day rates now stand at 11.75 and 10.01 percent, the former now at its highest point ever.
Officials have looked for the positive case rate to trend downward to indicate a slowing spread of disease and sufficient testing. Multiple public health benchmarks call for the positive case figure to be sustained under five percent. During an appearance before the Milwaukee Press Club Wednesday Governor Tony Evers called the five percent figure a “golden target” and encouraged more people to get tested.
The 14-day positive case rate hit a low of 2.69 percent on June 19th.
Fifteen new deaths were reported by DHS, bringing the statewide total to 1,183. There have been 507 deaths recorded in Milwaukee County. An average of 6.17 deaths per day have been reported across the state over the past 30 days.
According to DHS data, 2,648.4 out of every 100,000 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 (up from 2,641) since the outbreak began. Brown County has recorded 2,330.5 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 2,263.3). Iron County, the northernmost county that borders Michigan, has 2,241.6 cases per 100,000 residents (no change). Racine County has recorded 2,148 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 2,130.1).
Walworth (1,832.1), Kenosha (1,827.2), Marinette (1,580.4), Trempealeau (1,517.1), Waupaca (1,513.6), Dodge (1,486.5), Waukesha (1,476.5) are the only other counties with more than 1,400 cases per 100,000 residents.
The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents rose to 1,441.5 (up from 1,426.7). Wisconsin has recorded a per-capita rate of 191.6 per 100,000 in the past two weeks according to the DHS activity level report released Wednesday.
A total of 83,334 residents have tested positive for the disease.
Charts and Maps
Data from DHS.
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitalization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 9/9/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 9/9/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 6,173 | 7% |
| Never hospitalized | 48,928 | 59% |
| Unknown | 28,233 | 34% |
| Total | 83,334 | 100% |
Percent of COVID-19 cases resulting in hospitalization within 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
| Number of confirmed cases | Number of negatives* | Number of probable cases | Number of deaths** | Cases per 100,000 people (counties) |
Case fatality percentage***
|
||
| Adams | 9/9/2020 | 150 | 3,391 | 11 | 3 | 731.9 | 2.00% |
| Ashland | 9/9/2020 | 38 | 2,162 | 6 | 1 | 239.6 | 2.60% |
| Barron | 9/9/2020 | 393 | 7,787 | 20 | 3 | 856.6 | 0.80% |
| Bayfield | 9/9/2020 | 63 | 2,578 | 9 | 1 | 414.4 | 1.60% |
| Brown | 9/9/2020 | 6,067 | 62,223 | 169 | 58 | 2,330.50 | 1.00% |
| Buffalo | 9/9/2020 | 97 | 2,119 | 4 | 2 | 718 | 2.10% |
| Burnett | 9/9/2020 | 57 | 2,291 | 3 | 2 | 369 | 3.50% |
| Calumet | 9/9/2020 | 619 | 8,372 | 32 | 2 | 1,202.50 | 0.30% |
| Chippewa | 9/9/2020 | 389 | 12,673 | 23 | 0 | 605.7 | 0.00% |
| Clark | 9/9/2020 | 261 | 4,745 | 16 | 8 | 751.3 | 3.10% |
| Columbia | 9/9/2020 | 400 | 12,363 | 42 | 2 | 700.2 | 0.50% |
| Crawford | 9/9/2020 | 121 | 4,048 | 5 | 0 | 730.9 | 0.00% |
| Dane | 9/9/2020 | 6,489 | 171,531 | 406 | 41 | 1,227.80 | 0.60% |
| Dodge | 9/9/2020 | 1,326 | 20,076 | 22 | 6 | 1,486.50 | 0.50% |
| Door | 9/9/2020 | 157 | 5,877 | 9 | 3 | 559.7 | 1.90% |
| Douglas | 9/9/2020 | 297 | 6,635 | 3 | 0 | 676.9 | 0.00% |
| Dunn | 9/9/2020 | 208 | 7,057 | 16 | 0 | 464.5 | 0.00% |
| Eau Claire | 9/9/2020 | 1,037 | 19,168 | 20 | 6 | 1,007.80 | 0.60% |
| Florence | 9/9/2020 | 31 | 754 | 0 | 0 | 701.2 | 0.00% |
| Fond du Lac | 9/9/2020 | 1,304 | 20,067 | 42 | 12 | 1,261.50 | 0.90% |
| Forest | 9/9/2020 | 116 | 1,259 | 2 | 4 | 1,263.30 | 3.40% |
| Grant | 9/9/2020 | 499 | 11,375 | 45 | 19 | 952.8 | 3.80% |
| Green | 9/9/2020 | 316 | 6,645 | 20 | 2 | 857.2 | 0.60% |
| Green Lake | 9/9/2020 | 114 | 3,192 | 28 | 0 | 597.2 | 0.00% |
| Iowa | 9/9/2020 | 125 | 4,700 | 25 | 0 | 525.2 | 0.00% |
| Iron | 9/9/2020 | 131 | 1,397 | 7 | 1 | 2,241.60 | 0.80% |
| Jackson | 9/9/2020 | 77 | 5,915 | 3 | 1 | 373 | 1.30% |
| Jefferson | 9/9/2020 | 1,007 | 16,703 | 67 | 7 | 1,189.30 | 0.70% |
| Juneau | 9/9/2020 | 255 | 7,440 | 3 | 1 | 947.7 | 0.40% |
| Kenosha | 9/9/2020 | 3,074 | 34,203 | 353 | 64 | 1,827.20 | 2.10% |
| Kewaunee | 9/9/2020 | 224 | 3,193 | 4 | 2 | 1,085.10 | 0.90% |
| La Crosse | 9/9/2020 | 1,370 | 22,056 | 50 | 2 | 1,157.70 | 0.10% |
| Lafayette | 9/9/2020 | 188 | 2,987 | 5 | 0 | 1,113.50 | 0.00% |
| Langlade | 9/9/2020 | 90 | 2,855 | 1 | 2 | 455.1 | 2.20% |
| Lincoln | 9/9/2020 | 96 | 4,130 | 6 | 1 | 337.5 | 1.00% |
| Manitowoc | 9/9/2020 | 632 | 12,998 | 24 | 2 | 787.5 | 0.30% |
| Marathon | 9/9/2020 | 833 | 18,508 | 71 | 14 | 618.2 | 1.70% |
| Marinette | 9/9/2020 | 647 | 8,745 | 18 | 7 | 1,580.40 | 1.10% |
| Marquette | 9/9/2020 | 118 | 2,634 | 8 | 1 | 767.3 | 0.80% |
| Menominee | 9/9/2020 | 30 | 2,030 | 0 | 0 | 684.6 | 0.00% |
| Milwaukee | 9/9/2020 | 25,014 | 232,843 | 1,502 | 507 | 2,648.40 | 2.00% |
| Monroe | 9/9/2020 | 303 | 9,042 | 11 | 2 | 658.7 | 0.70% |
| Oconto | 9/9/2020 | 509 | 7,534 | 18 | 4 | 1,340.80 | 0.80% |
| Oneida | 9/9/2020 | 241 | 6,842 | 5 | 1 | 671.1 | 0.40% |
| Outagamie | 9/9/2020 | 2,407 | 33,646 | 169 | 23 | 1,309.60 | 1.00% |
| Ozaukee | 9/9/2020 | 1,030 | 16,139 | 89 | 18 | 1,165.70 | 1.70% |
| Pepin | 9/9/2020 | 48 | 1,219 | 2 | 0 | 653.2 | 0.00% |
| Pierce | 9/9/2020 | 314 | 6,368 | 78 | 6 | 754.2 | 1.90% |
| Polk | 9/9/2020 | 189 | 7,673 | 6 | 2 | 430.5 | 1.10% |
| Portage | 9/9/2020 | 793 | 11,432 | 25 | 2 | 1,121.30 | 0.30% |
| Price | 9/9/2020 | 36 | 2,274 | 2 | 0 | 260.7 | 0.00% |
| Racine | 9/9/2020 | 4,193 | 57,621 | 382 | 92 | 2,148.00 | 2.20% |
| Richland | 9/9/2020 | 61 | 3,730 | 11 | 4 | 344.4 | 6.60% |
| Rock | 9/9/2020 | 1,875 | 31,132 | 170 | 29 | 1,169.90 | 1.50% |
| Rusk | 9/9/2020 | 30 | 1,767 | 4 | 1 | 206.4 | 3.30% |
| Sauk | 9/9/2020 | 683 | 17,684 | 57 | 3 | 1,089.60 | 0.40% |
| Sawyer | 9/9/2020 | 167 | 4,121 | 0 | 1 | 1,007.90 | 0.60% |
| Shawano | 9/9/2020 | 352 | 8,091 | 4 | 0 | 853.1 | 0.00% |
| Sheboygan | 9/9/2020 | 1,192 | 20,128 | 48 | 10 | 1,040.90 | 0.80% |
| St. Croix | 9/9/2020 | 688 | 13,681 | 59 | 7 | 780.3 | 1.00% |
| Taylor | 9/9/2020 | 123 | 2,425 | 3 | 3 | 597.7 | 2.40% |
| Trempealeau | 9/9/2020 | 445 | 5,827 | 17 | 2 | 1,517.10 | 0.40% |
| Vernon | 9/9/2020 | 119 | 4,917 | 4 | 0 | 392.9 | 0.00% |
| Vilas | 9/9/2020 | 136 | 3,651 | 3 | 0 | 628 | 0.00% |
| Walworth | 9/9/2020 | 1,880 | 20,875 | 140 | 32 | 1,832.10 | 1.70% |
| Washburn | 9/9/2020 | 77 | 2,495 | 2 | 0 | 485.7 | 0.00% |
| Washington | 9/9/2020 | 1,826 | 21,554 | 56 | 30 | 1,357.80 | 1.60% |
| Waukesha | 9/9/2020 | 5,886 | 71,611 | 558 | 78 | 1,476.50 | 1.30% |
| Waupaca | 9/9/2020 | 783 | 9,474 | 100 | 19 | 1,513.60 | 2.40% |
| Waushara | 9/9/2020 | 202 | 6,045 | 4 | 2 | 831.3 | 1.00% |
| Winnebago | 9/9/2020 | 1,748 | 34,947 | 103 | 22 | 1,032.20 | 1.30% |
| Wood | 9/9/2020 | 538 | 12,503 | 26 | 3 | 726.8 | 0.60% |
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