Wisconsin’s Active COVID-19 Cases Would Form 24th Largest City in State
Records set for new cases, positive case rate and rolling death total.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
There are more people actively infected with COVID-19 in Wisconsin than there are residents of either Manitowoc, West Best, Sun Praire, Superior or Stevens Point.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported a record 3,861 cases Friday. It’s the fourth straight day of over 3,000 new cases, a threshold the state hadn’t crossed prior.
The new cases, which come from 14,586 processed tests, pushed the active caseload to 34,345. If all of those Wisconsin residents were to relocate to a new city, they would form the 24th largest community in the state, closely trailing Oak Creek (34,451 residents). This comparison was first made by Rep. Daniel Riemer (D-Milwaukee) on Twitter.
In the past seven days alone, a record 21,368 people have tested positive. The seven-day case high before September, and now October, brought a surge of cases with it was 6,512 for the week of July 26th.
The seven-day testing total fell to 93,275, up from 69,141 a month ago. A high of 99,920 tests was recorded for the week ending August 6th.
The increase in testing hasn’t resulted in the percentage of people testing positive falling. The seven and 14-day positive case rates now stand at 22.91% and 20.89%, both are record highs. The figure measures the percentage of tests that indicate a new case of COVID-19. The 14-day figure hit a low of 2.69% on June 19th.
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.“Because of the course of this virus we can expect to see an increase in hospitalizations as long as we see an increase in daily new cases,” said Palm, talking about days and weeks in the future. But hospitalizations are already setting records now.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported 1,101 active hospitalizations on Friday, a record high. Friday’s total is up 58 from Thursday and up 207 from a week ago. Thirty days ago the figure stood at 347.
DHS reports that 135 people were newly hospitalized in the past 24 hours, bringing the outbreak total to 9,027.
“We need to do all we can right now to break that transmission, to stop the spread”, said Palm. “But it will take time before we see the fruits of that labor in reduced hospitalizations and reduced community spread.” Wearing masks and restricting gatherings is part of that. She said there is no doubt that masks slow the spread of the disease. “My mask protects you, your mask protects me,” said Palm. “The evidence is clear.”
The ultimate lagging indicator of the disease’s spread, death, is increasing in absolute numbers.
As evidence of the outstate spread, in just the past month Milwaukee County has gone from having a runaway lead on the worst all-time per-capita spread of the disease to the 10th-worst. And it’s done so while the spread of the disease accelerated in the county.
Brown County has recorded 4,935.3 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 4,808.9). Menominee County is next with 4,701 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 4,427.2). Shawano, Oconto, Forest, Kewaunee, Calumet, Winnebago and Outagamie counties are the remaining counties leading Milwaukee.
According to DHS data, 3,642.2 out of every 100,000 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 (up from 3,601.7) since the outbreak began.
The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents rose to 2,874.7 (up from 2,807.9). Wisconsin has recorded a per-capita rate of 627.9 per 100,000 in the past two weeks according to the DHS activity level report released Wednesday.
NOTICE: DHS reports that the state’s electronics records system will be down over the weekend for an update. As a result, no new data is scheduled to be available until Monday.
Charts and Maps
Data from DHS.
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.
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) | Deaths per 100,000 people (counties) |
Case fatality percentage****
|
||
| Adams | 10/16/2020 | 352 | 4,678 | 20 | 4 | 1,717.50 | 19.5 | 1.10% |
| Ashland | 10/16/2020 | 214 | 3,655 | 10 | 3 | 1,349.10 | 18.9 | 1.40% |
| Barron | 10/16/2020 | 730 | 10,363 | 27 | 6 | 1,591.10 | 13.1 | 0.80% |
| Bayfield | 10/16/2020 | 168 | 3,649 | 10 | 1 | 1,105.00 | 6.6 | 0.60% |
| Brown | 10/16/2020 | 12,848 | 80,659 | 250 | 84 | 4,935.30 | 32.3 | 0.70% |
| Buffalo | 10/16/2020 | 197 | 2,923 | 5 | 2 | 1,458.30 | 14.8 | 1.00% |
| Burnett | 10/16/2020 | 261 | 3,207 | 14 | 6 | 1,689.60 | 38.8 | 2.30% |
| Calumet | 10/16/2020 | 2,174 | 11,923 | 62 | 10 | 4,223.30 | 19.4 | 0.50% |
| Chippewa | 10/16/2020 | 1,017 | 16,871 | 29 | 2 | 1,583.60 | 3.1 | 0.20% |
| Clark | 10/16/2020 | 623 | 6,363 | 53 | 11 | 1,793.30 | 31.7 | 1.80% |
| Columbia | 10/16/2020 | 1,321 | 17,804 | 58 | 4 | 2,312.40 | 7 | 0.30% |
| Crawford | 10/16/2020 | 284 | 4,800 | 7 | 0 | 1,715.50 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dane | 10/16/2020 | 12,296 | 214,057 | 530 | 46 | 2,326.60 | 8.7 | 0.40% |
| Dodge | 10/16/2020 | 2,891 | 25,635 | 84 | 21 | 3,240.80 | 23.5 | 0.70% |
| Door | 10/16/2020 | 584 | 8,004 | 37 | 4 | 2,081.90 | 14.3 | 0.70% |
| Douglas | 10/16/2020 | 673 | 9,344 | 6 | 1 | 1,533.90 | 2.3 | 0.10% |
| Dunn | 10/16/2020 | 827 | 9,635 | 38 | 1 | 1,846.90 | 2.2 | 0.10% |
| Eau Claire | 10/16/2020 | 2,558 | 26,793 | 21 | 9 | 2,486.10 | 8.7 | 0.40% |
| Florence | 10/16/2020 | 149 | 1,047 | 4 | 4 | 3,370.30 | 90.5 | 2.70% |
| Fond du Lac | 10/16/2020 | 3,375 | 26,839 | 95 | 17 | 3,264.90 | 16.4 | 0.50% |
| Forest | 10/16/2020 | 392 | 2,206 | 7 | 10 | 4,269.20 | 108.9 | 2.60% |
| Grant | 10/16/2020 | 1,550 | 14,798 | 60 | 23 | 2,959.50 | 43.9 | 1.50% |
| Green | 10/16/2020 | 776 | 9,629 | 20 | 3 | 2,105.00 | 8.1 | 0.40% |
| Green Lake | 10/16/2020 | 563 | 4,747 | 82 | 2 | 2,949.50 | 10.5 | 0.40% |
| Iowa | 10/16/2020 | 352 | 6,542 | 26 | 1 | 1,479.10 | 4.2 | 0.30% |
| Iron | 10/16/2020 | 159 | 1,629 | 16 | 1 | 2,720.70 | 17.1 | 0.60% |
| Jackson | 10/16/2020 | 256 | 6,941 | 5 | 1 | 1,240.10 | 4.8 | 0.40% |
| Jefferson | 10/16/2020 | 2,131 | 22,310 | 78 | 9 | 2,516.70 | 10.6 | 0.40% |
| Juneau | 10/16/2020 | 581 | 10,036 | 4 | 3 | 2,159.20 | 11.1 | 0.50% |
| Kenosha | 10/16/2020 | 4,266 | 41,401 | 465 | 69 | 2,535.80 | 41 | 1.60% |
| Kewaunee | 10/16/2020 | 877 | 4,750 | 22 | 4 | 4,248.20 | 19.4 | 0.50% |
| La Crosse | 10/16/2020 | 3,718 | 29,103 | 155 | 12 | 3,142.00 | 10.1 | 0.30% |
| Lafayette | 10/16/2020 | 445 | 4,127 | 8 | 1 | 2,635.80 | 5.9 | 0.20% |
| Langlade | 10/16/2020 | 624 | 4,267 | 6 | 5 | 3,155.20 | 25.3 | 0.80% |
| Lincoln | 10/16/2020 | 506 | 6,183 | 22 | 5 | 1,779.10 | 17.6 | 1.00% |
| Manitowoc | 10/16/2020 | 2,004 | 16,496 | 247 | 7 | 2,497.10 | 8.7 | 0.30% |
| Marathon | 10/16/2020 | 3,165 | 23,479 | 197 | 32 | 2,349.00 | 23.7 | 1.00% |
| Marinette | 10/16/2020 | 1,379 | 11,270 | 86 | 9 | 3,368.50 | 22 | 0.70% |
| Marquette | 10/16/2020 | 479 | 3,840 | 16 | 2 | 3,114.80 | 13 | 0.40% |
| Menominee | 10/16/2020 | 206 | 2,985 | 0 | 0 | 4,701.00 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Milwaukee | 10/16/2020 | 34,400 | 279,095 | 2,134 | 554 | 3,642.20 | 58.7 | 1.60% |
| Monroe | 10/16/2020 | 878 | 11,633 | 18 | 3 | 1,908.80 | 6.5 | 0.30% |
| Oconto | 10/16/2020 | 1,691 | 10,650 | 84 | 6 | 4,454.50 | 15.8 | 0.40% |
| Oneida | 10/16/2020 | 877 | 10,421 | 18 | 6 | 2,442.00 | 16.7 | 0.70% |
| Outagamie | 10/16/2020 | 7,286 | 45,096 | 344 | 48 | 3,964.10 | 26.1 | 0.70% |
| Ozaukee | 10/16/2020 | 1,778 | 20,519 | 178 | 23 | 2,012.20 | 26 | 1.30% |
| Pepin | 10/16/2020 | 86 | 1,673 | 3 | 0 | 1,170.20 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pierce | 10/16/2020 | 582 | 9,056 | 253 | 7 | 1,397.90 | 16.8 | 1.20% |
| Polk | 10/16/2020 | 388 | 10,126 | 14 | 2 | 883.8 | 4.6 | 0.50% |
| Portage | 10/16/2020 | 2,121 | 15,432 | 53 | 15 | 2,999.20 | 21.2 | 0.70% |
| Price | 10/16/2020 | 272 | 3,271 | 7 | 0 | 1,969.90 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Racine | 10/16/2020 | 6,036 | 71,984 | 630 | 101 | 3,092.20 | 51.7 | 1.70% |
| Richland | 10/16/2020 | 364 | 6,404 | 13 | 6 | 2,055.10 | 33.9 | 1.60% |
| Rock | 10/16/2020 | 3,828 | 39,588 | 214 | 38 | 2,388.50 | 23.7 | 1.00% |
| Rusk | 10/16/2020 | 139 | 2,532 | 9 | 1 | 956.4 | 6.9 | 0.70% |
| Sauk | 10/16/2020 | 1,383 | 21,721 | 62 | 6 | 2,206.20 | 9.6 | 0.40% |
| Sawyer | 10/16/2020 | 319 | 5,073 | 1 | 1 | 1,925.30 | 6 | 0.30% |
| Shawano | 10/16/2020 | 1,840 | 10,989 | 11 | 8 | 4,459.50 | 19.4 | 0.40% |
| Sheboygan | 10/16/2020 | 2,949 | 26,935 | 99 | 20 | 2,575.20 | 17.5 | 0.70% |
| St. Croix | 10/16/2020 | 1,367 | 19,124 | 86 | 9 | 1,550.40 | 10.2 | 0.70% |
| Taylor | 10/16/2020 | 334 | 3,360 | 7 | 6 | 1,622.90 | 29.2 | 1.80% |
| Trempealeau | 10/16/2020 | 842 | 6,931 | 19 | 2 | 2,870.60 | 6.8 | 0.20% |
| Vernon | 10/16/2020 | 418 | 7,878 | 5 | 3 | 1,380.10 | 9.9 | 0.70% |
| Vilas | 10/16/2020 | 397 | 4,998 | 20 | 3 | 1,833.20 | 13.9 | 0.80% |
| Walworth | 10/16/2020 | 3,026 | 26,125 | 227 | 36 | 2,948.90 | 35.1 | 1.20% |
| Washburn | 10/16/2020 | 173 | 3,400 | 8 | 2 | 1,091.30 | 12.6 | 1.20% |
| Washington | 10/16/2020 | 3,648 | 27,729 | 202 | 40 | 2,712.60 | 29.7 | 1.10% |
| Waukesha | 10/16/2020 | 9,935 | 91,837 | 873 | 103 | 2,492.20 | 25.8 | 1.00% |
| Waupaca | 10/16/2020 | 1,849 | 11,672 | 152 | 29 | 3,574.30 | 56.1 | 1.60% |
| Waushara | 10/16/2020 | 741 | 7,625 | 9 | 3 | 3,049.60 | 12.3 | 0.40% |
| Winnebago | 10/16/2020 | 7,014 | 45,500 | 336 | 49 | 4,141.90 | 28.9 | 0.70% |
| Wood | 10/16/2020 | 1,254 | 17,204 | 70 | 9 | 1,694.00 | 12.2 | 0.70% |
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- MHD Release: Milwaukee Health Department Launches COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Dashboard - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jan 23rd, 2024
- 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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