64 of 72 Wisconsin Counties Have “High” COVID-19 Levels
Case load less than half of what it was when things were "critically high."
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
According to a weekly Wisconsin Department of Health Services report, 64 out of the state’s 72 counties have a “high” level of COVID-19 spread in the past two weeks.
That’s actually good news, as every county had previously been labeled “very high” or “critically high” as the state had to repeatedly invent new classifications in October and November as case levels set new highs.
The two-week caseload is now less than half of what it was on November 18th.
DHS reported 2,579 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday from 8,856 processed tests.
The seven-day case total stands at 18,796, well below November 18th’s record report of 45,946. The seven-day testing total stands at 62,146, below November 18th’s record rolling total of 133,019 tests. The testing total is filtered to only include individuals who were tested for the first time or have been tested previously but are receiving their first positive diagnosis.
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 rate figure to be sustained under five percent.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported that 1,243 people were actively hospitalized with a confirmed case of the disease, a decrease of 31 from the day prior and 167 from a week ago. Thirty days ago the total was 1,999.
DHS reported 164 people were newly hospitalized in the past 24 hours in its daily data release. A total of 20,519 people have required hospitalization since the outbreak began, 863 in the past week.
The 30-day average daily death total now stands at a record average of 53.43. Thirty days ago the rolling average was 41.37.
Since September, Milwaukee County has gone from having the worst per-capita outbreak to the 20th worst in the state, even as its case and hospitalization load has surged to record levels. The county fell as low as 26th in early November.
Menominee County has recorded 15,769.1 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 15,746.2). Dodge County has recorded 11,349.1 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 11,305.4). Jackson, Shawano, Brown, Trempealeau, Fond du Lac, Oconto, Kewaunee, Sheboygan, Barron, Crawford, Calumet, Florence, Chippewa, Langlade, Forest, Winnebago and Juneau are the remaining counties leading Milwaukee.
According to DHS data, 8,681.7 out of every 100,000 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak began (up from 8,631.8).
The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents rose to 8,019.2 (up from 7,974.6). Wisconsin has recorded a per-capita rate of 718.4 cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks according to the DHS activity level report released Wednesday. That’s down from the record 1,519.4 reported November 18th.
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 † | Number of probable deaths ‡ | Cases per 100,000 people (counties) | Deaths per 100,000 people (counties) | Case fatality percentage †† | |
| Adams | 1,270 | 6,644 | 118 | 10 | 2 | 6,196.6 | 48.8 | 0.8% |
| Ashland | 964 | 5,871 | 39 | 14 | 0 | 6,077.0 | 88.3 | 1.5% |
| Barron | 4,308 | 16,494 | 99 | 55 | 0 | 9,389.7 | 119.9 | 1.3% |
| Bayfield | 890 | 5,695 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 5,853.7 | 111.8 | 1.9% |
| Brown | 25,449 | 112,387 | 1,427 | 159 | 11 | 9,775.7 | 61.1 | 0.6% |
| Buffalo | 946 | 4,287 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 7,002.7 | 44.4 | 0.6% |
| Burnett | 968 | 5,248 | 104 | 16 | 0 | 6,266.6 | 103.6 | 1.7% |
| Calumet | 4,552 | 17,367 | 322 | 34 | 1 | 8,843.0 | 66.1 | 0.7% |
| Chippewa | 5,690 | 24,669 | 97 | 65 | 2 | 8,860.2 | 101.2 | 1.1% |
| Clark | 2,689 | 9,090 | 276 | 47 | 4 | 7,740.1 | 135.3 | 1.7% |
| Columbia | 4,055 | 23,691 | 287 | 27 | 4 | 7,098.1 | 47.3 | 0.7% |
| Crawford | 1,525 | 6,623 | 45 | 11 | 0 | 9,211.7 | 66.4 | 0.7% |
| Dane | 32,005 | 290,436 | 1,163 | 172 | 6 | 6,055.9 | 32.5 | 0.5% |
| Dodge | 10,124 | 36,098 | 589 | 113 | 13 | 11,349.1 | 126.7 | 1.1% |
| Door | 1,924 | 12,057 | 158 | 13 | 1 | 6,858.9 | 46.3 | 0.7% |
| Douglas | 2,922 | 15,435 | 393 | 16 | 13 | 6,660.0 | 36.5 | 0.5% |
| Dunn | 3,363 | 15,628 | 245 | 22 | 0 | 7,510.6 | 49.1 | 0.7% |
| Eau Claire | 8,908 | 41,141 | 202 | 71 | 10 | 8,657.5 | 69.0 | 0.8% |
| Florence | 391 | 1,424 | 23 | 12 | 0 | 8,844.2 | 271.4 | 3.1% |
| Fond du Lac | 10,055 | 37,995 | 730 | 62 | 8 | 9,726.9 | 60.0 | 0.6% |
| Forest | 816 | 3,568 | 59 | 22 | 2 | 8,887.0 | 239.6 | 2.7% |
| Grant | 3,999 | 20,307 | 422 | 77 | 5 | 7,635.5 | 147.0 | 1.9% |
| Green | 2,192 | 13,599 | 53 | 8 | 2 | 5,946.2 | 21.7 | 0.4% |
| Green Lake | 1,364 | 6,639 | 333 | 10 | 3 | 7,145.9 | 52.4 | 0.7% |
| Iowa | 1,616 | 9,515 | 72 | 5 | 1 | 6,790.2 | 21.0 | 0.3% |
| Iron | 409 | 2,208 | 107 | 13 | 12 | 6,998.6 | 222.5 | 3.2% |
| Jackson | 2,295 | 9,373 | 36 | 15 | 0 | 11,117.0 | 72.7 | 0.7% |
| Jefferson | 6,341 | 31,076 | 596 | 55 | 3 | 7,488.6 | 65.0 | 0.9% |
| Juneau | 2,356 | 13,211 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 8,755.8 | 37.2 | 0.4% |
| Kenosha | 11,777 | 63,064 | 1,444 | 206 | 9 | 7,000.5 | 122.5 | 1.7% |
| Kewaunee | 1,983 | 6,322 | 110 | 23 | 1 | 9,605.7 | 111.4 | 1.2% |
| La Crosse | 9,683 | 44,424 | 480 | 53 | 0 | 8,182.8 | 44.8 | 0.5% |
| Lafayette | 1,205 | 5,546 | 109 | 5 | 1 | 7,137.4 | 29.6 | 0.4% |
| Langlade | 1,748 | 6,021 | 122 | 30 | 10 | 8,838.5 | 151.7 | 1.7% |
| Lincoln | 2,346 | 9,004 | 134 | 41 | 14 | 8,248.4 | 144.2 | 1.7% |
| Manitowoc | 5,850 | 25,374 | 835 | 50 | 5 | 7,289.4 | 62.3 | 0.9% |
| Marathon | 11,487 | 43,333 | 1,062 | 153 | 20 | 8,525.2 | 113.6 | 1.3% |
| Marinette | 3,455 | 15,372 | 315 | 39 | 0 | 8,439.6 | 95.3 | 1.1% |
| Marquette | 1,131 | 5,181 | 150 | 18 | 3 | 7,354.7 | 117.1 | 1.6% |
| Menominee | 691 | 3,641 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 15,769.1 | 228.2 | 1.4% |
| Milwaukee | 81,997 | 403,149 | 6,525 | 950 | 16 | 8,681.7 | 100.6 | 1.2% |
| Monroe | 3,298 | 16,040 | 49 | 23 | 0 | 7,169.9 | 50.0 | 0.7% |
| Oconto | 3,645 | 14,351 | 311 | 37 | 4 | 9,601.7 | 97.5 | 1.0% |
| Oneida | 2,729 | 13,573 | 76 | 47 | 3 | 7,598.9 | 130.9 | 1.7% |
| Outagamie | 15,605 | 69,720 | 1,311 | 153 | 2 | 8,490.2 | 83.2 | 1.0% |
| Ozaukee | 6,009 | 33,267 | 745 | 47 | 5 | 6,800.6 | 53.2 | 0.8% |
| Pepin | 621 | 2,597 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 8,450.1 | 68.0 | 0.8% |
| Pierce | 2,807 | 14,193 | 631 | 26 | 5 | 6,741.9 | 62.4 | 0.9% |
| Polk | 2,890 | 16,168 | 34 | 22 | 0 | 6,583.1 | 50.1 | 0.8% |
| Portage | 5,360 | 22,836 | 357 | 45 | 3 | 7,579.3 | 63.6 | 0.8% |
| Price | 899 | 4,730 | 71 | 5 | 0 | 6,510.7 | 36.2 | 0.6% |
| Racine | 16,759 | 91,788 | 1,923 | 241 | 10 | 8,585.4 | 123.5 | 1.4% |
| Richland | 1,040 | 7,844 | 31 | 13 | 0 | 5,871.7 | 73.4 | 1.3% |
| Rock | 11,580 | 63,183 | 758 | 108 | 8 | 7,225.5 | 67.4 | 0.9% |
| Rusk | 1,069 | 4,218 | 35 | 11 | 0 | 7,355.2 | 75.7 | 1.0% |
| Sauk | 4,294 | 31,490 | 196 | 27 | 4 | 6,850.0 | 43.1 | 0.6% |
| Sawyer | 1,149 | 7,042 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 6,934.6 | 60.4 | 0.9% |
| Shawano | 4,069 | 14,771 | 352 | 55 | 8 | 9,861.9 | 133.3 | 1.4% |
| Sheboygan | 10,975 | 39,511 | 479 | 91 | 2 | 9,583.9 | 79.5 | 0.8% |
| St. Croix | 5,315 | 29,711 | 944 | 27 | 0 | 6,028.2 | 30.6 | 0.5% |
| Taylor | 1,540 | 4,993 | 184 | 14 | 5 | 7,483.0 | 68.0 | 0.9% |
| Trempealeau | 2,871 | 10,401 | 78 | 27 | 2 | 9,787.9 | 92.0 | 0.9% |
| Vernon | 1,440 | 11,164 | 42 | 22 | 0 | 4,754.5 | 72.6 | 1.5% |
| Vilas | 1,537 | 7,348 | 60 | 21 | 2 | 7,097.3 | 97.0 | 1.4% |
| Walworth | 7,361 | 35,834 | 1,695 | 85 | 7 | 7,173.4 | 82.8 | 1.2% |
| Washburn | 981 | 5,348 | 66 | 11 | 2 | 6,188.1 | 69.4 | 1.1% |
| Washington | 11,132 | 44,441 | 1,387 | 93 | 5 | 8,277.4 | 69.2 | 0.8% |
| Waukesha | 32,837 | 143,668 | 2,736 | 317 | 19 | 8,237.2 | 79.5 | 1.0% |
| Waupaca | 4,023 | 17,060 | 603 | 96 | 35 | 7,776.8 | 185.6 | 2.4% |
| Waushara | 1,884 | 9,642 | 140 | 14 | 1 | 7,753.7 | 57.6 | 0.7% |
| Winnebago | 14,725 | 68,826 | 1,832 | 148 | 16 | 8,695.3 | 87.4 | 1.0% |
| Wood | 5,411 | 26,026 | 346 | 38 | 9 | 7,309.6 | 51.3 | 0.7% |
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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
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- 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
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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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