Jeramey Jannene
Daily

Wisconsin’s COVID-19 Testing Capacity Doubles In Past Week

Twenty-nine labs can now process a total of 7,578 tests per day

By - Apr 16th, 2020 02:22 pm
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.

COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.

Wisconsin’s COVID-19 testing capacity has more than doubled in the past week.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said there are now 29 labs in the state processing COVID-19 tests and that as of Thursday they can process 7,578 tests per day. That’s up from the 3,756 cases Palm said 20 labs could process last week.

But it’s still not enough. She said the capacity does not exist to test everyone that comes into contact someone that tests positive for the disease or those that are suspected of having it. “This is a critical and fundamental tool as we work to get to the next phase of our response,” said Palm of contact tracing and testing capacity.

But Palm is happy that state practices to date have slowed the spread of the disease. “The data tells us ‘safer at home’ is working,” said Palm. The number of cases is growing, but the rate at which it is doubling continues to slow.

The news comes as Governor Tony Evers extended the “safer at home” order through May 26th. Included in that extension are a loosening of restrictions on certain activities.

DHS reported 1,802 Wisconsin residents had tests processed over the past 24 hours. That includes 154 new positive cases, bringing the state total to 3,875.

Over half of those cases are in Milwaukee County. According to state data, 1,947 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for the disease. That’s the highest number and rate in the state at 204 cases per 100,000 residents.

Kenosha County has the second-highest case rate with 123.6 cases per 100,000 residents.

The death toll continues to grow. The state reported 15 new deaths, bringing the total to 197. Of those, 114 have occurred in Milwaukee County.

Cumulatively, 1,121 people testing positive for the disease have required hospitalization (29 percent).

The state has 517 intensive care unit beds available, the highest total reported since the data became available on April 9th.

Charts and Maps

Wisconsin COVID-19 summary

Status Number (%) of People as of 4/16/2020
Negative Test Result 40,974
Positive Test Result 3,875
Hospitalizations 1121 (29%)
Deaths 197

Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status

Hospitilization status Number of confirmed cases as of 4/16/2020 Percent of confirmed cases as of 4/16/2020
Ever hospitalized 1,121 29%
Never hospitalized 2,010 52%
Unknown 744 19%
Total 3,875 100%

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race

Race Number of cases as of 4/16/2020 Percent of cases as of 4/16/2020 Number of deaths as of 4/16/2020 Percent of deaths as of 4/16/2020
American Indian 34 1% 2 1%
Asian or Pacific Islander 95 2% 5 3%
Black 965 25% 76 39%
White 1,987 51% 112 57%
Multiple or Other races 113 3% 0 0%
Unknown 681 18% 2 1%
Total 3,875 100% 197 100%

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity

Ethnicity Number of cases as of 4/16/2020 Percent of cases as of 4/16/2020 Number of deaths as of 4/16/2020 Percent of deaths as of 4/16/2020
Hispanic or Latino 501 13% 10 5%
Not Hispanic or Latino 2,612 67% 184 93%
Unknown 762 20% 3 2%
Total 3,875 100% 197 100%

Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group

Age Group (Years) Cases as of 4/16/2020 Ever hospitalized as of 4/16/2020 Any Intensive Care as of 4/16/2020 Deaths as of 4/16/2020
<10 16 4 0 0
10-19 47 3 0 0
20-29 443 35 4 0
30-39 553 76 17 4
40-49 617 117 28 6
50-59 760 202 52 20
60-69 676 254 87 38
70-79 424 243 68 59
80-89 248 151 35 44
90+ 91 36 8 26
Total 3,875 1,121 299 197

Results by county

Wisconsin County Positive as of 4/16/2020 Negative as of 4/16/2020 Deaths as of 4/16/2020 Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 4/16/2020 Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 4/16/2020
Adams 3 97 1 14.9 33%
Ashland 2 69 0 12.7 0%
Barron 6 516 0 13.3 0%
Bayfield 3 95 0 20.0 0%
Brown 139 1,032 1 53.5 1%
Buffalo 4 120 1 30.4 25%
Burnett 0 58 0 0.0 0%
Calumet 5 217 0 10.0 0%
Chippewa 20 641 0 31.4 0%
Clark 10 118 0 29.0 0%
Columbia 27 503 1 47.4 4%
Crawford 3 137 0 18.4 0%
Dane 352 6,224 16 66.4 5%
Dodge 19 563 1 21.6 5%
Door 9 100 1 32.8 11%
Douglas 7 349 0 16.1 0%
Dunn 9 620 0 20.2 0%
Eau Claire 22 1,287 0 21.4 0%
Florence 2 9 0 46.1 0%
Fond du Lac 59 964 3 57.7 5%
Forest 0 34 0 0.0 0%
Grant 10 302 1 19.3 10%
Green 9 212 0 24.4 0%
Green Lake 1 111 0 5.3 0%
Iowa 5 163 0 21.2 0%
Iron 2 23 1 35.0 50%
Jackson 11 144 1 53.6 9%
Jefferson 24 537 0 28.4 0%
Juneau 7 223 1 26.5 14%
Kenosha 208 1,286 5 123.6 2%
Kewaunee 6 71 1 29.5 17%
La Crosse 25 1,350 0 21.2 0%
Lafayette 3 61 0 17.9 0%
Langlade 0 61 0 0.0 0%
Lincoln 0 118 0 0.0 0%
Manitowoc 5 191 0 6.3 0%
Marathon 14 441 1 10.4 7%
Marinette 4 170 1 9.9 25%
Marquette 3 108 0 19.7 0%
Menominee 1 9 0 21.8 0%
Milwaukee 1,947 8,316 114 204.0 6%
Monroe 12 470 0 26.4 0%
Oconto 4 174 0 10.7 0%
Oneida 6 191 0 17.0 0%
Outagamie 31 733 2 16.8 6%
Ozaukee 77 633 9 87.2 12%
Pepin 0 80 0 0.0 0%
Pierce 7 285 0 16.8 0%
Polk 3 152 0 6.9 0%
Portage 4 208 0 5.7 0%
Price 1 46 0 7.4 0%
Racine 143 1,150 6 73.2 4%
Richland 7 165 1 39.9 14%
Rock 63 1,108 4 38.9 6%
Rusk 3 81 0 21.2 0%
Sauk 31 467 3 48.7 10%
Sawyer 2 159 0 12.2 0%
Shawano 6 204 0 14.6 0%
Sheboygan 37 589 2 32.1 5%
St. Croix 11 284 0 12.5 0%
Taylor 0 65 0 0.0 0%
Trempealeau 1 319 0 3.4 0%
Vernon 0 244 0 0.0 0%
Vilas 4 83 0 18.5 0%
Walworth 71 440 3 68.9 4%
Washburn 1 106 0 6.4 0%
Washington 79 1,183 3 58.7 4%
Waukesha 245 2,369 11 61.4 4%
Waupaca 4 231 1 7.8 25%
Waushara 2 89 0 8.3 0%
Winnebago 32 727 1 18.8 3%
Wood 2 289 0 2.7 0%
Total 3,875 40,974 197 67.1 5%

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