DHS: 4,045 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Wisconsin

There are 4,045 positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin, the state Department of Health Services announced Friday.

According to figures from DHS, 205 people in Wisconsin have died from COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon. That doesn’t include one death in Bayfield County, bringing the statewide death total to 206.

DHS reports 1,153 people have been hospitalized because of the virus. That means at least 29 percent of people who have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the state have been hospitalized. DHS officials have said they don’t know the hospitalization history of 19 percent of cases.

The number of positive test results increased by 170 people from Thursday to Friday.

Across the state, 42,365 people have tested negative for the virus so far. From Thursday to Friday, the number of negative test results increased by 1,391.

With recent increases in testing capacity, health officials are loosening restrictions on who can get tested, subject to the availability of testing supplies.

On Friday, Bayfield County reported its first death due to COVID-19. In a press release, the county said the 78-year-old has no known contact with a COVID-19 positive person, and hadn’t traveled.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that one of Bayfield County’s citizens has passed away from COVID-19. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and community,” Health Officer Sara Wartman said in the press release. “We are facing extraordinary circumstances and continue to urge everyone that this virus is real, it is deadly, and we must continue to maintain social-distancing and adhere to the ‘Safer At Home’ Order. Together, we will overcome these challenges and difficult days.”

There are now confirmed cases in 65 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.

The following counties have no confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon: Burnett, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Pepin, Taylor and Vernon.