DHS: 5,052 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Wisconsin

There are 5,052 positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin, the state Department of Health Services announced Thursday. That’s an increase of 207 cases from the day before.

According to figures from DHS, 257 people in Wisconsin have died from COVID-19 as of Thursday afternoon.

DHS reports 1,318 people have been hospitalized because of the virus. That means at least 26 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 18 percent of cases.

Across the state, 51,456 people have tested negative for the virus so far. From Wednesday to Thursday, the number of negative test results increased by 1,954.

There has been a significant spike in cases in Brown County in recent days. Health officials said they believe the increase is connected to a rash of cases at a Green Bay meatpacking plant. As of Thursday afternoon, Brown County had 455 positive cases of the new coronavirus.

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

Wisconsin has 48 labs performing COVID-19 tests, up from eight labs one month ago, Gov. Tony Evers said earlier this week.

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

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