New reports of COVID-19 cases are averaging at around 600 cases per day in Wisconsin, based on the latest data published by the state Department of Health Services (DHS).
DHS reported 747 new cases of the disease Wednesday, bringing the average for the past seven days to 617 daily cases. One week ago, the average was 731 daily cases.
There were 25 new deaths from COVID-19 reported Wednesday. On Wednesday, 4,517 tested negative.
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Of the tests for COVID-19 conducted over the past week, 2.8 percent were positive for the disease, according to DHS. That rate has been on the decline since early January. The rate takes into account people who have been tested multiple times.
The positivity rate is often read by public health officials as a measure of overall testing levels. A high rate could indicate that testing in the state is limited, and skewed toward those already flagged as potentially having COVID-19. A lower rate could indicate testing is more widespread. Changes in the test positivity rate can also speak to COVID-19’s spread, if the size and makeup of the testing pool stays consistent.
According to DHS, 1,625,875 doses of coronavirus vaccine have been allocated to Wisconsin by the federal government as of Wednesday, an increase of 473,850 from a week ago. A total of 1,237,867 doses have been administered in Wisconsin as of Wednesday, with 48.1 percent of Wisconsinites age 65 and up receiving at least one dose of the vaccine so far. DHS reported that 825,900 Wisconsin residents had received at least one dose, representing 14.2 percent of the state population.
As of Wednesday, 386,072 people in Wisconsin, or 6.6 percent of the population, have received both shots, completing the vaccination series.
According to the Wisconsin Hospital Association, there were 347 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Tuesday. A total of 25,893 people have been hospitalized because of the disease, or 4.6 percent of all positive cases.
The latest figures bring the overall total of positive cases in Wisconsin to 561,311, according to DHS. A total of 6,342 people in Wisconsin have died from COVID-19.
COVID-19 activity varies from county to county. The latest activity data from DHS, released Wednesday, showed the state had no counties with a “critically high” level of COVID-19 activity. Four counties were listed as having a “very high” level of activity, 66 counties had a “high” level of activity, and two, Rusk and Bayfield counties, had a “medium” level. The number of Wisconsin counties at a “very high” level of COVID-19 activity has been decreasing. Wisconsin’s overall level is “high.”
COVID-19 activity designations are based on the number of new cases per a county’s population over a 14-day period, as well as whether there’s an upward or downward trend in new cases.
As of Wednesday, all of Wisconsin’s seven regions were listed as “high,” and were seeing “no significant change” or “shrinking” levels of COVID-19 activity, according to DHS.
Wisconsin’s daily testing capacity — based on the availability of test supplies and adequate staffing — has grown from 120 available lab tests in early March to 59,273 as of Wednesday. The number of actual people with new test results reported Wednesday was 5,264.
Wisconsin’s daily testing capacity — based on the availability of test supplies and adequate staffing — has grown from 120 available lab tests in early March to 59,273 as of Wednesday. The number of actual people with new test results reported Wednesday was 5,264.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, 3,164,429 COVID-19 tests have been administered. Of those, 2,603,118 tests have been negative.
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