Launched Tuesday, the state health department’s new rating of coronavirus activity increased from “medium” to “high” on Wednesday.
The Department of Health Services also reported 432 new positive tests, most since June 4, and positive ones accounted for 4.2% of test results, the second highest rate since May 30.
Wednesday’s positivity rate was still below the state’s total rate of 5%, which fell steadily through May and early June, and there has been no evidence of further spread on the scale reported in many southern states. and west.
Also, while hospitalizations can delay infections by a few days, the number of patients hospitalized in Wisconsin has been stable at its lowest levels since early April, according to the online panel from the Wisconsin Hospital Association. There were 239 known hospitalized patients with COVID-19 on Wednesday morning, of whom 89 were in intensive care.
Seven more deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 757.
Plus: What is the level of coronavirus activity in your Wisconsin county? The state has assigned a label of ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘low’.
DHS activity scores measure Wisconsin and its counties by their confirmed cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks, as well as the percentage change in new cases during that time. Those case and trajectory counts are combined to assign an overall activity tag of “high,” “medium,” or “low.”
Wisconsin rose from “medium” to “high” on Wednesday due to a “moderately high” case rate of 72 per 100,000 and a 24% increase.
Twenty-two counties were listed as “high” activity, with Dane, Eau Claire, Manitowoc, Marathon, Monroe, and Waukesha rising to that category, and Fond du Lac, Forest, and Sheboygan falling to the “middle” state.
The complete list by county:
- Tall: Brown, Clark, Dane, Eau Claire, Grant, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marathon, Milwaukee, Monroe, Outagamie, Portage, Racine, Rock, Trempealeau, Walworth, Waukesha, Waupaca and Winnebago.
- Medium: Adams, Barron, Calumet, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dodge, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Ozaukee, Pierce , Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Vernon, Washington, Waushara and Wood.
- Low: Ashland, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Iron, Lincoln, Pepin, Price, Richland, Sawyer, Vilas and Washburn.
Contact Matt Piper at (920) 810-7164 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @matthew_piper.
