Summary:
- Eleven new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours bringing the death toll to 1,111. In the last week, a total of 44 people have died. Two weeks ago, a total of 49 people had died.
- 878 new positive tests for COVID-19 brings the statewide total to 73,138. The seven-day average is currently 701 and has trended downward since late July. There are 7,529 active cases.
- There are currently at least 344 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state and 107 of them are in the ICU.
Dr. Ben Weston, medical services director for Milwaukee County, said in a press briefing Thursday afternoon that they are seeing a decrease in the number of people seeking tests in the central part of the city of Milwaukee and the southern half of the county.
According to Dr. Weston, the state and local health departments in Wisconsin have worked hard to build up testing capacity. Dr. Weston said, "We're strongly encouraging (1) individuals with symptoms of COVID-19, (2) those who have close contact with someone with COVID-19 and (3) anyone who has been instructed by a public health official or health care provider to seek out testing."
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Dr. Weston noted that messaging about testing at the national level has been confusing. This is in reference to a change the CDC made to their guidelines this week for when to seek a test. The CDC previously advised that people who had close contact with someone who has tested positive should seek their own test. However, the new guidance says individuals that come in close contact with someone who has tested positive should seek a test if they develop symptoms or only if they are considered to be in a vulnerable population.
Daily COVID-19 Update
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports an additional 878 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours bringing the number of active cases in the state to 7,529. In total, there have been 73,138 total confirmed cases in the state since the pandemic began to spread in Wisconsin.
In the last week, the state has averaged 701 new cases per day, a number that has trended downward from a high of 930 new cases per day from July 20-26.
The patient has recovered in about 88% of all cases (64,480 cases). Patients who are deemed as recovered either no longer exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 or 30 days has passed since they tested positive. In the remaining 1,111 cases, the patient is deceased.
Below, we've pulled out just new cases data for Milwaukee County to get a closer look at how the county is trending. The county has averaged 128 new cases per day in the last week. That's down from an average of 310 new cases per day about a month ago. The percent of positive cases in the county has trended down in recent weeks and is now averaging about 5%.
Eleven new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours bringing the death toll to 1,111. In the last week, a total of 44 people have died. Two weeks ago, a total of 49 people had died.
Milwaukee County has the highest number of deaths of all counties with 485. Other counties with more than 30 deaths are Racine (89), Waukesha (73), Kenosha (62), Brown (58) and Dane (39).
Below, we've pulled out data for Milwaukee County deaths to show how the county is trending. No new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Eleven deaths related to COVID-19 have occurred in the last week, an average of less than two per day.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association reports that as of Aug. 24 there are at least 344 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state and 107 of them are in the ICU (31.1% of those hospitalized). So far, 7.8% of cases result in time in the hospital and 1.4% of cases result in ICU care. Federally mandated data reporting changes caused the gap you see in late July.
Labs processed a total of 10,791 tests in the last day. The state has averaged about 8,600 tests per day in the last week. The number of tests being done in Milwaukee County and the state as a whole have both been on the decline.
The state can currently handle a capacity of 26,561 tests daily spread across 85 labs. An additional 26 labs are being on-boarded.
Because of fluctuations in incoming test results, it's really not valuable to pay close attention to daily percent positive results other than to catch anomalies of high or low testing rates. Instead, let's look at seven- (orange dotted) and 14-day (gray dashed) averages. Since testing has been on the decline since early August, you can see how the percent of positive tests has gone up from about 6% to 8% in that time.
Anyone who wants a test should be able to get one, either from their primary care physician or one of a number of community testing sites. If you are exhibiting any of these symptoms, it is recommended that you get tested. Here are your options:
- Contact your primary care doctor and ask to be tested.
- Complete an online health screening assessment, and a licensed health practitioner will contact you.
- See if a community testing site is available near you.
As continues to be the case, the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to limit time in public places where you could be exposed to people outside your household. If you need to be in public, please practice social distancing (space of more than 6 ft. between you and others), wear a mask or face covering when possible and practice good hygiene (washing hands after any exposure events may have taken place).
Total Confirmed Cases by Wisconsin County Adams: 102 Ashland: 34 Barron: 363 Bayfield: 42 Brown: 5,194 Buffalo: 58 Burnett: 39 Calumet: 473 Chippewa: 323 Clark: 236 Columbia: 340 Crawford: 99 Dane: 5,294 Dodge: 1,076 Door: 128 Douglas: 244 Dunn: 163 Eau Claire: 768 Florence: 23 Fond du Lac: 1,022 Forest: 67 Grant: 425 Green: 261 Green Lake: 88 Iowa: 114 Iron: 118 Jackson: 74 Jefferson: 848 Juneau: 188 Kenosha: 2,920 Kewaunee: 163 La Crosse: 1,109 Lafayette: 185 Langlade: 79 Lincoln: 78 Manitowoc: 488 Marathon: 753 Marinette: 582 Marquette: 86 Menominee: 28 Milwaukee: 23,676 Monroe: 274 Oconto: 405 Oneida: 203 Outagamie: 1,692 Ozaukee: 885 Pepin: 47 Pierce: 281 Polk: 167 Portage: 550 Price: 37 Racine: 3,931 Richland: 44 Rock: 1,613 Rusk: 24 Sauk: 628 Sawyer: 151 Shawano: 245 Sheboygan: 1,000 St. Croix: 611 Taylor: 90 Trempealeau: 411 Vernon: 93 Vilas: 97 Walworth: 1,652 Washburn: 59 Washington: 1,543 Waukesha: 5,416 Waupaca: 632 Waushara: 142 Winnebago: 1,433 Wood: 431 Total: 73,138 Total Deaths by Wisconsin County Adams: 3 Ashland: 1 Barron: 3 Bayfield: 1 Brown: 58 Buffalo: 2 Burnett: 1 Calumet: 2 Clark: 8 Columbia: 2 Dane: 39 Dodge: 5 Door: 3 Eau Claire: 6 Fond du Lac: 9 Forest: 4 Grant: 17 Green: 1 Iron: 1 Jackson: 1 Jefferson: 6 Juneau: 1 Kenosha: 62 Kewaunee: 2 La Crosse: 1 Langlade: 2 Lincoln: 1 Manitowoc: 1 Marathon: 13 Marinette: 6 Marquette: 1 Milwaukee: 485 Monroe: 2 Oconto: 2 Outagamie: 19 Ozaukee: 18 Pierce: 5 Polk: 2 Portage: 1 Racine: 89 Richland: 4 Rock: 26 Rusk: 1 Sauk: 3 Sheboygan: 8 St. Croix: 7 Taylor: 3 Trempealeau: 2 Walworth: 27 Washington: 29 Waukesha: 73 Waupaca: 17 Waushara: 2 Winnebago: 21 Wood: 2 Total: 1,111
You can read past daily updates here.
