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Thursday COVID-19 numbers: 4.2% positive cases out of more than 12,000 tests

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Wisconsin’s rate of positive COVID-19 cases dropped to just over four percent Thursday.

The state Department of Health Services reported that 539 of the 12,339 tests processed over the previous 24 hours were positive. That 4.2 percent was the lowest rate of positive tests since June 25.

As the effort to test as many people as possible continues, the rolling seven day average of confirmed new cases has continued to increase. Wisconsin has seen a recent surge in cases with half of all positive cases coming within the past five weeks, according to DHS. Seven deaths from COVID-19 brought Wisconsin’s total death toll to 793.

Wisconsin residents are being urged by DHS to spend the Fourth of July weekend at home.

The Department of Health Services urges residents to also follow best public health practices, social distancing and wearing face masks when that’s not possible.

Wisconsin has seen a recent surge in COVID-19 cases – with nearly nearly twenty percent of all positive cases coming within the past two weeks.

According to DHS this is driven in part by an increase in infections among younger people, and contact tracing by some local health departments has revealed that many of these cases can traced back to bars.

Wisconsin DPI releases general school aids estimate

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Most of Wisconsin’s K-12 public school districts are receiving additional money money from the state.

The Department of Public Instruction’s general school aid estimate for the next school year says, overall, schools will split about $5 billion.

That’s up 3.5 percent from the previous school year. Not every school will see more though: 114 of Wisconsin’s 421 school districts will see less money from DPI.

Wednesday COVID-19 numbers: 4.3% positive with more than 12,000 tests

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For the second day in a row, more than 12,000 COVID-19 tests were administered in Wisconsin.

And 4.3 percent, that’s 540 of 12,068 tests processed in the prior 24 hours, were positive. That’s 60 fewer confirmed cases from Tuesday.

The Department of Health Services also tracks a seven day rolling average of new cases, which continues to trend upwards, from 266 to 491 over the past two weeks.

DHS also reported 2 deaths and 36 new hospitalizations. The recovery rate for the more 22,000 positive cases in Wisconsin remains at 79 percent.

Thompson seeks input as UW System Interim President

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Former Governor Tommy Thompson officially became interim head of the UW System on Wednesday. One of his first actions was to launch an online “listening post” for people to send him feedback.

“We are going to need your help,” Thompson says in a video announcing the site, which dubs him the UW System’s “Listener-in-Chief.”

Thompson plans to respond to the input in ongoing video responses called “Two Minutes with Tommy” that will post on social media and on the system’s website.

Thompson has tapped former Assembly Speaker Tom Loftus, a Democrat, and former secretary of the state Department of Administration Scott Neitzel, a Republican, to lead his transition into the job.

He’ll hold the post for at least a year, at which point the System will re-start its attempts to hire a permanent successor to former president Ray Cross. He’ll stay on in an advisory role for the next three months.

Madison dials back on reopening as Milwaukee relaxes restrictions

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Milwaukee  moved forward with reopening plans on Wednesday, while Madison dialed back.

With COVID-19 cases increasing, Madison and Dane County restricting some businesses.

Restrictions on public gatherings, restaurants and – a big driver of new cases among twenty-somethings – bars. “People don’t make responsible decisions when crowding into a bar or partying on a Saturday night.” Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway said.

“In just two weekends, the level of community spread has jumped from 24 percent to 37 percent, and the average age of those with coronavirus in Dane County has dropped to 23 years old.”

Bars can have no indoor seating. “We can’t in every bar at every point in time. We take complaints, we follow up and then if we can’t get compliance, we will be writing citations,” said Janel Heinrich with Madison & Dane County Public Health.

Bars and restaurants can do takeout service and outdoor seating with physical distancing. Indoor restaurant dining is reduced to 25 percent of capacity.

The new order takes effect at 8:00 AM tomorrow/Thursday and also includes restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings, to 10 and 25 people respectively.

Milwaukee moved to Phase Four of its COVID-19 reopening plan on Wednesday.

The move comes as Wisconsin saw its largest increases in the coronavirus since May just the day before.

Restaurants can open up to 50 percent capacity. Most other businesses can open up to 75 percent.

On Tuesday, about 70 Milwaukee business owners petitioned city leaders to make masks mandatory.

Tuesday COVID-19 numbers: 4.7% positive and 601 new cases

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The state’s percentage of positive COVID-19 cases dropped on Tuesday. The Department of Health Services reported 12,180 new test results, of which 601 – or 4.7 percent – positive. That was also the largest single day total of new cases.

It follows 5.3 percent on Monday and 7.1 percent positive Sunday. However, the seven day rolling average of new cases, which is another measure reported by DHS, continues to rise. The average number of cases going from 266 to 475 over the past two weeks.

DHS also reported 7 deaths, for a total of 784 lives lost since the start of the pandemic. There were also 39 new hospitalizations. There have been more than 22,500 confirmed cases, and 79% of those have recovered.

 

Appeals court upholds limits on early voting in Wisconsin

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A federal appeals court has upheld Republican-authored limits on early voting.
Monday’s ruling by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals will allow 13 days of in-person absentee voting, starting two weeks before Election Day and ending no later than the Sunday before the election.

The appeals court ruling also reinstated several other Republican-backed laws, including a ban on faxing or emailing ballots to voters and a requirement that someone live at an address for at least 28 days to vote.

A lower court ruling that college students can use expired student IDs for voting was upheld.

Read the unanimous decision here.

Monday COVID-19 numbers: no new deaths, 5.3% positive tests

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A second straight day Monday, with no new COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin. And, after a positive test rate of 7.1 percent on Sunday, the state Department of Health Services reported that 5.3 percent – or 315 – of 5,612 of tests processed in the previous 24 hours were positive.

DHS also reported 11 new hospitalizations. There have been a total of 28,054 positive tests in Wisconsin, and 79 percent of those cases have recovered.

Since the start of the global pandemic, there have been 777 lives lost in Wisconsin due to the virus.

Sunday COVID-19 numbers: 7.1% of tests returned positive

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Wisconsin’s percentage of positive COVID-19 tests continued to trend in the wrong direction on Sunday.

While there were no additional COVID-19 related deaths on Sunday, numbers from the state Department of Health Services included a positive test rate of 7.1 percent for the previous 24 hours.

That follows on Saturday’s numbers, which included 539 new cases, the highest single day total in nearly a month, along with a positive test rate of 5.9 percent.

There were 11 additional hospitalizations reported Sunday. State and local public health agencies continue to urge Wisconsinites to practice safe social distancing, masking wearing when that’s not possible, and frequent hand washing.

Of the more than 27,000 people who’ve tested positive here, 79 percent have recovered.

Friday COVID-19 numbers: 5.6% of tests positive

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The rate of positive COVID-19 cases keeps growing in Wisconsin.  The Department of Health Services on Friday reported that 5.6 percent – 520 out of 9,127 tests processed in the prior 24 hours – were positive.

That rate was 4.1 percent on Thursday and 4.3 percent on Wednesday, and reflects a trend that is worrying public health officials.

In several Wisconsin counties, a majority of new cases are among those ages 20 to 29. While no additional deaths were reported Friday, there were 25 additional hospitalizations.

Of the state’s more than 26,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 79 percent have recovered.