Coronavirus In Wisconsin: More Than 1,000 New COVID-19 Cases Reported
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin recorded more than 1,000 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases for a third day out of the past four on Friday.
The latest figures from the state Department of Health Services continue a spike in cases that began in mid-June and shows few signs of slowing. There were 1,018 newly reported cases on Friday, bringing the state's total to nearly 47,000. The death toll was unchanged at 878.
Wisconsin health Secretary Andrea Palm on Thursday said a more accurate picture of virus activity is the seven-day average, in part due to a backlog in counties reporting negative cases. That backlog can result in the percentage of positive cases in any given day being skewed, one measurement used to see how the virus is spreading.
On Friday, the seven-day average of new cases was 915. That is the highest seven-day average since the outbreak began.
The percentage of positive tests Friday, out of nearly 17,500 tests, was 5.8%. That was down from nearly 7% on Thursday. It was at 10% on both Sunday and Monday.
Palm said on Thursday that the recent spike in cases has been driven by people in their 20s. Many of those who tested positive report that they've been socializing with groups of people at bars, barbecues and parties, she said.
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