With a big increase in single-day testing, Wisconsin health officials report 472 new coronavirus cases

Madeline Heim
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Labs across Wisconsin ran thousands more coronavirus tests since Wednesday than they have in any single day prior, as state health officials reported an increase of 472 new positive cases Thursday. 

The 472 cases make up about 5% of the 9,410 tests processed since the day before. The previous record for tests in a single day was set Wednesday at just over 6,000. 

It comes as no surprise, as the National Guard has fanned out across the state to conduct massive testing operations in hopes of diagnosing those who are ill and getting a better grip on how many in the state have the virus. Gov. Tony Evers also announced earlier this week that he would spend nearly $260 million on test kits and local health departments so they can conduct their own testing. 

The percentage of positive tests announced Thursday is down slightly from Wednesday's 8% positive tests, which Department of Health Services secretary designee Andrea Palm called a good sign. The percentage of positive tests is one metric state health officials are watching to determine when the state could begin to reopen under Evers' former stay-at-home order. 

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To date, 177,123 Wisconsinites have now been tested for the virus, more than 163,000 of which have come back negative. On Thursday, 13,885 people had tested positive, and nearly six in 10 of those patients have recovered. 

Four hundred and eighty-seven people have died as a result of complications from the virus, an increase of six from Wednesday. 

Evers also announced on Thursday that he would infuse Wisconsin's long-term care facilities with $100 million in federal CARES Act funding, targeted at places most at financial risk during the pandemic. Of the state's 376 current investigations into facilities with outbreaks of the coronavirus, just under half of those are occurring in long-term-care facilities. 

The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported Thursday that 398 patients across the state were currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 126 of them in the intensive care unit. The percentage of patients who have required hospitalization for their illness during the pandemic remains at about 16%.  

On Thursday, the number of coronavirus cases in each county of the state stood as follows: 

  • 5,556 in Milwaukee County
  • 2,177 in Brown County
  • 1,166 in Racine County
  • 921 in Kenosha County
  • 576 in Dane County
  • 527 in Waukesha County
  • 493 in Rock County
  • 316 in Walworth County
  • 171 in Washington County
  • 161 in Outagamie County
  • 148 in Fond du Lac County
  • 141 in Winnebago County
  • 131 in Ozaukee County
  • 121 in Dodge County
  • 82 in Eau Claire County
  • 78 in Grant County
  • 77 in Sauk County
  • 76 in Sheboygan County
  • 67 in Jefferson County
  • 61 in Calumet County
  • 57 in St. Croix County
  • 49 in Green County
  • 47 in La Crosse County
  • 45 in Chippewa County
  • 36 in Columbia and Shawano counties 
  • 35 in Marathon County
  • 34 in Door County
  • 32 in Kewaunee County
  • 31 in Oconto County
  • 30 in Pierce County
  • 29 in Clark County
  • 28 in Manitowoc and Marinette counties
  • 24 in Crawford County
  • 22 in Juneau County
  • 20 in Dunn County
  • 19 in Waupaca County
  • 16 in Lafayette and Monroe counties
  • 15 in Douglas and Jackson counties
  • 14 in Richland County
  • 13 in Trempealeau and Vernon counties
  • 12 in Green Lake County
  • 11 in Barron, Forest and Iowa counties
  • Nine in Polk and Wood counties
  • Eight in Portage County
  • Seven in Sawyer and Waushara counties 
  • Five in Buffalo and Vilas counties
  • Four in Adams and Rusk counties
  • Three in Bayfield, Lincoln and Marquette counties
  • Two in Ashland, Florence, Iron, Menominee, Price and Washburn counties
  • One in Burnett, Langlade, Pepin and Taylor counties 

Note that state totals are frozen once a day and may not reflect numbers put out by local health departments. 

Contact Madeline Heim at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @madeline_heim.