Wisconsin Sets Second-Straight Day of COVID-19 Cases

More than 2,500 new cases reported Friday. 

For the second consecutive day, Wisconsin blew past the previous one-day record for positive coronavirus cases on Friday, topping 2,500 as the virus continues to surge across the state. 

According to the state Department of Health Services, 2,533 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state between Thursday and Friday. That is 499 more than Thursday’s single-day record of 2,033 cases.

Prior to Thursday, the previous one-day high for new cases was 1,582. Overall, 97,279 cases of the virus have been reported in Wisconsin, along with 1,238 deaths. 

In addition to a record number of cases, the positivity rate continues to climb, topping 14 percent on average statewide for the past seven days.

The record-setting totals come as college students have returned to campuses across Wisconsin this month, prompting outbreaks at those locations that in many cases have spread to surrounding communities. 

Earlier this week during a media briefing, Dr. Ryan Westergaard, DHS chief medical officer, said the spike in cases is due in large part to college students convening at campuses across the state. 

Flare-ups of COVID-19 prompted UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank last week to suspend in-person classes for at least two weeks and to place students living in several large residence halls on quarantine. On Sunday UW-La Crosse took similar action, ordering all instruction to be online-only for two weeks and a quarantine of all dormitories.  

Other UW schools, such as UW-Eau Claire, UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville, also have reported significant numbers of cases, and the spread of the virus beyond campus into the surrounding community. 

UW System President Tommy Thompson acknowledged challenges containing COVID-19 as students returned to school and have taken part in a mix of in-person and virtual learning. Despite growing virus cases associated with colleges, Thompson told Wisconsin Health News that closing the state’s universities is not being considered.

The higher positive COVID-19 results are due to the UW System’s rigorous testing program, Thompson said, a sign of the effort to identify as many carriers of the virus as possible to try to slow its spread. 

“I think we’re doing a good job. I think we’re doing an excellent job, as a matter of a fact,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the number of COVID-19 cases is stabilizing or declining at most campuses, including UW-Madison. He said university staff members have done a good job of educating students and have tried to halt large gatherings, such as house parties and meeting in bars. 

So far, few COVID-19 cases have been linked to in-person classes, Thompson said.

Closing universities would pose a public health danger, he said, because many students would return to their home communities, potentially spreading the virus to those locations. 

Officials at UW System schools acknowledged challenges finding capacity to administer enough COVID-19 tests to accurately track the virus. During a virtual meeting Thursday night, UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt praised Student Health Services staff for working to test students, but said he is requesting more staff and test kits from UW System officials to keep pace with testing demand. 

“We’re making progress, but we’re not there yet,” Schmidt said of the testing program meeting the need. 

At UW-Eau Claire, 203 students have tested positive for the virus. Schmidt said he and other university staff are working to educate students about the need to maintain social distancing, to wear face masks, and to avoid large gatherings. Most of the outbreaks have occurred among off-campus students, he said.    

Despite those efforts, Eau Claire County has experienced record one-day COVID-19 case total increases in recent days, and 45 percent of the 1,476 county residents — including a new one-day record 78 on Friday — who have tested positive for the virus are in the 20-29 age group. 

Other communities that are home to UW System schools are experiencing a similar trend. La Crosse County has reported more than 100 new daily COVID-19 cases recently as the virus continues to spike there.

As virus cases on campuses continue to climb, officials in cities where those universities are located are expressing concerns about spread into the surrounding community. Local government officials in Madison, Whitewater, Platteville and Eau Claire have questioned whether local health officers can do more to enforce health orders at taverns and other locations where social distancing and masks are not happening.