Fewer Cases and More Deaths Pushing Wisconsin's COVID Death Rate Back Up

Thursday, December 17th, 2020 -- 10:07 AM

(WBAY) Fewer cases and more deaths from the coronavirus continue pushing the state’s COVID-19 death rate back up.

The state Department of Health Services says 2,402 people tested positive for the coronavirus, the novel virus that causes COVID-19. That’s a positivity rate of 26% of the 9,251 tests completed. New cases were identified in all 72 counties.

It’s the third straight day Wisconsin received fewer than 10,000 test results. Wisconsin has identified fewer than 3,000 new cases three of the last four days.  The state added 74 more people to the death toll, which is now 4,196.

There were deaths in 29 counties: Brown (2), Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia (3), Dane (20), Dodge (5), Door, Douglas (2), Eau Claire, Green Lake, Jefferson, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Marathon, Milwaukee (15), Outagamie (2), Ozaukee, Portage, Racine, Sauk, Sawyer, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington (2), Waukesha (3), Winnebago and Wood.

The death rate is 0.94% of all known cases after leveling off at 0.93% for six days. It had reached a low of 0.84% but began a slow rise in mid-November.

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