State reports more than 1,700 new cases for 17% positivity

Wisconsin reported its fourth-highest daily coronavirus case count ever Wednesday, with more than 1,700 new cases. The three days with higher counts all came within the last week.

For much of September, the state has struggled with rapidly rising case counts, especially among young people, as colleges and universities have reopened.

Cases are on the rise for every age group and ethnicity. Green Bay, the Fox Valley and La Crosse have cropped up as hotspots for the virus recently, according to Journal Sentinel data.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Health Services reported 1,762 new coronavirus cases as well as 11,691 negative tests, for a positivity rate of 13.1%.

The positivity rate, averaged over the last seven days, was 16.9%. The seven-day average for new cases was higher than ever, at 1,888.

The state also reported eight deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,259.

More than 1.4 million people have been tested statewide for the virus. Of the 105,932 Wisconsinites who have tested positive:

84.4%, or 89,393, have “recovered” by DHS standards, meaning there is documented proof their symptoms have resolved or it’s been 30 days since their diagnosis.

14.4%, or 15,262, are considered “active,” meaning they aren’t recovered and haven’t died.

As of Wednesday, 509 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. It was the highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Of those hospitalized with the virus, 140 people were in the ICU, DHS reported.

Global cases surpassed 31.7 million as of mid-Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 6.9 million of those cases and 201,319 deaths were in the United States.