Wisconsin's 7-Day COVID-19 Positivity Rate Drops Under 4 Percent

MILWAUKEE, WI – Wisconsin’s seven-day average of confirmed coronavirus cases has dipped under 4 percent and is at its lowest mark since last June, according to data released by state health department officials on Wednesday.

Despite 821 new positive cases that were reported in addition to 35 new coronavirus-related deaths, the state’s seven-day positivity rate continues to drop. Wednesday’s sub-4 percent rate represents the continuation of a steady decline from the end of 2020, when the positivity rate was at 10 percent on Dec. 31, state health data shows. The state's seven-day rolling average reached an all-time high of 17.8 percent in mid-December.

More than 58,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus over the past 24 hours and 4,992 tested negative, state officials reported. An additional 69 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus over the past 24 percent but just 4.5 percent of residents across Wisconsin dealing with the virus are hospitalized.

The 35 additional deaths takes Wisconsin’s death toll to 6,129 since the pandemic began last spring and 551,871 have tested positive.

A total of 882,910 doses of the vaccine have been administered and 1.15 million doses of the vaccines have been allocated to Wisconsin, health department officials announced. There are currently more than 130,000 doses of the vaccines in transit and more than 901,000 doses have been ordered.

On Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers announced that Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville will serve as the state's first community-based vaccination clinic. The clinic will open at the site on Feb. 16 and officials expect to be able to complete about 250 vaccinations on a daily basis. State health officials anticipate more community-based clinics opening in the future.

Evers said when more clinics open across Wisconsin will be based on the availability of the the vaccines. Getting shots in arms across the state has become a major undertaking, the governor said at a news conference Wednesday. Evers said he is impressed with the manner in which people will be able to move through the facility to be vaccinated, characterizing the process as "slick" and "easy".

"We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to be part of this effort to get rid the virus in the state of Wisconsin," Evers said at the news conference.