Wisconsin hits coronavirus record as cases in Dane County, Milwaukee dwindle

Wisconsin shattered its record Tuesday for single-day reports of COVID-19 infections, even as the state’s two largest urban areas saw cases dwindle.

The state reported 1,117 cases of coronavirus infection, the first time cases reached more than 1,000 on a single day — though only 712 cases were reported on Wednesday, well below the 874 seven-day average.

There have been 865 deaths attributed to the virus.

Dane County reported 34 cases, down from 102 on July 14, the day after the county enacted a mask order, and from a high of 142 on June 30.

“While we can’t attribute the decline to a specific action, I do think it is notable that we are in a period of decline a few weeks after orders adjusting bar, restaurant, and mass gathering limits went into effect, along with the mask order,” said Kat Grande, public health supervisor for Public Health Madison & Dane County. “We’re seeing record-highs elsewhere in the state — many spikes are in areas without such protective measures in place.”

The county this month rolled back rules for bars and restaurants after a spate of new cases involving young adults were traced to drinking establishments. Indoor service at bars is banned, and restaurants can only serve diners at 25% of their normal capacity, down from 50% allowed when the county relaxed restrictions on June 15. The county also limited gatherings to 10 people inside and 25 people outdoors. 

County Executive Joe Parisi said Tuesday the order has been a success, but it can only do so much when people from other areas can cross county borders.

He called for a statewide mask order, which is unlikely given the state Supreme Court’s invalidation of Gov. Tony Evers' safer at home order and resistance from Republicans, who control the Legislature, which could vote on a statewide mask order.

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Evers has said that the Supreme Court ruling prevents him from enacting statewide measures.

“We need some statewide policy, and a statewide masking mandate would be incredibly easy to put into place and would be one of the least restrictive things one could do to have a very substantial impact on the virus,” Parisi told WISC-TV on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the city of Milwaukee, considered the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Wisconsin with 13,024 infections and 252 deaths — and which enacted a mask order last Thursday — reported 132 cases on Tuesday, down from 248 two weeks ago.

Tracking daily changes in individual counties is complicated by the fact that state data reports totals for counties, but not daily data, and county health department websites vary in their reporting.

But data available show that recent outbreaks in the state are occurring in the southeastern counties surrounding Milwaukee, with dramatic spikes in Waukesha, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Ozaukee counties. Also on the uptick is Sauk County, which contains most of the Wisconsin Dells waterparks, which draw tens of thousands of tourists each week. Positive cases there have more than doubled this month to total 250.

According to a comparison by personal finance website Wallethub.com, Wisconsin currently has the second-least restrictive statewide policy to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, trailing only South Dakota. Only a handful of local jurisdictions have imposed any restrictions at all.

On Thursday, three more cities — Racine, Green Bay and Superior — enacted mask orders. They join Ashland, Bayfield and Dane counties and the cities of Milwaukee, Glendale and Shorewood.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to show revised COVID-19 case numbers for the city of Milwaukee.