After performing a software update to its Electronic Disease Surveillance system, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has resumed reporting daily COVID-19 numbers.
For Monday, October 19, 2020, the department reports 3,777 new positive COVID-19 cases.
DHS says the weekend pause in reporting will result in larger case totals over the next several days. They are recommending people to follow the 7-day average for case counts, which they say is a better indicator for how the state is trending for new cases. That trend continues to keep Wisconsin around its highest levels for cases since the pandemic began.
2/2 We encourage you to view the 7-day average for cases counts rather than focusing on the number of new case on a given day. It is helpful to monitor the overall trends in the number of new cases as it smooths out the fluctuation we can see from day-to-day. pic.twitter.com/fWlgsmlqlr
— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) October 19, 2020
Since the pandemic began, there have been 173,891 positive COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. 35,345 of them are considered active.
Deaths from the virus have reached 1,600 with 12 reported Monday.
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients continue to remain around record highs in the state. On Monday there were 1,172. So far no one has been admitted to the Alternate Care Facility at Wisconsin State Fair Park since it opened October 14.
More details on COVID-19 numbers in Wisconsin can be found here.