Positive coronavirus cases top 900 in Wisconsin, 16 people dead

Amanda Quintana by Amanda Quintana

MADISON, Wis. — There are now 906 positive cases of coronavirus in Wisconsin, and the virus is being blamed for 16 deaths in the state.

In a press conference Friday afternoon, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 842 positive tests and 13,140 negative tests.

Shortly after, Milwaukee, Dane, La Crosse and Oneida counties released updated numbers bringing the total to 906.

Milwaukee County is also reporting two more deaths. Sauk County has reported its first death due to COVID-19.

Wisconsin now has more than 900 positive #coronavirus cases. 15 people have died in the state — this includes the first death in Sauk County. #news3now pic.twitter.com/pJQEvRhWkt — Amanda Quintana (@AmandaQTV) March 27, 2020

During the press conference, DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said the new cases we are seeing today and in the near term are people who were infected before the state enacted the Safer at Home order.

She asked the community to not get discouraged by the rising numbers, and continue to stay home and limit contact with people.

“Assuming that we are all implementing Safer at Home well, it will likely be several weeks before we are able to start to see the results of those efforts, and that is because of the lag time between infection to symptom on-set and to a positive test result,” said Palm.

She said data shows that if the state did not enact the Safer at Home order, “we would likely have 22,000 infected by April 8.”