17 people test positive for COVID-19 in Northwestern Wisconsin

Superior Telegram, Wis.
·3 min read

May 18—An additional 17 Northwestern Wisconsin residents tested positive for COVID-19, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported Tuesday, May 18.

They were reported as follows: eight in Douglas County; three in Sawyer County ; two in each Burnett and Iron counties; and one in each Price and Washburn counties. No new cases were reported in Ashland, Bayfield, Rusk and Taylor counties.

Statewide, an additional 481 cases were reported Tuesday, DHS said, bringing the total to 606,755.

An additional 13 deaths reported statewide Tuesday, bringing the total to 6,971, DHS said. Overall, 1.1% of people who have contracted the virus have died.

The seven-day average of positive COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin dropped slightly. On Tuesday, the figure was 419. The seven-day average of positive cases measures the average number of new cases per day over the previous week. An overall decrease in the seven-day average of positive cases indicates the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the state is also going down, according to DHS.

The number of negative tests in the state was 2,911,300 Tuesday, an increase of 3,515.

An additional 95 people have been hospitalized because of the virus since Monday, including one person in each Burnett, Price and Washburn counties, bringing the total to 30,345. Overall, 5% of Wisconsinites who contracted the virus have been hospitalized.

Tuesday's report also showed that 97.7% of the people who have tested positive for the virus have recovered. That means 1.1%, or 6,280 cases, are currently active.

DHS also reports that 4,891,853 doses of vaccine have been administered by Tuesday with 2,650,991 Wisconsin residents, 45.5% of the population, receiving at least one dose of vaccine, and 2,305,470 people completing the vaccine series.

Here's the breakdown in the 10-county region:

Ashland County

— Active cases: 22

— Deaths: 15

— Probable deaths: 0

— Total cases: 1,267

— Total negative tests: 7,660

— Vaccinations: 7,885

Bayfield County

— Active cases: 16

— Deaths: 19

— Probable deaths: 0

— Total cases: 1,152

— Total negative tests: 7,361

— Vaccinations: 8,638

Burnett County

— Active cases: 59

— Deaths: 22

— Probable deaths: 0

— Total cases: 1,401

— Total negative tests: 6,561

— Vaccinations: 6,414

Douglas County

— Active cases: 121

— Deaths: 39

— Probable deaths: 18

— Total cases: 4,077

— Total negative tests: 20,263

— Vaccinations: 20,690

Iron County

— Active cases: 4

— Deaths: 21

— Probable deaths: 19

— Total cases: 580

— Total negative tests: 2,738

— Vaccinations: 2,871

Price County

— Active cases: 6

— Deaths: 7

— Probable deaths: 0

— Total cases: 1,235

— Total negative tests: 5,961

— Vaccinations: 5,752

Rusk County

— Active cases: 33

— Deaths: 17

— Probable deaths: 1

— Total cases: 1,338

— Total negative tests: 5,428

— Vaccinations: 4,153

Sawyer County

— Active cases: 32

— Deaths: 26

— Probable deaths: 1

— Total cases: 1,714

— Total negative tests: 8,847

— Vaccinations: 7,241

Taylor County

— Active cases: 13

— Deaths: 24

— Probable deaths: 8

— Total cases: 1,877

— Total negative tests: 6,298

— Vaccinations: 5,204

Washburn County

— Active cases: 25

— Deaths: 20

— Probable deaths: 2

— Total cases: 1,481

— Total negative tests: 7,096

— Vaccinations: 7,882

Visit the Douglas County COVID-19 dashboard or Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 page for updates.