Wisconsin Coronavirus Cases Up To 1,550; 24 Deaths Reported

MADISON, WI — Wisconsin's total number of coronavirus cases had increased to 1,550 as of Wednesday afternoon - the largest one-day increase to date, according to state health officials. Officials also reported conducting 18,819 negative tests. As of Wednesday afternoon, 24 people have died from the coronavirus.

Public health officials added a new piece of data to their daily reporting, shedding some more light on the real-time picture of what's happening in Wisconsin.

On Wednesday, health officials started releasing the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations. That figure stood at 398 patients, or about 26 percent of the total cases. It is not known of the total 1,550 cases, how many people have recovered.

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Of the confirmed cases, Milwaukee County reported 780 cases. Dane county reported 215 and Waukehsha County reported a total of 107 cases.

Voluntary Isolation Centers Opening

Two state-run voluntary isolation facilities opened in Madison and Milwaukee on Wednesday: at Lowell Center in Madison and a Super 8 hotel in Milwaukee. These facilities are for people suspected to be infected with COVID-19 or who have a confirmed case of COVID-19. People will not be permitted to register at the facility unless referred by a medical provider or public health official. They register and stay at the isolation facility on a voluntary basis. The expected length of stay will be about 14 days, or 72 hours after symptoms dissipate, officials say.

“As the state’s response to COVID-19 continues, we want to make sure those who need a safe place to stay have one available to them,” Evers said Tuesday afternoon. “These voluntary self-isolation sites help respond to the pandemic in two ways. First, they will provide a valuable resource for those who have mild symptoms of COVID-19, leaving valuable hospital space available for others who need it, and they also provide a safe place for people to stay so they don’t spread COVID-19 to others.”

Evers Unveils Raft Of Proposals

On Monday, Evers unveiled a package of proposals that he would like the Republican-controlled state legislature to address in the coming days and weeks.

“I’m calling on the Legislature to convene without any further delay to take up these proposals supporting our healthcare providers, essential workers, small businesses, and families across our state who need our help during this difficult time," Evers said Wednesday. "These are unprecedented times, but we must remember that we are all in this together. We need to do everything we can to support those who need it.”

This package, among many other proposals, includes:

• Increasing funding for Medicaid providers via supplemental payments and rate increases to support the healthcare system’s response to the public health emergency.
• Establishing a fund to reduce providers’ uncompensated care costs targeting reimbursement for treatment-related costs for uninsured individuals.
• Establishing a COVID-19 reinsurance program to reduce health insurance premiums.
• Providing grant funding to provide food assistance and meal delivery.
• Prohibiting utility cooperatives from disconnecting customers and prohibiting land-lord directed disconnections from rental units during a public health emergency.
• Ensuring workers receive back payment for any lost unemployment insurance benefits as a result of the delay in suspending the one-week waiting period.
• Providing supplemental payments to child care providers, if that provider needed to shut down during the public health emergency.
• Allowing households to apply for heating assistance under the low-income energy assistance program anytime during the 2020 calendar year.
• Increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families.
• Providing municipalities the flexibility to implement multiple installments of three or more payments for 2020 property taxes.
• Waiving interest and penalties on delinquent property taxes included in the 2019 payable 2020 tax roll, on and after April 1, 2020.
• Creating a fund through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Association to provide 6 months of support for prevention of single-family foreclosures and providing refinancing opportunities to current borrowers.
• Providing grant funding for small businesses and workers through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Related Reading

• Wisconsin Coronavirus Tracker
• More Hospital Beds Needed
• Coronavirus Closures: Walmart, Woodman's, Target, Mayfair, More

• What's going on in Wisconsin? Find Out Here

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Wisconsin cases by County, updated April 1, 2020.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services