DHS reports 266 new COVID-19 cases

The Department of Health Services on Monday reported the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since late June.

There were 266 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 75,603 confirmed cases. It was the lowest number of new cases since June 23, when 263 cases were reported, according to state data.

There were 3,818 more test results reported, for a total of 1,248,457 people tested. The positivity rate on Monday was 7 percent.

No additional deaths were reported. A total of 1,122 deaths have been reported so far.

A DHS spokeswoman said the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System, used by health departments to report cases, was “down for a bit” on Sunday. But she added that numbers can fluctuate for several reasons.

For instance, less COVID-19 data is usually processed on the weekends, leading to fewer new cases reported Mondays and more on Tuesdays. Health officials urge looking at the overall trend in cases.

The average seven-day positivity rate was 8.2 percent. The seven-day average for daily new cases was 678.

According to the Wisconsin Hospital Association, 290 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized, an uptick of three from Sunday.

Of those, 96 are intensive care units, a decline of eight from Sunday.