MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin surpassed 5,000 deaths from COVID-19, as the total number of cases neared half a million. The state Department of Health Services reported 60 additional deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total to 5,039. There have been nearly 495,000 positive cases to date. The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin peaked in mid-November and had been declining since, but started to rise again in late December. The seven-day average of new cases on Wednesday was 2,493. That is the highest it has been since Dec. 24.