COVID cases decline again

For the second straight week the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Trempealeau County declined significantly.

The recent surge in cases began in mid-July and topped out at 176 cases from Sept. 20 to Sept. 27, but the decline began with 126 cases reported two weeks ago and 91 last week, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It was the first week with fewer than 100 cases reported since the last week in August. 

Included in that decline was a sharp drop in the number of cases amongst school-aged county residents (ages five to 19). On Sept. 22, the Trempealeau County Health Department reported 65 new cases amongst that age group in the previous seven days, that total dropped to 45 on Sept. 29 and 18 on Oct. 6. 

Currently, three elementary schools in Trempealeau County are requiring all students and staff to wear face coverings. The Independence School District began the school year with a mask mandate, Blair-Taylor’s went into place in mid-September and Gale-Ettrick-Trempeaelau’s in late September. 

G-E-T’s mandate is set to expire on Friday, whereas B-T extended its until Oct. 19. This was the second time B-T extended the mandate as it was originally supposed to end Sept. 21. 

Last week, the most new cases were reported amongst residents of the G-E-T district with 18, down from 25 two weeks ago and 64 the week prior. There were 14 new cases reported amongst residents of the Whitehall district, 11 in B-T, 10 in Arcadia and six in Independence. 

Osseo had nearly one third of the new cases in the county last week with 26 reported to have 54758 zip codes, according to the DHS. There were 14 reported in Eleva, 10 in Strum, nine in Arcadia and Blair, eight in Trempealeau, seven in Galesville, six in Independence, five in Whitehall and three in Ettrick.