COVID spread continues to rise in Trempealeau County

While not yet comparable to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the area, the case rate rose last week to levels not seen since January.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 57 new COVID-19 cases in Trempealeau County this week, the most since the third week of January. When 57 cases were reported from Jan. 18 to Jan. 25, it was the beginning of a decline with 74 cases reported the week before and more than 100 two weeks prior. This appears to be the beginning of another rise in cases as there were 36 reported the two weeks ago and have been 137 over the past month.

With the increase in cases, both the DHS and the Trempealeau County Health Department reported another death. As of Friday, the health department reported three people were hospitalized with COVID-19.

As school begins at most area schools next week, the spread hit the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District residents particularly hard with 28 new cases reported in that area over the past week. There were nine new cases amongst residents of the Independence district, four in Whitehall and Blair-Taylor and three in Arcadia. Independence is the only district that will mandate masks at the start of the school year.

The DHs reported on Monday that 53.4 percent of county residents are fully vaccinated and 56.6 have received at least one dose. The county still compares favorably with neighboring counties when it comes to adults at 67.9 percent of county residents 18 and older have been fully vaccinated. La Crosse County is the highest amongst the neighboring counties at 65.5 percent followed by Eau Claire, 61.2; Buffalo, 60 and Jackson, 48.5.