New COVID cases continue to decrease as vaccinations rise


 

 

The number of vaccines administered in Trempealeau County is nearing the number of total COVID-19 cases throughout the pandemic.

After another week in which the number of new COVID-19 cases dropped, the county’s rate of cases per 100,000 fell to the seventh-highest in the state as there were 34 new cases last week, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the lowest number since the second week in September when there were 33 new cases. The rate in which county residents tested positive also dropped below 20 percent for the first time since the third week of September.

Of the new cases, nearly half — 16 — were in the Arcadia area while Eleva had eight and Independence had five. All other municipalities in the county had three cases or fewer and Strum didn’t have any, according to the DHS.

While the number of new cases declined, there was another death. The Trempealeau County Health Department reported on Thursday that another person had died from the virus. The health department now lists 34 county residents as having died from COVID-19 while the DHS lists 36.

The county has now had 3,367 positive COVID-19 cases since April when the pandemic began. Work to get the virus under control with a vaccine has been underway since mid-December as 2,595 county residents had received at least the first dose of a vaccine as of the start of this week. Of those, 1,566 had received the Pfizer vaccine and 1,029 received the Moderna vaccine, according to the DHS.

County health officials cited a statewide shortage of vaccinations as some have reported long waiting lists in Trempealeau County. Currently eligible for the vaccine are frontline healthcare personnel, residents in skilled nursing facilities, residents of long-term care, police and fire personnel and people aged 65 and older.

According to a newsletter issued by the DHS, the hope is for the following people to be eligible for the vaccine in March: educators and childcare, individuals enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs; some public facing essential workers, non-frontline essential healthcare personnel, staff and residents in congregate living facilities.

Should the state receive more vaccines than expected, some of the groups may be eligible before March 1. The number of doses allocated to the state is determined at a federal level and statewide distribution is determined by the DHS. Those who administer the vaccine request  the amount they believe they need and the DHS uses a variety of factors to determine how many are distributed at various locations

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