New COVID cases decline, one death reported

While there was one more death from COVID-19, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported a significant drop in the total number of new cases last week.

The death was reported by both the DHS and the Trempealeau County Health Department. No further information about the person was made available. It was the 49th death from the disease in Trempealeau County, where the fatality rate of 1.1 percent is the same as the state rate. 

The DHS did report a decline in cases for the first time since mid-August as there were 126 new cases reported last week, down from 176 two weeks ago. The county health department also reported a drop amongst school-aged residents from 65 two weeks ago to 45 last week.

The number of new cases amongst residents of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District dropped from 64 two weeks ago to 25 last week. In late-September the district began requiring all students and staff to wear face coverings. That will be reviews on Oct. 15.

The Independence district has had a mask mandate all school year, but saw a jump two weeks ago with 22 new cases amongst district residents. That number declined last week, back down to 10, the lowest in the Times coverage area. Blair-Taylor has had a mask mandate in its elementary school since mid-September, but hasn’t seen much of a decline in it’s number of new cases, as there were 23 new cases reported amongst residents of that district last week. There were 22 new cases amongst Arcadia School District residents and 12 in Whitehall. 

The Arcadia area had the most new cases as 20 had 54612 zip codes. Blair was second with 18 followed by Galesville and Osseo, 14; Strum, 12; Whitehall, 11; Independence, 10; Eleva, nine and Trempealeau, five. 

The DHS reported on Monday that 61.2 percent of county residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 72.8 percent of adults are fully vaccinated.